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Fabid Ahmer ready to sustain momentum at K1000; Gaurav Gill back on track
Documentation by the drivers on Thursday at Resort Area83, the Rally HQ2 for K1000. By David Bodapati
Bangalore, 22 Nov 2019: Overall championship leader Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopalan, from Kerala, are raring to go and are eager to reinforce their lead in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) as the 44th edition of the popular K1000 Rally begins here on Saturday.
The rally attracted a record number of 55 entries with the number 13 left out of the lot, with no stickering done due to the supposed bad-omen it brings. About 49 cars took the start at the Ceremonial Start on Friday.
However, Team Champions’ Fabid and Sanath duo, who got their Volkswagen Polo tyres sponsored by MRF, will face stiff competition from rival JK Tyre-supported Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival, the winners of the season opener in Chennai, also in a VW Polo. But both the pairs will be wary of speed maestro Gaurav Gill, who will be rallying after a gap of two months, after the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur.
The Mahindra Adventure team’s Gill, navigated by veteran Musa Sherif, stated that he put the `tragedy’ behind him and was eager to get back on wheels in the WRC2 in Australia, but the rally was cancelled due to bush fires and the multiple-Indian National champion lost a chance to get back into the groove. But the three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion want to be back in full force and it would be a pleasure to see him ease into his own gracious self, thrilling the crowds with speeds, only he can churn out. “I have always enjoyed driving here in the K-1000. I am really looking forward to go out there and enjoying myself. Hopefully, things will turn in my favour this weekend,” said Gill who is currently fifth in the championship along with Musa Sherif.
Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, are always a threat to any team in K1000, and Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, the second team of Mahindra Adventure, will also be looking to make amends for a late-season splash. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt, in INRC2 and brothers Chethan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan winners of the Coimbatore rally will be the others to watch out for. The other INRC2 pair of Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George can spring a surprise, or two.
Gaurav Gill at the Ceremonial Start at the Uru Brewpark in Amruthnagar, on Friday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Champions Yacht Club promoted National Championship, under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will enter its final stretch, with its Round 4, the K-1000 Rally at a private property in the Garden City. The premier rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club is one of the oldest rallies in the country but after a chequered run, the previous promoters, RRPM, denied K1000 a round in the 2019 National Championship, after many successful decades of running.
The final round, the Coffee Day Rally at Chikmagalur is a doubtful starter with the Coffee Day said to be withdrawing the full sponsorship support after the death of its founder Siddharth but the postponed Popular Rally is likely to be held in December or January. The Popular Rally was put off due to a PIL filed in a Kerala court but the court refused to stop the rally.
Along with Fabid Ahmer, INRC4 topper Vaibhav Marate from Goa along with co-driver Arjun, too would get the support from MRF. Both of them are comfortably placed in their categories and look poised to end the year on a high note. Fabid and Sanath, representing Team Champions are also leading INRC 3 class and have a unique style of driving that can be smooth and graceful. Fabid and Sanath, are also leading the Junior INRC class.
The Mangalore pair of Dean and Shruptha are leading the INRC2 class with 65 points followed by another JK stablemate, Younus Ilyas (42 points).
“We have a very strong field of 55 teams in this round too, creating a record in itself,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter of INRC, said. “Every category is very closely contested, with the backing of two very strong supporters. This is what motorsport is all about,” he added.
The rally will have a Special Stage distance of 125km split into two legs. Leg one on Saturday with six Special Stages will run for a distance of 75km while the leg 2 on Sunday will have 50km distance. There are two physical stages, Khoday’s Lakes and Khoday’s Woods. The rally is run completely in private property, in the Resort Area83 and partly in Khoday’s property. The Lakes stage is 18.5km and Woods stage is 6.5km. Both the stages will be run thrice in the same direction on Saturday and twice in reverse direction on Sunday. Fortunately, the liaison distance will be one of the shortest in the recent times with the drivers taking only 13.8km in transport distance. It is a pity that the crowd favourite stage, the Super Special Stage is done away with, this year.
(Note added on Nov 24: Despite SR on FMSCI (on Nov 22) saying six stages on Day1, only four were run in the actual rally.)
The Rally offers a prize money of Rs.1 lakh for the top three classes and Rs.75,000 for INRC4, and Rs.40,000 for SUV class. Rally teaser!
A new clause is added in the Supplementary Regulations, in hind sight, for “Accident Reporting’’: If a driver taking part in a rally is involved in an accident in which a member of the public sustains physical injury, the driver concerned must report this to the next radio point as specified in the road book and signposted on the route according to Article 3.3.3 of the GP’s. If he fails to observe this rule, the Stewards may impose on the crew responsible, a penalty which may go as far as disqualification. The laws of the country must also be complied with in relation to procedures at accidents.
POINTS TABLE after 3 rounds: INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 49 points; 2. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 42 points; 3. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 40 pts.
INRC 2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 65 points; 2. Younus Ilyas & Harish Gowda 42 points; 3. Vinoth G Kumar & Krishna Charan Dasari 35 points.
INRC 3: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 69 points; 2. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 45 points; 3. Arjun Rao & Rajit Kadian 30 points
INRC 4: 1. Vaibhav Marate & Arjun SSB 74 points; 2. Rakshith Iyer & Chadrashekar 58 points; 3. Suraj Thomas & Shob George 41 points.
SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah & Thimmu Uddapanda 78 points; 2. Sanjay Agarwal & Smitha N 60 points; 3. Nikhil J & Arjun Dheerendra 49 points.
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Double delight for Michelangelo Amendola: MRF Challenge
Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF, (left) with Race-1 2nd-placed Joshua Mason (2nd from left), winner Michelangelo Amendola and Dylan Young (right) who came third, on Friday. Photos Anand Philar Dubai, 22 Nov 2019: Belgian teenager Michelangelo Amendola came up with two brilliant drives to win both the races of the day in the eighth edition of the FIA- approved MRF Challenge international series at the Dubai Autodrome on Friday.
The 17-year old Amendola displayed rare character to win both races from difficult positions. In the first race that he started form pole, he dropped to third after a wheel-spin as the lights went off before taking a win and in the next race, he made places from sixth on the reverse grid to take the checkered flag despite stalling his car at Turn-1 in the very first lap.
The race was marked by a Safety Car period following a collision between Aussie Dylan Young and Indian-American Yuven Sunderamoorthy in the first lap.
The Belgian youngster, despite the Turn-1 incident, put his head down and managed to carve his way through the field before passing leader Joshua Mason, the 17-year old from Great Britain on the final lap while Jordanian teenager Manaf Hijjawi came in third.
“I am happy to win both races today. In the morning, I lost places at the start due to a wheel-spin as I did not let go of the clutch, and then had to fight my way into the lead. In the second race, I started sixth on the reverse grid, stalled my car after someone made contact from behind at Turn-1 in the first lap. Luckily, I managed to start the car and then made places to win,” said a delighted Amendola.
In the first race, Amendola, was slowly off the blocks due to wheel-spin and fell behind as Mason and Young led the pack into Turn-1. Mason opened up a sizeable lead before tyre wear slowed him down while Young caught up with him, but could not pass. Meanwhile, Amendola recovered quickly and in the latter half of the race, got a jump on both the front-runners leaving Mason and Young scrap for the minor podium spots.
Behind the trio, the midfield witnessed close battles while India’s Chetan Korada finished ninth and last after a spin in the eighth lap even as he was putting in consistent laps. But in the second race, the Chennai-based Korada was running fourth, but conceded the advantage to finish seventh.Earlier, in the qualifying session, Amendola came up with a late charge to grab pole position ahead of Mason, who briefly led the time sheets, and Young.
The results: Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium); 2. Joshua Mason (Great Britain); 3. Dylan Young (Australia). Race-2: 1. Amendola; 2. Mason; 3. Manaf Hijjawi (Jordan).
Qualifying (top 4): 1. Amendola (01:58.409); 2. Mason (01:58.499); 3. Young (01:58.518); 4. Largim Ali (Denmark) (01:58.527).
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Ford is official partner of FIA Jr WRC for 2020
Ford to partner Jr WRC in 2020. A Jr WRC image The iconic blue oval joins FIA Junior WRC as an official partner for 2020.
Working with M-Sport Poland, Ford Performance assisted with
thedevelopment of the EcoBoost-powered Fiesta R2T – the car that is exclusively used by all FIA Junior WRC competitors. The newpartnership sees Ford extend its commitment to finding the next generation of FIA World Rally Championship superstars offering a clear pathway from the Fiesta R2T to the Fiesta WRC – all using M-Sport built cars with EcoBoost power. The most powerful car (per driven axle) in WRC
Thanks to the 200HP one-litre EcoBoost engine the
Fiesta R2T features 200HP per driven axle, which is the highest in the WRC, with the top tier WRC cars delivering 190HP per driven axle. Same EcoBoost power, very different conditions
The EcoBoost powered Fiesta R2Ts use the same base engine as their road going variants and will be put through their paces on both ends of the spectrum of extreme conditions. From the snow and ice of Rally Sweden, where ambient temperatures drop as low as -25°C, to the ruttedand rocky Rally d’Italia, reaching a searing 40°C, FIA Junior WRC’s 2020 crews will demonstrate the capabilities of the EcoBoostpowerplant.
Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager: “To have Ford join FIA Junior WRC as an official partner underlines the importance of supporting and growing the potential future World Rally Champions to manufactures such as Ford. Elfyn Evans is a great example of a driver that Ford has been involved with since he started his WRC career in the championship when it was known as WRC Academyin 2012 which he won in a Ford Fiesta R2. Elfyn graduated to the WRC 2 category in 2013 with a Ford Fiesta R5 and joined the M-Sport World Rally Team full-time for the 2014 season and took his maiden WRC overall victory in 2017 on Wales Rally GB in an EcoBoost poweredFord Fiesta WRC.”
Gerard Quinn, Senior Manager Ford Performance Europe: “Ford has been a proud partner and advocate of the JWRC from its inception several years ago. Since the foundation of Ford Motor Company we have consistently been at the forefront of making opportunities for talent to flourish in motorsport. The JWRC provides a valuable opportunity for Ford to be involved in a professional rally series that continues to find world class driving talent. Obviously we are delighted that the Ford Fiesta continues to be the competition car of choice for this exciting programme in 2020.”
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Belgian Amendola dominates practice sessions; Chetan Korada 9th: MRF Challenge
Michelangel Amendola (Belgium) who topped both the Free Practice sessions on Thursday. Photo by Anand Philar Dubai, 21 Nov 2019: Belgium’s 17-year old Michelangelo Amendola set the early pace by dominating both the free practice sessions as the eighth season of the International MRF Challenge commenced at the Dubai Autodrome, here today.
Amendola, who had finished fifth overall in the 2018-19 championship, topped the time sheets in the first of the two Free Practice sessions by clocking one minute, 58.551 seconds and followed it up with a 01:58.806 in the next outing.
Finishing second behind Amendola in the red-flag interrupted FP1 were two other 17-year olds, Great Britain’s Joshua Mason (01:59.882) and Yuven Sundaramoorthy from the United States (01:59.912).
Amendola continued his consistent run in FP2 with a best of 01:58.806 which he set barely minutes from the close of the session ahead of Sundaramoorthy (01:59.524), who has some experience of driving two-litre cars having taken part in F2000 races in the US and Australian veteran Dylan Young (01:59.618) who shrugged off a spin in FP1 that led to the red flag as the marshals removed his car stranded in one of the corners.
The lone Indian in the fray, Chetan Korada struggled in both the sessions, finishing last in the nine-car field. “I had some issues with the car today, but hopefully, I will be able to do better tomorrow’s qualifying session,” said the 33-year old Chennai-based Korada.
Amendola was pleased as punch with his performance today. “It went pretty well considering that I was driving after a long time. To be honest, the last time I drove was in Chennai in February (2018-19 season), so I had no preparations. I only did a lot of physical and mental training. However, it felt like home, getting back into the car!” said Almendola.
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Prithvi Raj files appeal against `unjust ban’; CASC rejects Rs.5-lakh penalty
Coimbatore, 21 Nov 2019: FMSCI President J Prithvi Raj, issued a statement on 21 November 2019, following the unfair ban imposed on him as Clerk of the Course (CoC). He informed that an appeal was filed by him the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) to the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) appellate body.
On Nov 5, a Committee formed to inquire into the incident that happened in Jodhpur where three people died, had banned Prithvi Raj as CoC for three years and said that he should serve only as DCoC after serving the 3-year period. It also said that he would continue to be the President of FMSCI.
The CASC was also penalised Rs 5 lakh and was barred from organising any events outside Coimbatore. CASC said that it is unreasonable to punish them for no fault of theirs and have filed an appeal.
Prithvi Raj, who is also the president of the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club and a veteran of several National and important events said: “I am sharing this statement in my individual capacity, as the CoC of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for the Jodhpur Round.
“As a responsible and senior official of the FMSCI, with over 28 years in the profession in various capacities, including as CoC of innumerable events, I have always carried out my duties with diligence and a sense of responsibility. I have always considered safety and procedure as top priority, never compromising on either of them ever in my life.
“As CoC of the Jodhpur Rally too, I had ensured that every safety measure was in place and FMSCI Observer too went on the route and approved the stage setup before giving it the green signal.
“So, I disagree with the three-year penalty imposed on me. It is harsh and unfair too, especially as the Council members did not give me any opportunity to present my version nor a copy of the report before passing their verdict. This is against the principles of natural justice.
“Taking into account everything that has happened before, during and after the Rally, I have decided to appeal against the penalty imposed on me. If nothing, I should be given an opportunity to put forward my case,” concluded Prithviraj.
Appeal by CASC is given below:
To,
The Members of the Council,
The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, Chennai.
Sirs,
We are in receipt of the FMSCI Enquiry Panel report as modified and approved by the Council of FMSCI on 5th November 2019.
We were shocked and surprised to by the recommendations of the Enquiry Panel and the decision of the Council to impose a monetary penalty of Rs.5,00,000/- on CASC and to ban CASC from organizing National Championship Events outside of Coimbatore till 31stDecember 2022. We hereby place our objections to the same.
Firstly, CASC was never given any notice by the Enquiry Panel or by FMSCI to attend the enquiry conducted by the Enquiry Panel or to send anyone to represent CASC in the enquiry, which notice should have been sent well before the date of enquiry; second, we were never called upon by any show cause notice to express our objections or differences in respect of the recommendations of the Enquiry Panel post enquiry and post report; we have been, as an entity and as member of FMSCI, entirely unaware of the above developments and recommendations.
We further find that the report of the Enquiry Panel reads as if Mr. J. Prithiviraj participated in the enquiry as our representative. That is not correct. We never authorized Mr. J. Prithiviraj or anyone else for that matter to represent us in the enquiry since we had not been called upon to do so. The monetary penalty and the ban have been imposed on us is entirely in violation of principles of natural justice and fair play. As such, the same are not legal and binding.
In light of the above, we request you to withdraw the penalty and ban imposed on us forthwith. In the event of the council failing to withdraw the decision, we reserve our right to seek appropriate remedies.
Awaiting your reply at the earliest.
Truly,
Signed/
(J.Balu)
Hony. Jt. Secretary.
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Viñales fastest to turn the tables on Day 2: Testing
The Spaniard leads Quartararo and Morbidelli on Wednesday as the Valencia test wraps up
Maverick Vinales tops the final day, the Day 2 of season-ending testing to begin 2020 at Valencia on Wednesday. A MotoGP image Valencia, 20 Nov 2019: Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) topped Day 2 of the Valencia test and it was once again a Yamaha 1-2-3, with the trio at the top within three tenths. Viñales was the only rider in the 1:29s – true of Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) at the weekend – and the number 12 narrowly beat the Frenchman’s pole time on Wednesday. Quartararo was 0.164 in arrears, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) within 0.265 of the top. Honda’s Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was the only other man within half a second…
Viñales fastest was set on the ‘new’ bike – with a different chassis and new engine – and the Spaniard put in 67 laps on the final day of testing, topping the timesheets with his 56th. Teammate Valentino Rossi was once again ninth, and ‘The Doctor’ did 68 laps on Wednesday. He was within 0.968 of the top and suffered a mechanical problem in the afternoon, but got back out.
Quartararo and Morbidelli, meanwhile, didn’t say much about what they were working on – “some small things” and the Frenchman said it was more a day of riding than testing as yet. For a man only just starting his second season, the 64 laps were doubtlessly useful, however, and Morbidelli added another 52 to the team’s count.
For Crutchlow it was a mammoth day of work. The Brit headed out on the ‘2020’ bike, suffered a crash but managed to prove Yamaha’s closest competitor on the timesheets and improve his laptime from the weekend after 73 laps. Speaking of the number 73, Alex Marquez, on the other side of the LCR Honda garage, was the only man to do more laps. The rookie did 79 on his second day as an HRC MotoGP™ rider, shaving six tenths off his time from Tuesday.
Reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) made some more Honda headlines, however. The number 93 rode around with his brother AND premiered the aero seen on Crutchlow yesterday, with the all-black Honda breaking cover bearing a 93 in the afternoon, and he ended the day in seventh after 71 laps. He also suffered a failed getaway earlier in the day, and his teammate for the test – in the garage at least – also suffered an issue on Wednesday as Stefan Bradl ground to a halt. Nevertheless the German was able to complete 53 laps by the end of play.
Team Suzuki Ecstar were fifth and sixth on Wednesday. The new engine previously having been put through its paces by test rider Sylvain Guintoli was a big focus for the Hamamatsu factory as they look for a step forward in terms of outright speed, and Joan Mir was the quickest Suzuki on Day 2. He put in a 1:30.427 and did 61 laps, but teammate Alex Rins was just 0.076 off and did 47 laps. They plan to continue testing the engine at Jerez.
KTM stole a few headlines on Day 2. For their speed – Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) impressive showing and that of Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona – and they had the new kids on the block, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Lecuona, taking some tips from the veterans. But there were also a few crashes, with each of the three racers all going down. Espargaro first, Lecuona later and Binder even later in the day. Espargaro’s crash, however, led to his fastest lap as he was then forced to switch bike to another new chassis – and found immediate positives. He was eighth and did 46 laps, Pedrosa 14th after 48 laps and Lecuona just 0.045 off the three-time World Champion by the end of play. Binder did 66 laps on Day 2.
The Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, meanwhile, was focused on gathering more information on what they tested on Day 1, one big thing of note being a new chassis. Some sensors were spotted on the rear of the Borgo Panigale machine too on Wednesday, and the ‘salad box’ was back. Danilo Petrucci, however, was not back. The Italian remained sidelined by his bothersome shoulder, although Michele Pirro was once again on track to put the laps in – 40 of them – and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was all action stations too. The Aussie explained he’d been doing back to back comparisons with the first version of the 2020 machines because the number 09 was ruled out. Miller was fastest Ducati in 10th, just ahead of Dovizioso. Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) was 12th, ahead of Pirro.
For Aprilia, it was another day of track action working with their 2019 machines. Aleix Espargaro was 16th after 43 laps, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate Andrea Iannone in 19th. Espargaro crashed at the final corner, and Iannone ran on at Turn 1 with the RS-GP then catching alight – rider ok. Test rider Bradley Smith was also on track and did another 32 laps to add to the information-gathering tally.
That’s it from Valencia and the first test of 2020 – with Jerez up next as a two-day test takes place on Monday and Tuesday. Who will reign there? Will we see more engines, chassis updates, more aero and even more tech on show? And can Yamaha keep their dominion so far?
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Prithvi Dhillon adjudged best rider of the final round in Goa: MRF MoGrip Supercross Nationals
Goa, 20 Nov 2019: Chandigarh Rider Prithvi Dhiillon won the fifth and final round of the MOGRIP-FMSCI MRF Supercross championship held in Sao José de Areal, here, on Sunday.
Prithvi headed in SX-1-Foreign Open Class while veteran Kerala rider CD Jinan won the second place and Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh of Ajmera Racing finished third. Prithvi was also awarded the best rider of the event.
With the Goa leg, Supercross Nationals, the biggest off-road two-wheeler Nationals, the National Supercross Championship came to an end. The previous four rounds of the season were held in Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Baroda and Nashik.
Provisional results: SX-I foreign open class (up to 250 CC/500 CC): Prithvi Dhillon (Chandigarh), CD Jinan (TVS Racing), Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh (Ajmera Racing), Rugved Barguje (TVS Racing), Zabl Mulla (Goa).
Novice Group C (up to 260 CC, Moto 1): Sachin D (TVS Racing), RE Rajendra (TVS Racing), Abhi S Nath (Thrissur), M Kolimohan (TVS Racing), Vikram Sekhar (Coimbatore)
Local class (up to 260 CC, Moto 1): Ankush Rao; Shabuddin Sayed, Sushant Borkar, Aksar Ali, Tanveer Shaikh (all from Goa).
Indian Express Class C (up to 260 CC): M Kalimohan (TVS Racing), RE Rajendra (TVS Racing), Abhi S Nath (Thrissur), S Karthikeyan (Pollachi), Banteilang Jyrwa (TVS Racing).
Private experts (up to 260 cc): Abhi S Nath (Trissur), Asaruddin S (Coimbatiore), S Karthikeyan (Pollachi), Shabuddin Sayed (Goa), Sushant Borkar (Goa)
SX-2 (up to 250 cc): VM Mahesh (Thrissur), Prithvi Dhillion (Chandigarh), Zabi Mulla (Goa), Yash Pawar (Nashik), Pramod Joshua (Bengaluru)
JR SX-1 (up to 250 cc): Yuvraj Konde Deshmukjh (Ajmera Racing), Sarthka Chavan (Pune), Shlok Ghorpade (Satara), Jinendra Sangave (Ichalka Racing), B Sujan (Goa)
JR X-2 (up to 250 cc): Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara), Shlok Ghorpade (Satara), Jinendra Sangave (Ichalka Racing), Akshat Huple (Pune), Suffiyan Shaikh (Goa).
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A new season of all-electric racing begin in Saudi Arabia: Formula E
Biggest grid in Formula E’s history will line up for the season opener
The 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship season will get underway with a double header this weekend (22 and 23 November). Following a successful debut in season five, Diriyah will again host the first race of a new season of electric street racing. Located on the north-western outskirts of the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, the E-Prix will take place in close proximity to the At-Turaif district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 2.494 km long track features 21 turns and winds its way through the historic area. The site also has huge grandstands that will accommodate tens of thousands of fans on race days, while the concert arena will provide entertainment for fans in the evenings.
Familiar faces and new challengers
Formula E welcomes two new teams to the paddock in season six, with TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team coming in as a new entity, while the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team graduated out of the HWA Racelab outfit and is now embarking on its first year as a full works team.
In addition to new teams come new drivers. Double FIA WEC World Champion, and former Formula One driver, Brendon Hartley makes his all-electric racing debut with Geox Dragon. The New Zealander is joined by fellow rookie Nico Müller, who steps up to a full-time drive in the American squad. After winning the FIA Formula 2 Championship Nyck de Vries moves up the single-seater ladder and takes a seat with the Mercedes team. Another rookie, James Calado, will get behind the wheel of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing car, while Neel Jani extends his cooperation with Porsche and joins its Formula E team. Returning to Formula E racing is Ma Qinghua, who already competed in several rounds in previous years and takes NIO 333’s single-seater out on the city streets this season.
With five of the teams retaining the same driver line-up as for the previous season – namely Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler (Daniel Abt and Lucas Di Grassi), Envision Virgin Racing (Sam Bird and Robin Frijns), Mahindra Racing (Jerome d’Ambrosio and Pascal Wehrlein), Nissan e.dams (Sebastien Buemi and Oliver Rowland) and Venturi (Felipe Massa and Edoardo Mortara) a lot of familiar faces will also be around.
Click here to view the full entry list for the Diriyah E-Prix.
Regulation changes for the upcoming season
Drivers will have an additional 10kW of power available when using Attack Mode, rising from 225kW to 235kW. Also, drivers won’t be able to activate the system under Full Course Yellow (FCY), or when the safety car is deployed – meaning the drivers will have to go off the racing line to activate Attack Mode under normal race conditions and run the risk of losing positions.
Furthermore, to enhance the effects of energy management, during safety car periods and under FCY, a fixed quantity of energy – equal to 1kWh per minute for the duration of the caution period – will be subtracted from the total energy remaining in each car.
This measure means that drivers will no longer be able to save energy by driving at lower speeds under FCY or behind the safety car, leading to more varied strategies and close racing to the finish line that fans have grown accustomed to seeing in Formula E. A further recent change will be that the timekeeping system pauses if the race is temporarily suspended – remaining at the discretion of the FIA Race Director – with the aim being to maximise the amount of race time.
More points will also be on offer in season six, with an additional point handed out to the fastest driver in the qualifying group stages. The driver who secures pole position still picks up three points – as well as one point being awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap finishing in the top-10 of the final classification.
Girls on track
Following the successful Girls on Track – Dare To be Different campaign at the Mexico City and Berlin E-Prix’ earlier this year, FIA Girls on Track is heading to Saudi Arabia for a further event on 21 and 22 November. The campaign offers a unique opportunity to inspire and encourage girls between the ages of 8 and 18 years as well as to educate the general public on gender equality in motorsport.
The event will see girls participate in a number of innovative activities that includes media tutorials, technical challenges, educational environmental challenges, a health workshop, simulator sessions and a karting slalom course.
For more information and to register the participation of girls between the ages of 8-18 click here.
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MRF Challenge to begin in Dubai on Nov 21; Season finale at MMRT in Feb 2020
File photos of MRF Challenge action in 2019. Photos by Anand Philar Dubai, 19 Nov 2019: The MRF Challenge, India’s only FIA-approved international championship and one of Asia’s premier single-seater competitions, conveniently slotted in the winter months, and now in its eighth season, will kick-start here at the Dubai Autodrome on Thursday, November 21.
The MRF Challenge 2018-19, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, will comprise 15 races spread over three rounds to be run in Dubai (Nov 21-23), Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain (Dec 12-14) and the MMRT, Chennai (Feb 14-16, 2020).
Over the years, the MRF Challenge has featured quite a few high-profile racers like Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher; Harrison Newey, son of Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey; Manuel Maldonado, cousin of former Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado; female Formula 1 test driver with Alfa Romeo Racing Tatiana Calderon; last season’s champion Jamie Chadwick, who is also the first-ever champion of the W Series and the first-ever female driver to win an international race at Bahrain International Circuit.
The Formula 2000 car, prepared by Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotives, is powered by 2-litre Mountune Duratec engine producing 230 BHP while almost matching Formula 3 in speed and power. The car boasts of a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox equipped with Integrated dash and paddle-shift system.
Mr. Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Tyres said: “It has been an exciting journey for us as we present the eighth edition of the MRF Challenge. We provide identical cars to all the drivers and so, the key differentiating factor is the driving ability. It has also been our constant endeavour to develop the car which is now among the fastest single-seaters in Asia. The MRF Challenge also offers us rich data that in turn helps us to develop further the slicks and wet tyres that are specially manufactured for this championship.
“We have positioned the MRF Challenge in the winter months between November and February to enable drivers to keep themselves race-fit during the off-season. We thus look forward to another season of exciting races.”
Chennai-based Chetan Korada, who turned 33 on November 14, is the lone Indian on the grid that includes teenagers from Europe and Australian veteran Dylan Young who has been a regular fixture in MRF Challenge.
Looking ahead to the season, Korada said: “This will be my second international season, also with MRF Challenge. My approach this year would be completely different. Last year was all about learning the car. I didn’t take part in the National championship this year, but did four days of testing in Malaysia in the summer. I have been studying the data, as to where I can improve. I am continuing with MRF Challenge as they have been very supportive.
“Also, a lucky charm has come into my life now with the birth of my daughter two months ago. So, overall, I am feeling good and hope to put in much better performances this season.”
The final list of drivers confirmed for the championship will be announced on completion of documentation process.
ABOUT MRF TYRESMotorsports in India is synonymous with MRF. In fact, the development and popularity of various forms of the sport could be directly attributed to the pioneering efforts of the company, be it racing, rallying, motocross or karting. To encourage motorsport enthusiasts MRF has spared no resources in offering World-class facilities. The development of MRF Power House – a modern motorsports facility has been a boon to the Indian drivers, who wished to compete and test themselves against international standards. The centre is a testament to the commitment of MRF to raising the bar of Indian motorsports.
Being the largest promoters of motorsports in India, MRF has the added advantage of being able to use the racetrack to test the tyres.
MRF is the only tyre company in India to have developed Formula car tyres, world- class rally tyres for tarmac and dirt, motocross tyres and also FIA-CIK karting tyres. Today, the company caters to almost all segments of the tyre industry and is proud to be the manufacturer of the largest range of tyres. Heavy-duty truck and bus tyres, passenger car tyres, two-wheeler tyres and farm tyres are just some of the tyres that MRF manufactures.
The one thing that puts MRF head and shoulders above its competition is the fact that MRF is the only tyre company in India without any foreign technical collaboration. The company is where it is today, thanks mainly to its know-how and its ability to develop indigenous technology. With this technology, MRF now supplies original equipment tyres to multinational manufacturers such as Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Nissan, Mahindra, Tata, Volkswagen, Toyota, Suzuki and Ford. In total, MRF exports to more than 90 countries. MRF has been the undisputed leader in the tyre industry for more than three decades now, notwithstanding the competition from various multinational and Indian tyre brands.
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Alex joins brother Marc Marquez to make MotoGP debut aboard the Honda RC213V
Marquez brothers, Marc (right) and Alex celebrate after Alex wins Moto2 World title on 3 Nov 2019. A MotoGP image Honda Racing Corporation announced on Tuesday, the signing of double World Champion Alex Marquez. The young Spanish rider will join the Repsol Honda Team on a one-year contract.
He will move from the intermediate class to partner his brother and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez in 2020 for his debut season in the premier class aboard the Honda RC213V.
