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Ahamed beats mentor Jagan in a photo-finish; Dave twins hog limelight
Chennai, 15 June 2024: Two sets of siblings from Chennai hogged the limelight by winning four of the nine races on Saturday at the Madras International Circuit to light up the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024.
The 15-year-old Dave twins, Rakshith and Rakshitha took the honours in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R) and the National Championship Girls (Stock 165cc) races. It was a maiden win for both of them, in their respective categories.
Two other siblings, 28-year-old KY Ahamed (Pro-Stock 165cc Open) and his 17-year-old brother Abdul Basim (Novice 165cc), also won a race apiece to set off celebrations in both families.
Elsewhere, Sarthak Chavan, the 17-year-old from Pune, led a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing along with Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath, also 17, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category. The race was cut to four laps from scheduled six after a red flag stoppage following a Turn-3 crash (riders ok) and Sarthak, starting from pole, virtually destroyed the field on restart. Chiranth came in second, ahead of Hyderabad’s Sairahil Pillarisetty (Gusto Racing).
Sarthak, however, had a disastrous outing in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race as he crashed when in the lead. On his exit, Sathak’s two TVS Racing team-mates, KY Ahamed and multiple National champion Jagan Kumar, were involved in a tight finish. Ahamed pipped his mentor Jagan in a photo-finish with another TVS Racing ace, Deepak Ravikumar, who had started the race from the pit lane, completing the podium. Chiranth, who was running second, also crashed, but resumed to finish fourth.
Also finishing on top step of the podium was Chennai’s Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) who won as he pleased in the Novice 301-400cc class that gained National championship status from this season.
Earlier, pole-sitter Abdul Basim, held off a strong challenge from Mysuru’s Tasmai Cariappa (Motul Sparks Racing) who led briefly in the penultimate lap but conceded the advantage. Basim went on to win with Tasmai and Coimbatore’s Abhinav G (Chandra LGE Racing) finishing second and third, respectively.
Rakshitha Dave, starting from P2, moved in front by Turn-2, deftly avoiding any jostling that was happening behind her, and enjoyed a trouble-free run for a commanding win. Another Chennai rider, Jagathishee Kumaresan (One Racing) and Ryhana Bee (Motul Sparks Racing) settled for second and third spots, respectively, while pole-sitter Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) came in a disappointing fourth.
“I am very happy to score my first-ever win in the National championship. I had a good start today and a trouble-free run after going into the lead early in the first lap. The bike too performed very well,” said a delighted Rakshitha.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: Rakshith Dave reigned supreme in the NSF 250R race after initial battle with the more experienced Mohsin Paramban (Mallapuram) with Bengaluru’s AS James finishing third. It was Rakshith’s first-ever win in this class. Incidentally, Rakshith’s twin sister, Rakshitha made her debut in this class and finished 13th.
TVS One-Make Championship: Coimbatore’s Senthilkumar C took the honours in the truncated Open (Apache RR 310) race that was reduced to three laps from six due to a red flag stoppage following an on-track incident. Jayanth Pratipathi (Chennai) came in second, ahead of Nagercoil’s Ajai Xavier M.
Harshith V Bogar from Bengaluru notched a dominating win in the Rookie category with second-placed Saranjith KM (Thrissur) finishing some 10 seconds behind. Vijayawada’s Akarsh Jangam was a distant third.
Mumbai’s Sarah Khan won the Girls (RTR 200) race untroubled from Pune’s Saimah Ajaz Baig and Aisvarya V (Coimbatore).
The results (Provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1, 4 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (7mins, 36.007secs); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (07:39.254); 3. Sairahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad, Gusto Racing India) (07:41.470).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Ahamed KY (Chennai, TVS Racing) (12:04.178); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (12:04.192); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (12:14.569).
Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-1: 1. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:55.808); 2. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (12:56.136); 3. Abhinav G (Coimbatore, Chandra LGE Racing team) (13:04.554).
Girls (Stock 165cc) Race-1 (5 laps): 1. Rakshitha Dave (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (10:58.183); 2. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:03.012); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Motul Sparks Racing) (11:03.150).
Novice (Stock 301-400cc) Race-1: 1. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) (12:17.257); 2. Lokesh V (Bengaluru, Pvt.) (12:23.458); 3. Varun Nanjundegowda (Mysuru, Gusto Racing India) (12:27.927).
Idemitsu Honda India Cup (NSF 250R) Race-1: 1. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (11:12.157); 2. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:16.226); 3. AS James (Bengaluru) (11:16.669)
TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1 (3 laps): 1. Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore) (05:56.457); 2. Jayanth Pratipathi (Chennai) (05:59.277); 3. Ajai Xavier (Nagercoil) (06:02.953).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race-1: 1. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:43.666); 2. Saranjith KM (Thrissur) (13:53.770); 3. Akarsh Jangam (Vijayawada) (14:07.100).
Girls (Apache RTR 200) Race-1 (5 laps): 1. Sarah Khan (Mumbai) (11:19.075); 2. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (11:21.156); 3. Aisvariya V (Coimbatore) (11:23.221).
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Two-wheeler Racing Nationals to begin from Friday at MIC, sans Amit Arora
Chennai, 12 June 2024: There is plenty of hot action in store with 19 races scheduled for the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 at the Madras International Circuit, Irungattukottai, near here, from June 13 to 16. The event attracted over 100 entries from across India, representing 16 teams.
However, this the first event after General Manager (Operations) of Madras Motor Sports Club, the promoters, has left the club. Amit Arora, parted ways with MMSC as of May 30. He has been at the helm of affairs for over a decade and has been the trusted lieutenant of the club.
Coming back to the event, the two Pro-Stock classes – 301-400cc Open and 165cc Open – will yet again headline the card, while pitching the country’s top riders on TVS, Honda, Yamaha and KTM machines against one another.
Further down the grid are the Novice categories for Stock bikes –165cc (under-23), Girls (165cc) and 301-400cc which have attracted a sizable number of entries.
Also part of the programme are the two One-Make Championships (OMC) organized by the promoters Madras Motor Sports Club – TVS (Open, Rookie, Girls and Media), showcasing the RR 310 and Apache RTR 200 bikes, and the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup which will witness the super-quick NSF 250R machines. TVS also have one race for their Electric RTE bikes.
As in the previous years, both TVS and Honda conducted a series of trials across India to shortlist the riders for their respective categories with emphasis on youth and talent. Based on their performance, select riders have been sent to participate at the Asian level.
Meanwhile, the 301-400cc Novice category has been upgraded to National Championship status after hitherto being a support event.
In another initiative, the number of races in the National championship Girls category has been increased from the existing five to 10 with a double-header in each of the five rounds.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We are extremely pleased to have received well over 100 entries for the two-wheeler National Racing Championship which will commence this weekend. We extend a warm welcome to the competitors, our long-time sponsors MRF Tyres, the manufacturers and the Media for the 2024 season which, we are certain, will dish out its share of wheel-to-wheel racing, given the very competitive grids. The Championship has been a stepping stone for aspiring young riders who have competed in international races and won accolades. We are hopeful that the new season will throw up fresh talent.”
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Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation supports tribals in Tiger Reserve hamlets
Hyderabad, 11 June 2024: The 2w Rally Nationals had a surprising tilt that the tribal villagers around the route of the rally welcomed, with thankful hearts, and enjoyed not just the rally but the good tidings that came along, thanks to Vamcy Merla, the founder and director of VM Sports Foundation.
At the conclusion of the MRF MoGrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers near Hyderabad on Sunday, the VM Sports Foundation arranged an outing with the tribals of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. It was a pleasant surprise for the villagers, who suffer with excess mosquitoes and the cold nights in the jungles, when bundles and bundles of blankets and bed sheets arrived in their village and an array of biking stars descended on the hamlet, led by Vamcy Merla in the presence of the ranger, Ravi Kumar, who was in-charge of the forest.
“Mr. Merla has been supporting the tribals for over nine years now with blankets, buckets and ration when in need. It was especially helpful during the Covid times. He has also been providing jackets to the forest guards. We are glad that the relationship is now formalised with VM Sports Foundation,” added ranger Kumar, who was instrumental in garnering support for the tribals.
Children in playful mood after receiving the gifts from VM Sports Foundation. “When the ranger brought to the notice of the foundation about the plight of the villagers, Vamcy Merla, immediately responded with a gesture and arranged for the needy things,” said Abijith Shetty, Manager, VMSF, who took the initiative to organise the outing along with VMSF riders. “After a good performance, the riders are in their elements and the free service in the villages is an icing on the cake,” said Nataraj, a top athlete and former National champion.
The efforts were appreciated by the local MLA Dr. Chikkudu Vamsikrushna, Achampet, forest department officials and the Superintendent of Police. VM Sports Foundation riders notched up several podiums in the just concluded Rally Nationals.
Riders of VM Sports Foundation who took part in the 2w Rally Nationals visit the tribal villages and spend time in charity. -
Max Verstappen overcomes rain and safety cars to take a special victory: Canadian GP
Montreal, 9 June 2024: Max Verstappen navigated rain showers and Safety cars, and made the right call on a move to slick tyres to take his third straight Canadian Grand Prix win at the end of an enthralling race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Second place went to McLaren’s Lando Norris, while George Russell took Mercedes’ first podium of the year with third.
“It was a pretty crazy race. A lot of things were happening, and we really had to be on top of our calls,” said Verstappen afterwards. “As a team, we just did really well today. We remained calm. I think we pitted at the right time. Of course, the Safety Car worked out nicely for us, but even after that, I think we were managing the gaps quite well. I love it. That was a lot of fun. Those kind of races, you need them once in a while.”
When the lights went out at the star, pole sitter Russell got away poorly on the wet track and for a moment it looked like Verstappen might steal the lead on the run to Turn 1. However the Mercedes driver recovered and he held the lead through the following corners ahead Verstappen, Norris and the second McLaren of Piastri.
Rain then began to fall and while bulk of the field tiptoed around on Inters, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg, who had gambled on full wets, began to charge through the order.
By lap six Magnussen had climbed from 14th on the grid to fifth place and was putting pressure on Piastri. Hülkenberg, meanwhile, was in P8 after starting from 17th and he was all over the back of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
However, after seven laps the shower halted. The Intermediate runners began to find more pace and the Haas drivers’ brief cameo came to a swift end as Magnussen pitted and Hülkenberg’s march slowed.
At the front, after 10 laps, Russell held a 1.2s advantage over Verstappen who had pulled out a nine-second gap to Norris. Verstappen then began to reel in Russell and the tussle allowed Norris to narrow the gap. And when Max went wide at Turn 1 at the start of lap 18, it suddenly became a three-way fight.
At the end of lap 20 the Dutch driver was ambushed by Norris who powered past under DRS on the run to the final chicane. The McLaren driver then passed Russell at the same place. The Mercedes driver tried to fend off the attack but as Norris took the lead Russell was forced to cut the chicane and as he rejoined, Verstappen swept past to take second place.
On lap 25, Williams’ Logan Sargeant spun into the barriers in Turn 4 and the Safety Car was deployed. Norris was immediately picked up by the SC and stayed out on track. However, Verstappen, Russell and Piastri pitted, with all three fitting new Intermediates. McLaren brought Norris in at the end of the following lap, but the delay behind the SC cost the Briton dearly and as he exited the pit lane Max powered past to take the lead ahead of Russell, with Norris slotting into third.
When the Safety Car left the track Verstappen held his held butat the end of lap 41, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly sparked a move to slick tyres. Hamilton was the first of the leaders to switch, and at the end of lap 45 Verstappen pitted, fitting Mediums. Norris, however, stayed on track to try the overcut and at the end of lap 47 the Briton made his move.
Norris’ stop was solid but he rejoined just as Verstappen was entering Turn 2 and the Duxcthman was able to power into the lead. Then, as Norris struggled to get temperature into his tyres, Russell also closed in and when Norris went marginally wide at the hairpin on lap 49, the Mercedes driver passed the McLaren on the way to the final chicane. On lap 51 though, Russell ran wide and jumped the kerb and Norris was able to slide past to take P2 again.
Soon after, Carlos Sainz made a mistake in Turn 6 and as he spun he hit the Williams of Alex Albon. Both were forced out of the race and with Albon’s car stuck by the barrier the SC was deployed again.
Verstappen again controlled the restart well and with the lead secured he quickly dropped the McLarens.
Thereafter, it was comfortbale for the championship leader and with Norris locked in second and with Russell, Piastri and Hamilton squabbling over third, the champion took the flag for his sixth win of the season.
Behind the top two the battle was more fierce. Russell and Piastri clashed, resulting in the Mercedes driver dropping behind team-mate Hamilton.
Hamilton got past the struggling Piastri and in the final stage Russell passed both to claim a hard-won podium finish. Hamilton was left with fourth place ahead of the second McLaren, while Fernando Alonso claimed sixth place ahead of Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll. Daniel Ricciardo took a solid eighth place for RB ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and the final point went to the Frenchman’s team-mate Esteban Ocon.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 70 1:45’47.927
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 70 1:45’51.806 3.879
3 George Russell Mercedes 70 1:45’52.244 4.317
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 70 1:45’52.842 4.915
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 70 1:45’58.126 10.199
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 70 1:46’05.437 17.510
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 70 1:46’11.552 23.625
8 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 70 1:46’16.599 28.672
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 70 1:46’17.948 30.021
10 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 70 1:46’18.240 30.313
11 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 70 1:46’18.751 30.824
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 70 1:46’19.180 31.253
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 70 1:46’28.414 40.487
14 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 70 1:46’40.621 52.694
15 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 69 1:46’41.455 1 lap /53.528
Carlos Sainz Ferrari 52 1:19’48.472 Accident damage
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 52 1:19’49.040 Accident
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 51 1:18’30.768 Accident damage
Charles Leclerc Ferrari 40 1:04’03.308 Retirement
Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 23 36’04.519 Accident -
Geoffrey gets double podium on debut at Qatar Superstock 600
Chennai, 3 June 2024: Geoffrey Emmanuel, the 19-year-old from Chennai, marked his debut in the Qatar Superstock 600 championship with a double podium as he finished third in both the races held at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar, over the weekend.
Riding a Kawasaki ZX-6, Geoffrey Emmanuel managed to quickly adapt to the bike and learn the track. He showed blistering speed from the beginning and managed to finish third in both the races in the Trophy category (first-timers).
Geoffrey, backed by CEAT tyres and Sidvin Energy Engineering, is also taking part in the Junior World Championship, but decided to try the superbike, leading to his participation in the QSTK 600 championship. He missed the first round of the Qatar championship as the dates clashed with the Junior Worlds.
Reviewing his Lusail performance, Geoffrey said: “The weekend’s double-header was a great experience and another steep learning curve for me. It took a while to learn the track and get used to the superbike, but I managed to adapt myself. I generated good pace in both the races and was very happy to come away with a double podium. Looking ahead, I hope to carry forward the momentum in the championship.”
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Karna Kadur-Musa Sherif duo clinches Rally of Maharashtra in style: INRC Round 2
Nashik, 2 June 2024: Bengaluru’s Karna Kadur, a two-time Overall National champion, along with experienced co-driver Musa Sherif, switched up gears and annexed the Rally of Maharashtra in style, as the second round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for four-wheelers successfully concluded here on Sunday.
With seven-time National co-driver champion Musa Sherif calling the pace notes, Karna Kadur, trailing in third place by a good two minutes on Saturday, focussed on consistency and gained advantage with skilful driving to win the Overall honours on Sunday. Overnight leaderd, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George of Chettinad Sporting, lost over five minutes in Special Stage 9 which pushed them down to overall 8th place in the final standings.
Karna Kadur, left, and Musa Sherif of Arka Motorsports, after winning the Rally of Maharashtra in Nashik on Sunday. INDIAinF1 photo by arrangement Kolkata-Mangaluru pair of Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, a former two-time National champions, also managed to secure a well-deserved second place ahead of young guns Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N. Apart from a noteworthy Overall third, the New Delhi-Bengaluru duo from SNAP Racing topped their Class, INRC3.
Kerala’s Fabid Ahmer and George Milen of Chettinad Sporting won the INRC2 class while talented lady driver Pragathi Gowda came second. Pragathi roped in co-driver Sujith Kumar BS, a veteran multiple National champion and sports administrator, who sat for stand-alone rally. Pragathi’s regular navigator, Trisha Alonkar, is recovering after a surgery. Privateers Shaik Hussain Pasha and co-driver Roshan Claver Crasta won the Classic class while Arnav Pratap Singh also bagged the Junior INRC. Nikeeta Takkale of Pune and co-driver Shivani Parmar of Mumbai won the Ladies class while Baljinder Singh Dhillon and Goutham CP clinched the Gypsy Challenge.
The four stages today were completed by 11 O’clock and provided enough challenges for the drivers on the tarmac roads which were broken and narrow at many places. Of the 53 cars, 13 logged DNF.
From left: Premnath K Promoter presenting trophy to Karna Kadur while Ashwin Pandit, right, CoC and founder of WISA presenting trophy to Musa Sherif, co-driver. Provisional Unaudited Overall classification (final)
1. #3 Karna Kadur/ Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) 01hours, 47 minutes; 52.9seconds;
2. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (AART) 01:49:08.0;
3. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;
4. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:45.5;
5. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:53.6;
6. #21 Dean Mascarenhas/ Gagan Karubaiah (DB Motorsport) 01:50:08.7;
7. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR) 01:50:14.9;
8. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01:51:10.7;
9. #49 Nikhil J/ Arvind Dheerendra (Pvt.) 01:54:23.5;
10. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith BS (Chettinad Sporting) 1:59:32.1;
INRC 2
1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01:51:10.7;
2. #23 Pragathi Gowda /Sujith Kumar BS (Chettinad Sporting) 01:59:32.1;
3. #16 Yashas M Nayaka/ Sudhindra BG (Pvt.) 01:59:40.5;
Pragathi Gowda and co-driver Sujith Kumar in action at Nashik. Photo courtesy Sujith FB INRC3
Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit N, who won INRC3 in action. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan 1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;
2. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:45.5;
3. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:53.6;
Gypsy Challenge
1 #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt.) 01:58:12.3;
2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar (A & A Motorsports) 01:59:07.7;
3. #37 Sachin Singh/ Prakash M(Pvt.) 02:04:25.5;
Classic
1. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta (Pvt.) 02:27:50.9;
2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh (A&A Motorsports) 02:42:22.5;
Junior INRC
1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;
2. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR) 01:50:14.9;
3. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.) 02:00.17.5;
Ladies Class
1. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.) 02:00.07.5;
2. #34 Phoebe Nongrum/ Rahul Sancheti (SNAP Racing) 02:05:24.4;
3. #14 Harshitha Gowda/ M Srivatsa (A & A Motorsports) 02:19:26.7;
eom
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Bagnaia resists Marquez to claim first Sprint spoils since 2023: MotoGP
Barcelona, 1 June 2024: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is a Tissot Sprint winner for the first time since the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix! The reigning Champion redeemed his last lap crash a week ago in Barcelona to put in a stunning performance on Saturday at the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo, taking off in the lead and then holding Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) at bay over a tense final few laps. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) completed the Sprint podium fresh from the news he’ll be in orange next season.
Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), meanwhile, crashed out in the latter stages – and after a tangle with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).
Bagnaia got an almighty launch from second to take the holeshot, heading down into San Donato with metres to spare. Teammate Bastianini also launched it like a rocket to take the inside line and move into P2, denying polesitter Martin. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) shot up from P13 on the grid to challenge in the top five, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) losing out to the South African and Marc Marquez.
Binder vs Marquez was the first big move, with the #93 attacking the KTM next time round down the main straight. He just found room on the right, tight as anything, and just kept it into Turn 1. The Gresini then set off after the top three – but drama was already brewing up ahead.
Bagnaia held the lead as Martin barreled back past Bastianini, but the Beast went for the move at Turn 1, heading slightly deep. Martin took the cutback and there was contact, with then Bastianini sliding out of his home Sprint. Incident: under investigation by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards, alongside another that saw Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) collide.
The result was no further action regarding either incident, which was certainly positive for the #89’s hopes of taking some key points, as he now had Marc Marquez to deal with – and Bagnaia was starting to disappear up the road just as Acosta was starting to home in.
With four to go, there was yet more drama though, and at the front. This time alone, but once again for Martin. The #89 had passed Marquez then been passed back, and he was holding a fairly secure third just ahead of Acosta. But round San Donato the front said no more and the Championship leader slid off onto the sidelines.
That left a familiar chess match at the front: Bagnaia vs Marquez. Next time around too, the #93 took a huge chunk out of the lead, and it was down to seven tenths with two to go. But the reigning Champion found a response in the third sector of the penultimate lap, and with that the deal was done. One more lap to right the wrong of the Barcelona Sprint – and with a second in hand. It was 1.469 as he crossed the line, and Marquez had put down his own burst of speed to leave Acosta a further two and a half seconds in arrears.
Taking his first Saturday victory since the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix is a big statement as Bagnaia cuts the gap to 27 points at the top of the Championship. He also once again escapes Marc Marquez, but the #93 once again banks some points, stays consistent, and this time starts Sunday ahead of the reigning Champion too. For Acosta, a podium is a nice dovetail to a day that also saw him confirmed as a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider for 2025.
Martin, meanwhile, will be ruing his mistake, having not made too many at all so far in 2024. But 27 points remains sizeable as he looks to hit back on Sunday.
Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) equals his best result of the season so far, taking his second P4 in a Sprint after doing the same in Jerez, with Viñales completing the top five after getting past Binder. The South African held off Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), who completed the points in that order n a close-fought battle. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) completed the top ten, just a tenth ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
The dust settles on another dramatic Sprint, with Martin failing to score on Saturday for the first time ever since the format was introduced. Can he flip the form book on Sunday and come out swinging to gain some ground in the Grand Prix? Can Marquez take Ducati’s 93rd win? Or, despite that three-place grid penalty, can Bagnaia make it three Mugello wins in a row and complete a second double in two years? All will be revealed on Sunday at 14:00 (UTC +2), so don’t miss it!
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Fabid Ahmer steals the lead on Day 2: INRC Round 2, Nashik
Nashik, 1 June 2024: Ace Kerala driver Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George of Chettinad Sporting, shod on MRF Tyres, stormed to the front after a tough day that saw Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill and defending champion Aroor Arjun Rao suffer casualties in the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Saturday.
Fabid Ahmer, a talented driver, who lost course in the last couple of years due to mechanical failures and punctures, is back on track with a measured performance in Red colours, to take the Overall lead on Day 1. The Kerala duo also topped their class INRC2. With a healthy lead of over one minute, Fabid, who narrowly missed the national championship, a couple of years back, looks good to challenge the title this year.
Aroor Arjun Rao was fastest in the first stage of the Day (SS2) but soon he went out. Then Fabid Ahmer was fastest in three stages today. While Harkrishan Wadi set the fastest time in SS5, the fourth stage today, Amittrajit Ghosh, topped the timesheets in the last stage of the day.
Crowds watching the Rally of Maharashtra. INDIAinF1 photo Fast-improving Sardarji, Harkrishan Wadi and Kunal Kashyap of Arka Motorsports, who were threatening to topple the best, clocked the second best Overall time once again and will fight for the win till the end, with four more stages left on Sunday. Former Overall champions Karna Kadur, who had the privilege of the best navigator in the field, Musa Sherif, notched up a hard-fought Overall third placing with four stages still to go. Following Fabid, Harkrishan is trailing in second place in INRC 2 class and Ramcharan is in third place. If Ramcharan can retain his place on the last day tomorrow, it would be a good maiden result for him and experienced navigator Jeevarathinam.
Pragathi Gowda to trail behind Nikeetaa (not in pic) in Ladies Class. She had co-driver Sujith Kumar, who is making a comeback after several years. Her regular co-driver Trisha Alonkar recently underwent a surgery and is still recovering. Photo courtesy Sujith BS In INRC 3 class, Ajay Sankar and Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) were leading the class. Hyderabad’s racing driver, who shifted to rallying recently, Jeet Jabhakh and co-driver V Sekar from Chettinad Sporting are placed second. Skilled youngster Arjun Rajiv is trailing in third behind. Along with Mysore’s Vinay Padmashali as co-driver, the Bengaluru driver needs to up the game tomorrow as the three are within 10 seconds. Arnav Paratp Singh, Abin Rai and Daraious Shroff are all behind them within 30 seconds..
Baljinder Singh Dhillon and co-driver Goutham CP topped the Gypsy class at the end of Day 2 followed by Dr Akarsh Sundar and Ravi Kumar. Privateer veteran Sanjay Agarwal and Dheeraj Manae are placed third after Leg 1. The Classic class saw only two finishers on the day.
A rare photo of three cars of a rally in one frame. INDIAinF1 image Of the 53 cars that took the start on Day 2 on Saturday, 23 cars suffered retirements. However, 17 will take the restart on the final day on Sunday. Gaurav Gill, Jehaan Gill, Aditya Thakur, Anushriya Gulati, Naveen Puligilla and Praveen Dwarakanath logged DNF (Did Not Finish). Chandan Gowda was out dut to MPL.
The Rally of Maharashtra run on tarmac and broken tarmac roads provided a completely virgin stages that were not run previously in the INRC which ran till 2016. The stages were run in Nashik and Palghar Districts, close to the areas of Jyotirlinga temple and Trimbakeshwar. These new stages offered extremely challenging terrain and put the crews and machines to the highest test. The scorching heat also exhausted the man and machines and high competition is set for Sunday.
A vantage point for spectators to watch cars perform from close quarters. Provisional Results: Overall: After Leg 1 (Day 2):
1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01hours, 07 minutes; 05.8seconds;
2. #69 Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) 01:08:08.8;
3. #3 Karna Kadur/ Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) 01:09:20.1;
4. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (AART) 01:09:55.6;
5. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;
6. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:09.8;
7. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;
8. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:10:38.4;
9. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR) 01:10:46.0;
10. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:11:05.0;
INRC 2
1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01: 07: 05.8;
2. #69 Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) 01:08:08.8;
3. #33 Ramcharan C/ Jeevarathinam (Pvt.) 01:15:09.0;
INRC3
1. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;
2. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:09.8;
3. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;
Junior INRC
1. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;
2. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;
3. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:10:38.4;
Ladies Class
1. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.) 01:16.33.7;
2. Pragathi Gowda /Sujith Kumar BS (Chettinad Sporting) 01:19:07.6;
3. Phoebe Nongrum/ Rahul Sancheti (SNAP Racing) 01:20:52.6
Gypsy Challenge
1. #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt.) 01:15:44.7;
2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar (A & A Motorsports) 01:15:48.4;
3. #37 Sanjay Agarwal / Dheeraj Manae (Pvt.) 01:16:11.9;
Classic
1. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta (Pvt.) 01:33:06.3;
2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh (A&A Motorsports) 01:45:51.5;
(Note: Car number is given after position number)
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Gaurav Gill tops time-sheets on tarmac Super Special: INRC Nashik rally
Nashik, 31 May 2024: Arjuna Awardee and three-time APRC winner Gaurav Gill, along with co-driver Aniruddh Rangnekar topped the timesheets with a blistering run in the Super Special Stage in the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Friday.
A total of 53 cars, including a guest driver in Daksh Gill, took the start in Triple S. There are six cars led by Gaurav Gill in the top INRC class. Western Indian Sports Association, popular as WISA, is conducting an INRC round after 2016. The outfit headed by Ashwin Pandit boasts of a dedicated team and is known to excel in good organisation and conduct of the rally both for the drivers and spectators.
The Delhi daredevil, Gill, has been going through a difficult period for want of a well-prepared machine, has recently partnered with a new co-driver in Pune’s Aniruddh Rangnekar and is raring to go in one of his favourite destinations on tarmac at the Nashik rally, which is held on picturesque foothills of Sahayadri hill ranges. Backed by JK Tyre, the seven-time INRC overall champion, Gill, showed glimpses of his prowess on tarmac clocking more than six seconds faster time than the nearest rival Mangalore’s Aroor Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal of Bengaluru, the defending champions. Rao and Rajagopal of Mandovi Racing team, did well to beat seasoned Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik to third, while INRC 3 driver Arnav Pratap Singh along with Rohit N came a stunning fourth in the Overall classification and first in his class, INRC 3.
Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda topped the INRC 2 class and also came a creditable sixth in Overall classification after the 2.10km Super Special Stage. Pragathi Gowda in MRF colours, along with new co-driver Sujith Kumar BS came second in the INRC2 class. Trisha Alonkar, her regular navigator, who underwent a surgery recently is still under recovery and rehab. Delhi’s Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy, also in MRF colours, were third today, but are expected to give a fight on the actual stages from tomorrow.
Defending champions Aroor Arjun Rao and Satish Rajagopal were second fastest in the Super Special Stage at Nashik on Friday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N were a creditable overall fourth and also topped their class INRC 3. Super Special Stage is a short 2.10km tarmac sprint that is designed to attract spectators. In INRC3, Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit N came out triumphant setting the top time while another youngster Arjun Rajiv along with Vinay Padmashali were second. Venunath V and Arun V were third fastest in the Super Special.
Veteran Sanjay Agarwal and co-driver Dheeraj Manae clocked the top time in the Gypsy class.
Former champions Aditya Thakur and Virender Kashyap during SSS. Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy, overall 8th in Triple S. Including a liaison distance of about 263 km, the total rally distance will be 384.35km. There will be three Special Stages namely, Amboli which is 5.96km long, Dandwal, 22.25km, the longest stage and Poshera stage of 9.31km. All the three stages will be run twice on Saturday. On Sunday, Amboli will be run twice and the two other stages will be run once each making it 10 special stages. This year, there will be no INRC 4 category but NR4 class is included. Since the wear and tear is expected to be negligible on a tarmac stage, Amboli will be run four times with special permission. That will make the rally meet the required distance of Special Stages.
As the real test begins tomorrow, another 118.52km of Special Stage distance needs to be conquered on Saturday and Sunday to claim the honours.
Pragathi Gowda and Sujith Kumar BS, who is sitting for injured Trisha Alonkar, did well in MRF Colours to take the 7th spot in Triple S. The times are only ornamental in nature as real battles start on Saturday. PHOTOS by Srinivasa Krishnan Dean Mascarenhas and Gagan Karumbaiah during SSS. Provisional SSS Results: Overall:
1. #4 Gaurav Gill/Aniruddh Rangnekar 1min, 34.5seconds;
2. #1 Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Kumar Rajagopal 1:40.7;
3. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik 1:42.3;
4. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N 1:44.8;
5.#31 Younus Ilyas/ Nitin Jacob 1:44.9;
6. #9 Jason Saldanha/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:45.9;
7. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith Kumar 1:46.0;
8. #64 Philippos Matthai/ PVS Murthy 1:46.8;
9. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali 1:47.0;
10. #26 Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad 1:47.2;
INRC
1. #4 Gaurav Gill/Aniruddh Rangnekar 1min, 34.5seconds;
2. #1 Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Kumar Rajagopal 1:40.7;
3. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik 1:42.3;
INRC 2
1. #9 Jason Saldanha/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:45.9;
2. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith Kumar 1:46.0;
3. #64 Philippos Matthai/ PVS Murthy 1:46.8;
INRC3
1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N 1:44.8;
2. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali 1:47.0;
3. #41 Venunath V/ Arun V 1:47.7;
Gypsy Challenge
1. #47 Sanjay Agarwal/ Dheeraj Manae 2:00.3;
2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar 2:03.4;
3. #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP 2:04.5;
Classic
1. #44 Praveen Dwarakanath/ Kariappa KB 2:05.0;
2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh 2:08.4;
3. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta 2:13.3;
ends
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Leclerc takes emotional home win in Monaco; Perez in a big crash: Monaco F1
Monte Carlo, 26 May 2024: Charles Leclerc took an emotional Monaco Grand Prix win to become the first Monegasque driver to win his home race in the history of the Formula 1 championship. The Ferrari driver put in a controlled performance on the streets of his home town to finish ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz at the end of a race largely defined by an explosive crash on the opening lap that removed Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez and the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg from the race. Elsewhere, championship leader Max Verstappen finished in sixth place.
“No words can explain that,” Leclerc said after the race. “It’s such a difficult race, I think the fact that twice I’ve been starting on pole and I couldn’t make it makes it a lot better.
“It was a difficult race emotionally, because already 15 laps from the end you’re hoping nothing happens. I was thinking a lot more to my dad than a lot more when I was driving. At first, we had quite a lot of margin but there was 78 laps to do. There was a big portion of the race where I had to manage the gap with George, but then I could push a lot more.”
When the lights went out at the start, pole-sitter Leclerc got away well to lead the field into Sainte-Devote. Behind him, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was put under pressure by Carlos Sainz and as the pair went into Turn 1, Piastri clipped Sainz’s left-front tyre. Nursing a puncture, Sainz was forced to take the escape road as they went into Casino Square.
Further back, chaos was unfolding. Starting from 16th on the grid, Pérez started slowly and was swamped by both Haas drivers, who had made good starts after being relegated to the back row following disqualification from qualifying due to rear wing infringements.
On the run up the hill, Pérez moved to the middle of the track to defend his position. Behind him, to his left, Nico Hülkenberg back away from any challenge but on the right, Kevin Magnussen tried to push past. He clipped Pérez’s right rear wheel and the Mexican was pitched into a violent collision with the barriers and then both Haas cars.
Thanks to the strength of the survival cell and the wheel tethers, the Red Bull driver was able to quickly climb out of the wrecked tub but with debris scattered over a long stretch of the track, and with another incident occurring at Portier as the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon clashed, the race was immediately red flagged. Ocon was later handed a 10-second time penalty for colliding with his team-mate, a sanction that will be converted to a five-place grid drop next time out in Montreal.
After an almost 45-minute delay the race resumed with a standing start and in the original order, with Sainz lucky to have another opportunity to race. The red flags also provided an opportunity to switch tyres, and targeting a long run to the finish, the front four moved to Hard tyres. Behind them, Hard tyre-starters George Russell and Max Verstappen were forced to switch to Mediums for the new start.
When the lights went out, the pack all got away cleanly and Leclerc took the lead ahead of the front runners who lined up in starting order.
The Monegasque driver quickly settled into a rhythm ahead of Piastri, Sainz and Norris. Further back, though, Russell was heavily managing his Medium tyres and he drifted to six seconds behind fourth-placed Norris.
The Mercedes driver’s slow pace meant that for McLaren the tantalising prospect of a gap large enough to pit and drop into began to come into view. It meat that Leclerc began to managed his pace, backing the field up to keep them in touch with Russell.
The race then became a cat-and-mouse contest as The Ferraris backed the McLarens toward Russell, while the Mercedes driver tried to preserve his tyres and keep Verstappen at bay.
At the end of lap 51, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who had a healthy gap back to RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, pitted from seventh and rejoined in the same position. That freed Red Bull to pit Verstappen and after a 2.1s stop for Hard tyres he again took up sixth place ahead Hamilton. With fresh tyres onboard Verstappen began to rattle off fastest laps and he closed on Russell quickly enough to deny the Mercedes driver a pit stop in response. Russell was forced to respond to the Dutchman’s pace and that in turn closed the window for McLaren to take on new tyres and potentially pressure the Ferraris at the finish.
Leclerc settled into management mode and after 78 laps the Ferrari driver took the chequered flag to become the first Monegasque driver in the championship era to win his home grand prix seven seconds clear of Piastri with Sainz taking the final podium position just behind the Australian.
Norris took fourth ahead of Russell, Verstappen and Hamilton, while Tsunoda took a solid eighth place. Behind them, Alex Albon took Williams’ first points of the season with ninth place and Gasly recovered after his early collision to finish tenth and take the final point on offer.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Race
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 78 2:23’15.554
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 78 2:23’22.706 7.152
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 78 2:23’23.139 7.585
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 78 2:23’24.204 8.650
5 George Russell Mercedes 78 2:23’28.863 13.309
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 78 2:23’29.407 13.853
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 78 2:23’30.462 14.908
8 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 77 2:23’55.041 1 lap /39.487
9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 77 2:24’09.606 1 lap /54.052
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 77 2:24’15.795 1 lap /1’00.241
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 76 2:23’19.408 2 laps /3.854
12 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 76 2:23’19.818 2 laps /4.264
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 76 2:23’20.042 2 laps /4.488
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 76 2:23’21.521 2 laps /5.967
15 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 76 2:23’24.580 2 laps /9.026
16 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 76 2:24’10.814 2 laps /55.260
Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 0 – Collision amage
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 0 – Collision
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 0 – Collision
Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 0 – Collision
