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Max Verstappen takes pole ahead of Ferrari’s Leclerc
Abu Dhabi, 25 Nov 2023: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen took his 12th pole position of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship season, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by just over a tenth of a second as both Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton failed to make Q3, here on Saturday.
At the start of Q1 Verstappen set the pace at 1:245.160 ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon, with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda looking swift in P5 ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
At the other end of the order Williams’s Logan Sargeant, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg had it all to do ahead of the final runs, with all three seeing their opening laps deleted for track limits infringements.
Verstappen had his final time deleted for a track limits infringement in Turn 16, but with no serious threat coming from behind his opening lap kept him in P1 despite improvements elsewhere.
One of those who needed to improve was Pérez. The Red Bull driver was one of the last on track for the final runs and as other times came in he plummeted into the drop zone in P16. The Mexican was setting personal bests through each sector, however, and when he crossed the line he jumped up to P2 just 0.049s behind team-mate Verstappen.
The Mexican jump up the order meant that Sainz, whose final flyer was hampered by traffic, was bounced out qualifying. Also ruled out at the end of Q1 were Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou, while Sargeant, under pressure, went over the track limits in Turn 1 for a second time and exited in P20.
For the first runs of Q2, the bulk of the field took to the track on used Softs tyres, but Verstappen emerged on fresh rubber and he used the better grip to take P1 with a lap of 1:23.740. Pérez slotted into P2 a little under four tenths off his team-mate but the Red Bulls were split by Norris, who posted a lap of 1:23.920.
Verstappen opted to sit out the final runs and again there was no substantial threat from behind and he eased through to Q3 in top spot. Norris held onto P2 ahead of Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly went through in P5 ahead of Pérez, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso ahead of Tusnoda, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
The Australian driver’s 1:24.278s meant that there was no place in Q3 for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver exited in P11 ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Williams’ Alex Albon and AlpahTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo.
At the start of the top-10 shootout Verstappen found three tenths of a second over his Q2 lap, posting a time of 1:23.445 to take provisional pole. Norris pushed to get close and stopped the clock at 1:23.816, a superb lap given that the McLaren driver was on used tyres.
In the final runs the McLarens were first on track ahead of Leclerc and with Verstappen fourth on the road. Norris went purple through the first sector and set a personal best through the second sector but in the final corners the McLaren driver slid wide and his hopes of pole position evaporated.
Piastri was next, but he too failed to beat Verstappen time and as the times flooded in no one managed to topple the three-time champion. Leclerc got closest to take P2 a little over a tenth off P1 but in the end the Dutchman’s opener proved unbeatable and he took his 12th podium of the year and his fourth in a row in Abu Dhabi.
Behind Leclerc, Piastri took fourth place ahead of Russell, while Norris was left to rue his error in fifth place. Tsunoda took an excellent sixth for AlphaTauri ahead of Alonso, while Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg put in a super final lap to take P8.
Pérez might have ended up fourth on the grid, but the Mexican driver went over the track limits in Turn 1 and his final flyer was deleted. He qualified in P9 ahead of Gasly.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:23.445 – –
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:23.584 0.139
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:23.782 0.337
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:23.788 0.343
5 Lando Norris McLaren 1:23.816 0.371
6 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:23.968 0.523
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:24.084 0.639
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 1:24.108 0.663
9 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:24.171 0.726
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:24.548 1.103
11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:24.359 0.914
12 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:24.391 0.946
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:24.422 0.977
14 Alexander Albon Williams 1:24.439 0.994
15 Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri RBPT 1:24.442 0.997
16 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:24.738 1.293
17 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:24.764 1.319
18 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:24.788 1.343
19 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:25.159 1.714
20 Logan Sargeant Williams – – -
Jahaan Singh Gill leads 2nd with 19 points at Asia Cup segment, APRC final round
Danau Toba (Indonesia), 23 Nov. 2023: Championship leader and three-time winner, Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill will be missing from the line-up at the the Danau Toba Rally, which acts as final round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2023 (APRC) Asia Cup but India will have a strong presence with Team JK Motorsports fielding three Subarus. The 19-car field will also have Sanjay Takkale, the first Indian to win any APRC title,being a production winner in the past. The event simultaneously run along with the local INRC will be run here from November 24 to 26.
Will championship leader Gill missing in the line-up, and third-placed Amittrajit Ghosh of India, staying away for want of a car, Thailand’s Pornsiricherd Mana will lead the table with 24 points but India’s Jahaan Singh Gill with 19 points, has the best chance to turn the tables on the Thai veteran and stake claim for his maiden APRC Asia Cup title.
Considered as one of the toughest rallies on the circuit, the Danau Toba Rally will run on gravel and cover a distance of 433 kms, with 150.35 kms earmarked for 11 special stages and one super special stage.
On a combined grid, 63 competitive, including 18 APRC cars, will take part in the Indonesian National Rally Championship and for the Asia Cup honours. India’s well-known promoter of motorsport JK Tyre together with Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation fielded three drivers under the yellow colours namely Jahaan Singh Gill from Chandigarh with co-driver Suraj Prasad, Coorg lad Suhem Kabeer with co-driver PVS Murthy and Lokesh Gowda from Mysore with co-driver Ashwin Naik of Mangaluru.
Jahaan Singh Gill who has just sealed his Junior INRC title in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) will be driving the N11 Subaru and Suhem Kabeer and Lokesh Gowda will be behind the wheels of N12 Subaru. These four-wheel drives producing over 300bhp, are certain to spice up things over the weekend on the tricky wet surface that the rally will offer.
The competitors had their initial brush with conditions when they tested their cars for the first time on the challenging turf. Greeted with rains, it was a new experience for them as they are used to two wheel drives back in India and it was their first outing behind the wheels of four-wheel drive cars.
Talking post the official testing session, Jahaan who has just in the last weekend sealed his Championship title back home in the JINRC and is also leading in INRC 3 category is expected to carry forward the momentum in his maiden international outing said, “We are looking forward to this rally because it is something different which we had never experienced before. Thanks to JK Tyre & Vamcy Merla for this opportunity to drive in the finals of APRC.”
“We tested the car and realised it’s a totally different ball game. These cars are much faster than what we drive back home. Braking and acceleration usage is limited as these cars don’t turn with steering input but use throttle in the corners unlike our two-wheel drive cars where we brake much later. As of now our main aim is to get used to the car and focus on completing the rally more than anything else,” he further added.
Sharing the same sentiment, Suhem Kabeer from Bangalore said, “Stepping onto the international stage is a thrilling challenge and a new road to conquer. We are happy with the progress so far and will give it our best shot during the weekend.”
Lokesh, making his comeback into rallying after a break, knows the challenges that lie ahead but is confident of using all his experience and making it count. His seasoned co-driver Ashwin Naik has helped him get upto paces with the car and said, “It is a new learning for all of us and we want to make the most of it and have a good weekend with an aim to strive for the podium.”
The rally will officially start on Friday, November 24, followed by Leg 1 on Saturday and Leg 2 on Sunday. The prize giving ceremony will be on Sunday.
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Bagnaia rolls the dice as Diggia takes stunning maiden win
The number 49 makes a little history to defeat the reigning Champion, but the 20-point haul for the #1 sees the lead increase to 21 points.
Losail (Qatar), 19 Nov 2023: It was tense. It was awesome. And it was won in style – defeating the reigning Champion over 22 laps of the Losail International Circuit. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) trailed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) for much of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, picked his moment, made a decisive move for the lead, and then kept it together to become a MotoGP race winner. And all that in the unbelievable context and tension of #PECCOvsMARTIN.
That context and tension was Bagnaia leading the way for much of the race and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) facing a comeback after a bad start, before then losing more positions too as he faded down to tenth. Bagnaia didn’t seem to know that either, as the #1 nearly opened the goal for himself as he tried to attack Diggia in return and sailed into the run off at Turn 1. With the gap behind enough for him to get back on track in second, it was a heart in mouth moment but only a moment.
Third went to Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) as the number 10 got his elbows out in the fight at the front and then found enough in the locker to hold off a charge from Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) over the final few laps. But let’s rewind.
As the lights went out, everything changed in an instant. Split by just 0.022 and one position on the grid, by the exit of Turn 1 Bagnaia had shot through to steal the holeshot from Marini as Martin suffered a difficult start and dropped back to eight, behind teammate Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). Not long after that the team showed the Frenchman who was behind him too, and he either had a moment and dropped back or heeded a message and let Martin through. With the added complication of Viñales glued to the rear wheel of the number 89 and getting past as well.
Right at the front though, Bagnaia held firm with a few tenths in hand – ahead of quite a squabble too. Diggia got through on Marini and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) tried to follow suit, but had to wait a few corners before he got through. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) needed no invitation to slice past the number 10 either, before also attacking Alex Marquez. Unhindered by the battle, Bagnaia marched on. And so did Diggia – able to unleash his pace and start to reel in the Ducati Lenovo machine ahead.
Martin had his hands full too. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was right on his tail and Viñales right behind the number 93, with Zarco watching on and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) catching the group as well.
At the front, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio still had Binder for company, but the gap would start to increase from there on out as the KTM was left to battle Alex Marquez and Marini instead. The gaps behind Martin, however, were even smaller as a queue was forming behind the number 89.
Viñales was the first mover in the group to get past Marc Marquez and then stalk Martin before making a move. Once past, the Aprilia was gone. The Repsol Honda then attacked and took over before heading wide, letting Martin and Quartararo back through. El Diablo wasted no time in then dispatching Martin, leaving Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) next up as the number 89 was down to eighth again. Miller was through with 10 to go, and next up was Zarco. What would the Frenchman do?
The battle for victory, however, was now a duel: Bagnaia vs Diggia. The laps ticked down and the gap went out to a few tenths then back down, but no move was made in a tense game of chess. Lap by lap, the two marched on round Lusail.
Plenty of moves were made in the podium fight though as Viñales arrived at Binder, Alex Marquez and Marini, with too many headlines to choose as the elbows came out.
By five to go, “Mapping 8” appeared on Diggia’s dashboard, before “0000000” appeared on his pit board. Everyone was left wondering what that exactly meant. Regardless, as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) also made his way through on Martin, more points in the title fight were on the line at the front as Diggia decided to make his move.
It was a pretty perfect one at that, squeezing through at Turn 12. And Bagnaia tried to reply on the cutback but Diggia shut the door. From there they headed round the final sector and then corner before blasting onto the main straight, and then hearts went into mouths in the Ducati Lenovo box.
Bagnaia tucked in and gained down the straight before pulling out to try and take the lead back – and couldn’t get it stopped. He managed to pull up enough to avoid clattering into the Gresini and headed into the run off, then able to scrub off the speed and rejoin in second. Own goal avoided for the Championship leader, but that was that if Di Giannantonio could do three more clean laps of Lusail. And he could!
Crossing the line with 2.7 seconds in hand, the Italian becomes the eighth different winner of the season and takes an emotional maiden MotoGP victory. Bagnaia takes those 20 points to extend the gap to 21 over Martin, with the Spaniard crossing the line in tenth after a dramatic weekend of contact in the Tissot Sprint, a little glory and disappointment for both riders, everything on the line… and the title fight definitively to be decided in the final round.
Marini completed the podium as he pulled enough out late on to stay out of range of Viñales, with the Aprilia rider still charging up to fourth. Fifth went to Binder, ahead of Alex Marquez and Quartararo, who got extremely close to that fight in the final laps. Bastianini also charged up the order, setting a scorcher late on and finishing eighth ahead of Miller.
Behind Martin, a final frisson of stress hovered in the form of Marc Marquez over the final lap, but the number 93 couldn’t find a way through. Zarco, right behind both the number 93 and his own teammate Martin, tried a move though – and made some contact with Marquez, the Honda staying up but Zarco barely, dropping back a few seconds to take P12 only tenths ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Rookie of the Year Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) completed the points.
And so the curtain falls in Qatar for 2023, after a weekend of two halves for the title contenders and a little chapter of awesome history made for Di Giannantonio. Now, it’s truly all or nothing in Valencia. Bagnaia leads by 21 points. 37 more are on the table… and the gloves will be off. Join us for the Grand Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana next weekend – there will be fireworks! -
Jaume Masia is the 2023 FIM Moto3 World Champion!
Losail (Qatar), 19 Nov. 2023: It’s official: Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) is the 2023 Moto3™ World Champion! A victory in a tense Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar secured the Spaniard a maiden Grand Prix title, with the win at Lusail adding to three further victories across a season that has seen the Spaniard take 10 podiums so far and run at the front from the off.
Born in Algemesi, Valencia, Masia competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and for three seasons in what is now the JuniorGP™ paddock before making his Grand Prix debut in 2017. He then became a full time Grand Prix rider in 2018 and having finished 13th in his rookie campaign, came out of the blocks flying in 2019. A maiden victory arrived at the Argentina GP, which he then backed up with a P2 at the following race in America.
Two more wins were claimed by Masia in 2020 as he moved to Leopard Racing, before a switch to Red Bull KTM Ajo came for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In his second KTM stint, Masia won three times in two seasons – finishing P4 and P6 in the overall standings – before then making a move back to Leopard Racing for 2023.
Three podiums in the first five outings was a good start to the year for the #5, but he had to wait until the Dutch GP to pocket a first win back in Leopard colours. Two no scores at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring then put a significant dent into his title charge, but Masia responded superbly by finishing P2 in Barcelona, P2 in Misano, winning in India and then again in Japan. The title dream was back on track.
Three non-podium finishes in a row didn’t halt Masia’s charge to World Championship leader status either, and having finished P3 in Malaysia, his first match point arrived in Qatar. The showdown was tense. Fighting at the front and with some seriously close exchanges between him and key rival Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) throughout, it all went down to the final lap. But Masia was able to stay ahead and take that fourth win of the year, securing the crown with another 25-point haul.
Enhorabuena, Jaume!
Stats
Aged 23 years 19 days old on race day at the Qatar GP, Jaume Masia is the second-oldest rider to clinch the Moto3™ title after Albert Arenas (23 years and 347 days old in 2020). In addition, he is the first rider to clinch the title after having made more than 100 Moto3™ starts.
This is the sixth time that a Honda rider has won the Moto3™ title, adding to the Championships won by Alex Marquez (2014), Danny Kent (2015), Joan Mir (2017), Jorge Martin (2018) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (2019).
Masia has won 10 times in Moto3™, and he is tied with Dennis Foggia third place on the list of riders with most wins in Moto3™ since 2012, behind Romano Fenati (13) and Joan Mir (11).
Masia has stood on the podium 27 times in the class, and he is the rider with second most Moto3™ podiums behind Romano Fenati (29).
Masia is the eighth Spanish rider to win the Moto3™ title since the introduction of the class in 2012.
Quotes
Jaume Masia: “I still don’t believe it. It’s something so big I can’t explain it right now at the moment. I feel like I am dreaming I don’t know if this is true or what because I’ve struggled all my life to achieve something like this. One can never imagine the feeling until you are close to it, until you take it with your hands. It’s still very fresh, so I don’t know what to say.”
How does that feel knowing you had doubts about your future after this season?
“In the end, to be world champion is one world. I still can’t comprehend how big it is.In the history books, I will always be the 2023 Moto3 World Champion with Leopard Racing. I think this is a dream come true. I would pay a lot to be world champion with this team. I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world right now. I only want to spend these days and these weeks with my family and enjoy this moment with everyone. I also want to enjoy the smell in my team, who deserve it even more than me.”How big a part of it has the team been this season?
“Yeah, I don’t think of them as crew chiefs or mechanics or whatever. I see them as good people and I see them like family I chose, so at the end to share this moment with them is amazing. I have had obviously some bad moments where we’ve had to be positive, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ve been smiling a lot and there’s been lots of happiness and making jokes so for me it’s incredible to share this with them and to share with everyone. They appreciate me a lot I know every single one of them would lose their arm or their finger, or even their leg for me and to be world champion with me, so this is a really special moment.” -
Ruhaan Alva clinches LGB Formula 4 title for 2023
Coimbatore, 19 Nov. 2003: Championship leader Ruhaan Alva of MSport signed off on a merry note winning the LGB Formula 4 title much to the joy of his team on an action-packed final round of the 26th JK Tyre National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in
Chettipalayam here on Sunday.
Ruhaan enjoyed a good 20-point lead over Kolkata’s Arya Singh of Dark Don Racing the other day. With just a race to go, it was enough for the Bengaluru boy to seal the title. But it turned out to be a different story as Arya got some relief and his points back after they appealed to the Indian Motor Sports Appeal Court (IMSAC). So did a couple of Momentum Motorsport drivers in the JK Tyre Novice Cup.
A post event scrutiny saw their points docked in the penultimate round at the same venue for technical infringement and they slipped down the table. So that put the pressure back on Ruhaan gunning for his maiden national championship title in the premier category. However, Ruhaan put that at the back of his head and fought hard from P8 to take the second spot on the podium in the final race and emerge the champion with a final tally of 82 points.
The youngster was obviously elated after the race. “I feel great to have got the title. It was a crazy final race. Diljith [Dark Don] and I were involved in a great battle went neck to neck. He tried to hold me up for some time but I managed to cut a corner to come in second,” said Ruhaan.
“It was a bit tense at the beginning but I am a lot relieved now,” he added. Arya and his teammate Tijil Rao, who finished on top of the podium, were tied for the second spot with 71 points each.
Arjun S. Nair (82pts) brought great delight to his team Momentum Motorsports by clinching the JK Tyre Novice Cup without much ado. His teammate Neythan McPherson (53pts) and DTS Racing’s Joel Joseph (44pts) had to content with the next two places respectively.
It was a clean sweep by the Bengaluru boys in the JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup with Abhishek Vasudev (54pts), Jagadeesh Nagara (45pts) and Ullas S. Nanda (39pts) finishing in that order.
Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi), who dominated the entire season, finished with 30 points, to seal the title in the JK Tyre Presents 250 Cup followed by Sachin Jothees (Hosur) and S. Govidharaj (Tirupur).
The results (provisional): Day 2:
LGB Formula 4: 1. Tijil Rao (Dark Don Racing) 28:19.852, 2. Ruhaan Alva (MSport) 28:22.808, 3. Mira Erda (MSport) 28:25.478.
JK Tyre Novice Cup: 1. Arjun S. Nair (Momentum Motorsport) 10:07.713, 2. Neythan McPherson (Momentum Motorsport) 10:07.754, 3. Jigar Muni 10:10.095.
RE Continental GT Cup: 1. Anish Shetty (Bengaluru) 13:17.302, 2. Abhishek Vasudev 13:18.817, 3. MD Samrul Zubair 13:19.706.
250 Cup (10 laps): 1. Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi) 15:49.274, 2. Sachin Jothees (Hosur) 15:53.109, 3. S. Govindharaj (Tirupur) 15:53.250. -
Harkrishan-Kunal duo emerges overall winners at Robusta Rally: INRC Ro5
Kodagu, 19 Nov. 2023: Displaying controlled aggression Delhi’s Harkrishan Wadia, along with Himachal’s Kunal Kashyap, of Arka Motorsports bagged their maiden overall victory as they emerged triumphant in the Blueband Robusta Rally of Kodagu, the fifth Round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for four-wheelers here on Sunday.
The penultimate round organised by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy, and promoted by Blueband Sports, offered a tough terrain, like the last rally in Hyderabad, with only one INRC spec car finishing in the top-10. With top guns faltering once again, like in Hyderabad, Wadia and Kashyap, unfurled their magic in a lower spec INRC2 Volkswagen Polo 1.6 to win the Overall honours in an INRC event. They also won their class, INRC2. Aroor Vikram Rao and co-driver Somayya, who were third overnight finished a creditable Overall second with young Jahaan Singh Gill and co-driver Suraj Keshav Prasad taking overall third.
“We are over the moon. This is our first overall victory and first INRC2 win. And our first stage wins, too. We are thankful to everyone who helped us in this journey. Especially, my father, who’s always been my No.1 supporter. Thanks to the whole team at Arka but for whom this sweet victory would not have been possible. They gave us the perfect car throughout the weekend. And Phil bhaiyya (Philippos Matthai) who’s helped improve my driving massively,” said a visibly delighed Wadia.
Chandigarh’s Jahaan Gill also won the INRC3 class while local star Abhin Rai and co-driver Aravind Dheerendra of Ammyfied Rallying won the INRC4 class. Privateers Mitchu Ganapathy of Gonikoppa and co-driver Venu Ramesh Kumar of Coimbatore won the Gypsy class.
A total of 23 cars of the 60 failed to finish the course (DNF). Of the 60 that took the start on Day 1 (Leg 1) only 52 finished and of the 52 cars that took the start on Day 2 (Leg 2) 15 cars logged DNF. Sixty one cars entered the fray but one car did not start the raly.
“We congratulate the winners of Robusta Rally, Coorg. We have received tremendous feedback on the course and the overall experience from the participants. We are grateful for the opportunity to organise and bring back the pride of motorsport back to Coorg,” said Somanna JJ, Founder Partner, Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy.
Final Provisional Results:
Jahaan Singh Gill and Suraj Keshav Prasad win INRC3. INDIAinF1 photo Overall: 1. Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (1min, 45min, 07.2seconds); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao/ AG Somayya (Chettinad Sporting) (01:46:35.8); 3.Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (Snap Racing) (01:46:51.3).
INRC2: 1. Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (1:45:07.2); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao/ AG Somayya (Chettinad Sporting) (01:46:35.8); 3. Jacob KJ/ Shanmuga SN (Arka MS) (01:47:27.8).
INRC3: 1. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (Snap Racing) (01:46:51.3); 2. Sheshank Jamwal/ Aseem Sharma (Arka Motorsports) (01:48:25.4); 3. Daraious Shroff/ Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (01:48:32.8).
INRC4: 1. Abhin Rai/ Aravind Dheerendra (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:52:28.0); 2. Vivek Ruthuparna/ Athreya Kousgi (Snap Racing) (01:56:15.4); 3. Sefeekudheel/ Arun V (pvt.) (02:11:09.2).
Gypsy: 1. Michu Ganapathy/ Venu Ramesh Kumar (Pvt.) (02:03:30.5): 2. Abhishek Gowda/ Dheeraj Manae (pvt.) (02:04:09.7); 3. Jayanth Somanathan /R Rajashekar (pvt.) (02:04:13.0).
Ladies: 1. Anushriya Gulati/ Sherwin Dalmeida (Dark Don Racing) (01:55:20.8); 2. Shivani Parmar/ Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad) (01:56:21.5); 3. Pragathi Gowda/ Trisha Alonkar (AART Motorsports) (02:00:06.3).
Junior INRC: 1. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (Snap Racing) (01:46:51.3); 2. . Abhin Rai/ Aravind Dheerendra (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:52:28.0); 3. Vivek Ruthuparna/ Athreya Kousgi (Snap Racing) (01:56:15.4)
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Max Verstappen overcomes time penalty to win at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, 19 Nov. 2023: Max Verstappen overcame a time penalty and car damage to take his 18th win of 2023 in an exciting inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in which Charles Leclerc overtook Sergio Pérez on the last lap to take second place. Pérez’s P3 at the flag sealed the Drivers’ Championship runner-up sport for the Mexican.
When the lights went out at the start, polesitter Leclerc got away well to take a narrow lead. However, even though he started on the dirty side of the track, Verstappen also made a good start and he took the inside line on the way to Turn 1. The champion braked late but slide wide, forcing Leclerc off track. When they rejoined, Verstappen was ahead and in the lead. However, the incident was soon put under investigation by the stewards.
Further back, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso also spun in Turn 1 and that caused a number of cars around him to take evasive action including Ferrari’s Caros Sainz One of them was Pérez and as the Mexican tried to react he tapped the back of Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo, sustaining front wing damage.
At the end of the first lap Pérez pitted for a new nose and a set of Hard tyres. He rejoined in 18th place, just as a Virtual Safety Car was deployed to allow marshals to clear debris in Turn 1. However, almost as soon as the VSC ended, the physical Safety Car was deployed when Lando Norris crashed at Turn 12.
The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap six and Verstappen controlled the re-start well to hold the lead but on lap eight, the stewards handed down their decision on the start and Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for forcing Leclerc off track. The champion, who was now two seconds clear of Leclerc, held position, expecting to serve the penalty in his first stop.
Pérez, meanwhile, was on the move and after rising to 16th under the SC as rivals pitted he then breezed past Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the AlphaTauris of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo to take P13.
At the front, Verstappen was trying to shake Leclerc but the Ferrari driver was grimly hanging on to the back of the Red Bull and was just a second behind the race leader. And on lap 12, Leclerc attacked. The Ferrari driver closed up on the long run to Turn 14 and he passed the champion on the inside under braking to take the lead. Red Bull pitted Verstappen and after serving his time penalty and taking on a set of Hard tyres he rejoined in ninth place.
But as others pitted, Pérez vaulted up the order and on lap 18 he was in P2 just 14 seconds behind Leclerc. The Ferrari driver made his first stop on lap 22 and after a 3.9s stop, he rejoined in P3 behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and new race leader, Pérez. The Ferrari driver was now four seconds ahead of Verstappen who was back in P7 but being hampered by Alonso and Russell who were battling over P5.
Verstappen was soon past Alonso and after Russell had passed Sainz, the champion followed suit, powering past the Spaniard and tucking in behind the Mercedes. Verstappen went on the attack at the end of lap 25 but Russell was unsighted, turned in and there was contact. Verstappen took third place but was left with a damaged front wing and with debris on the track, the Safety Car was deployed.
The Dutch driver pitted for checks and new tyres while behind him a stream of cars filed into the pit lane for new tyres, including Pérez, who took on another set of Hard tyres and rejoined behind Leclerc who stayed out. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was now third ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with both on one stop, and Verstappen was in P5.
The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 28 and Leclerc kept the lead ahead of Pérez. He tried to quickly shake off the Red Bull driver but the Mexican clung on and when DRS was enabled he closed up and on lap 32 powered past the Ferrari driver into Turn 14 to take the lead once more. Behind them Verstappen muscled his way past Gasly to take P4 and then on lap 33 he passed Piastri for P3, just 1.6s behind Leclerc and 2.4s off Pérez.
On lap 35, Leclerc fought back and the Monegasque surprised Pérez with a late dart down the inside of turn 14 to steal back the lead. Verstappen was now inside DRS range of Pérez and on lap 36 he roared past the Mexican to begin the hunt for the lead. On lap 37 the Dutchman pounced, powering past the Ferrari drive on the run to Turn 14. Leclerc fought back with a late braking lunge but Verstappen was already ahead and into the lead.
Now it was Pérez’s turn to reel in the Ferrari and on lap 43 the under pressure Ferrari driver locked up into Turn 12 and the Red Bull driver swept past.
Leclerc wasn’t done, though, and though the Mexican tried to break DRS, the Ferrari driver stuck closer and on the final lap he went for broke, diving down the inside into Turn 14 to ambush Pérez and steal P2 just a few hundred metres from the flag.
Verstappen, meanwhile, was already there, powering across the line to become the first winner of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Behind Pérez, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon took fourth place ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Sainz was sixth in the second Ferrari, while Hamilton and Russell were seventh and eighth respectively for Mercedes. Fernando Alonso finished ninth in the second Aston and the final point went to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 50 1:29’08.289
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 50 1:29’10.359 2.070
3 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 50 1:29’10.530 2.241
4 Esteban Ocon Alpine 50 1:29’26.954 18.665
5 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 50 1:29’28.356 20.067
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 50 1:29’29.123 20.834
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 50 1:29’30.044 21.755
8 George Russell Mercedes 50 1:29’31.380 23.091
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 50 1:29’34.253 25.964
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren 50 1:29’37.785 29.496
11 Pierre Gasly Alpine 50 1:29’42.559 34.270
12 Alexander Albon Williams 50 1:29’51.687 43.398
13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 50 1:29’53.114 44.825
14 Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri 50 1:29’56.814 48.525
15 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 50 1:29’58.451 50.162
16 Logan Sargeant Williams 50 1:29’59.171 50.882
17 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 50 1:30’33.639 1’25.350
18 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 46 1:23’38.931 Gearbox
19 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 45 1:21’43.790 Not running -
Jorge Martin wins the Sprint; Bagnaia finishes 5th
Qatar, 18 Nov. 2023: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) made super Saturday into statement Saturday at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. With a potential match point on the line on Sunday for title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) depending on the Tissot Sprint, the pressure was absolutely on, and the number 89 soaked it up and then some. After battling Bagnaia early in the race as the two started in P4 and P5, Martin made his way into the lead and then held off a charging Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) over a tense final lap, halving Pecco’s points lead in the process as the Championship leader came home only fifth.
Diggia took a stunning second and from second on the grid, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) taking third after leading much of the Sprint from pole. Then came Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and then Bagnaia after a fascinating showdown in the desert.
It was an immediate shot of adrenaline in the title fight in Turn 1 too, with Marini getting the holeshot as Alex Marquez slotted into second – but there was contact right behind the two between Martin and Bagnaia. Martin, the rider on the inside, just kept third, with Bagnaia left with a few metres to make up. Later round the lap both Alex Marquez and Martin were slightly wide though, and Pecco shot back past Martin as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also attacked and got through.
Martin hit back not long after, putting him right back on the rear wheel of Bagnaia. On Lap 2, it got seriously close again as the number 89 opened the door for himself and made it through, with Diggia trying to do the same. A few corners later, he did.
Meanwhile in the lead, Marini was under attack. Alex Marquez got through but the Italian answered straight back, holding on to it as Martin got the hammer down just behind and set the fastest lap.
Over the line for seven laps to go, Alex Marquez had reloaded and was ready to try again. He once again made it through too, but Martini was even quicker to respond with an immediate cutback. That gave Martin a few more metres too as they squabbled, and the number 89 struck as soon as he had the chance to take over in second, homing in on Marini as Alex Marquez was left to defend against Diggia.
The move from Martin came at the final corner, taking over in the lead and able to hold Marini off into Turn 1. Alex Marquez couldn’t say the same, with Diggia able to get through at Turn 1 and set off after the battle ahead.
Bagnaia, meanwhile, was in fifth and just off the back of the gaggle at the front, but with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) charging on, around half a second back.
The next move saw Diggia attack Marini for second, and from there the number 49 set off after Martin. Or more, the mission began to keep up with the title contender as the hammer went absolutely down. Lap by lap, they both pulled away, with Marini holding a safe third and Alex Marquez able to gather up a bit of breathing space ahead of Bagnaia.
The leading duo were locked together at the start of the final lap, with Diggia shadowing Martin’s every move. But the number 89 just kept turning the screw and the Gresini machine lost a few metres here and a few there, unable to quite get back on terms with the race leader. Martin crossed the line 0.391s clear to take a valuable 12-point haul from the Tissot Sprint, with Diggia impressing once again after an incredible weekend so far. Marini completes the podium on Saturday.
Alex Marquez held on to fourth as Bagnaia was only able to take fifth, and under some late pressure from Viñales, who got past Binder and was on the march. But the number #1 was just about able to respond and keep a two to three tenth buffer, defending P5 but seeing his lead cut to just seven points.
Binder came home in P7, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) putting in an even bigger charge up from P14 on the grid. The Frenchman was able to get past Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who was forced to settle for 10th as Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – now officially Rookie of the Year – grabbed P9 and the last point on Saturday too.
An early, multi-rider crash saw Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) make contact with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also caught up. Oliveira was declared unfit due to a scapula fracture, and Aleix Espargaro has to be passed fit in a review on Sunday morning – with that penalty from Fp2 pending as well…
And so it’s just seven points between Bagnaia and Martin, with 62 still on the table. 25 more go up for grabs on Sunday in the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, and if the Sprint is anything to go by, there will be fireworks. Don’t miss it – tune in for more on Sunday at 20:00 (GMT +3) for another spectacular showdown under the floodlights.
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Luca Marini strikes late to take pole position
A stunning qualifying session at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar bubbled up to an incredible crescendo on Saturday, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) striking late with a near-perfect lap to take pole position with a new lap record. He pipped Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) by just 0.067s, with Sepang Tissot Sprint winner Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) completing the front row.
The two title contenders both got bumped off that front row, but they aren’t far away by any means: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) takes P4 and has Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) right alongside in P5, with the duo split by just 0.022s. On Friday it was 0.007s, with incredible parity so far in the desert to set up two fascinating showdowns under the floodlights.
Q1
After the first runs in a star-studded Q1, it was Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) leading the way ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), after just losing out on making the cut in Practice, next up. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, was dead last despite topping FP2, having seen his hot lap interrupted by a front end save.
As soon as Quartararo headed back out though, the red sectors started coming in. Two tenths up in the first sector, nearly half a second in the second, and with company from Alex Marquez tucked in behind setting similar sectors too. As both crossed the line, the number 73 took 0.087 out of El Diablo as it became an AM73-FQ20 1-2 in Q1, and under the lap record. Could anyone beat it? Zarco could indeed, pipping Alex Marquez by just 0.055 as the two moved through, leaving Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Quartararo just missing out.
Q2
The first benchmark came from Diggia as two pairings made their way around: Bagnaia followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), slotting into fourth and fifth, and Martin behind Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). That nearly saw some drama as Martin tried to pass but couldn’t find a way through, but next time round with some more space, the number 89 put in a fast one and shot up to third behind Marini and Diggia at the top.
Then, Martin pulled back intp pitlane just as Bagnaia pulled back out of the garage, with… you guessed it, Marc Marquez for company once again. And the two were setting red sectors, but so was Diggia. The number 49 completed his second shot at it by cutting a stunning three and a half tenths off his own provisional pole time, setting the first ever 1:51 of Lusail.
Bagnaia was next and took over in second, two tenths off, with Marc Marquez not quite able to pip him to it but taking a provisional front row. The next assault was from Alex Marquez and it was CLOSE, with the number 73 making it a Gresini 1-2 to push Bagnaia down to third. Next up there were red sectors from Martin but the lap went away, and then it looked like Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing)) could challenge at the top before the Aprilia lost time in the final part of the lap.
But then came Marini. The Italian kept it absolutely pinned, just able to deny compatriot Diggia by 0.067s, and that was that after an awesome flurry of activity on the timesheets late on. Marini heads Diggia and Alex Marquez, with all three setting 1:51s and a second quicker than the 2021 lap record. The Independent Team riders shine under the floodlights, pushing the two contenders down to Row 2 as the penultimate 37 points of the year go up for grabs.THE GRID
Behind Marini, Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez, the two contenders will be looking to make big gains from the off from Row 2, Bagnaia just 0.020 ahead of Martin. Zarco in sixth will be an interesting one to watch too.
Then comes Marc Marquez, Viñales and Friday’s fastest Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) on Row 3. Aleix Espargaro is down in P10 ahead of a Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) looking to make a classic Binder charge when the lights go out, the South African in P11. Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) locks out the Q2 crowd in P12.
After losing out in Q1, Bezzecchistarts P13 just ahead of Quartararo. Sepang winner Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) is next up in P15, and after coming across Iker Lecuona (LCR Honda Castrol) on a hot lap in Q1. Lecuona has a three-place grid penalty for that. Miller heads Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) in P16 and P17 after the Australian also thought the Portugese rider held him up in a tight, tight Q1 -
Harkrishan, Kunal duo takes lead after Day 1 at Rally Robusta: INRC Ro5
Kodagu, 18 Nov. 2023: Delhi driver Harkrishan Wadia, along with Himachal’s Kunal Kashyap did a splendid job to take the overall lead in the Round 5 of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship at the end of Day 1 at the Special Stages near here on Saturday. The Blueband Robusta Rally of Kodagu, organised by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy, offered a tricky and tough terrain that saw 21 cars, of the 61 that started, fail to finish the course on Day 1.
Arka Motorsports’ Harkrishan (co-driver Kashyap), driving an INRC2 spec Volkswagen Polo 1.6 did a commendable job to finish the tough Anandpura and Polibetta competitive stages after Day 1. The duo also topped their INRC2 class. Talented Jahaan Singh Gill of Chandigarh with Bengaluru co-driver Suraj Keshav Prasad of Snap Racing came overall second and topped the INRC3 class after six Special Stages on Saturday. The Mangaluru-Bengaluru pair of Aroor Vikram RAo and co-driver AG Somayya of Chettinad Sporting were placed overall third with six more stages to go on Sunday.
“The day was full of adrenaline. The stages were fast and flowing but down to narrow and bumpy at places from time to time. I thank Arka Motorsport for giving us the perfect car even after the damages at Hyderabad rally. The strategy for Sunday is to do nothing different but follow up on today’s pace. keep the car on road and drive fast,” said Wadia after a tough day.
Vikram Rao and Sahil Khanna (co-driver Harish KN) are following Wadia in INRC2 class while Jahaan Singh Gill is also leading his INRC3 class with Daraious Shroff (co-driver Shahid Salman) and Sheshank Jamwal (Harish KN) trailing him in that order. Abin Rai and Aravind Dheerendra of Ammyfied Rallying were leading INRC4 class while Darshan Nachappa and co-driver Abhinav Ganapathy topped the Gypsy class on Day 1.
Provisional Results after Day 1:
Overall: 1. Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (1min, 0min, 55.7seconds); 2. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (Snap Racing) (01:01:27.5); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao/ AG Somayya (Chettinad Sporting) (01:01:47.0).
INRC2: 1. Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (1min, 0min, 55.7seconds); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao/ AG Somayya (Chettinad Sporting) (01:01:47.0); 3. Sahil Khanna/ Harish KN Gowda(Snap Racing) (01:02:41.8).
INRC3: 1. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (Snap Racing) (01:01:27.5); 2. Daraious Shroff/ Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (01:02:51.8); 3. Sheshank Jamwal/ Ashish Sharma (Arka Motorsports) (01:03:08.2);
INRC4: 1. Abhin Rai/ Aravind Dheerendra (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:04:52.4); 2. Vivek Ruthuparna/ Athreya Kousgi (Snap Racing) (01:05:34.7); 3. Prajwal HM/ Vinay SM (Pvt.) (1:12:19.2).
Gypsy: 1. Darshan Nachappa/ Abhinav Ganapathy (Ammyfied) (01:10:14.6); 2. Sanjay Agarwal/ Phalguna Raghavendra (pvt) (01:11:28.6); 3. Michu Ganapathy/ Venu Ramesh Kumar (Pvt.) (01:11:40.3).
Ladies: 1. Anushriya Gulati/ Sherwin Dalmeida (Dark Don Racing) (01:06:22.8); 2. Nikeetaa Takkale/ Raghuram Saminathan (Snap Racing) (01:06:52.9); 3. Shivani Parmar/ Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad) (01:07:45.7).
Junior INRC: 1. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (Snap Racing) (01:01:27.5); 2. . Abhin Rai/ Aravind Dheerendra (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:04:52.4); 3. Vivek Ruthuparna/ Athreya Kousgi (Snap Racing) (01:05:34.7).
