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Antonelli tops Sprint qualifying to become youngest pole sitter: F1
Miami (USA), 3 May 2025: Kimi Antonelli took a sensational top spot in Sprint Qualifying for the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, to become the youngest driver to take pole position in any race format in the history of F1. The 18-year-old Mercedes driver posted a time of 1:26.482 to beat McLarenโs championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.045s. Lando Norris, in the other McLaren, will start the Sprint from P3 ahead of Red Bullโs Max Verstappen.ย
In the first runs of SQ1, it was Kimi Antonelli who led the way, with the Mercedes driver posting a lap of 1:27.858 to sit 0.008s ahead of McLarenโs Lando Norris, with Red Bullโs Max Verstappen third on 1:27.953. Championship leader Oscar Piastri lay in fourth place almost three tenths off Antonelli with team-mate George Russell in P5. Elsewhere, Racing Bullsโ Isack Hadjar has his opening flying lap deleted however and without a time ahead of the final runs, the Frenchman needed a strong final lap.
The Racing Bulls driver made no mistakes, and his final flyer lifted him to 12th at the end of the session and into SQ2. There was no place in the middle segment for Red Bull Racingโs Yuki Tsunoda, however.
The Japanese driver failed to make it across the line to start his final flyer before the chequered flag was shown and he dropped out of Sprint Qualifying in P18. Also ruled out at the end of SQ1 were 15th-placed Aston Martinโs Lance Stroll and Alpineโs Jack Doohan in P16, while Sauberโs Gabriel Bortoleto exited in P19 ahead of Haasโ Oliver Bearman who also failed to get across the line before the chequered flag.
At the top of the order, Russell took top spot with his final flyer of 1:27.688 ahead of Antonelli with Williamsโ Alex Albon third ahead of Norris, Carlos Sainz and Piastri.
Verstappen set the initial pace in SQ2, with the Dutchman posting a time of 1:27.729. Antonelli then went two thousandths of second quicker to steal P1 before Norris moved almost two tenths clear and then Piastri went even quicker with a lap of 1:27.354.
It was Norris who made the most of the final runs of SQ2, however, and the Briton took top spot with a lap of 1:27.109, 0.136s ahead of Verstappen with Piastri in third 0.245s off his McLaren team-mate. Antonelli continued his good work with fourth place ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Russell went through in seventh ahead of Albon, Aston Martinโs Fernando Alonso and Hadjar.
Ruled out at the end of SQ2 were Kick Sauberโs Nico Hรผlkenberg in P11, Haasโ Esteban Ocon, Alpineโs Pierre Gasly, who slapped the wall midway through his lap, Racing Bullsโ Liam Lawson and Sainz, who had a massive lock up into Turn 11 and was forced to abandon his final flyer.
At the start of SQ3, Verstappen was first out on track and the Red Bull driver stopped the clock at 1:27.070. Russell was right behind the Dutchman on track, however, and he breezed past the Red Bull manโs time to reset the bar at 1:26.791 first flyer.
But while Russell headed back to the pit lane, Verstappen who had made a mistake on his lap, stayed out for a surprise second attempt. The 2024 Miami winner managed to improve, and he took provisional pole six hundredths of a second ahead of the Mercedes driver.
It was the other Mercedes driver who was going quickest, however. Norris first demoted Verstappen but behind him Antonelli was finding small margins of time and when he crossed the line, he took pole with a superb lap of 1:26.482. Piastri got close but in the end the Italian teenagerโs time was good enough to hold on to a historic first pole position.
Behind the top four, Russell took fifth ahead of Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Hadjar and Alonso.
2025 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix โ Sprint Qualifying
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1’26.482 – –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’26.527 0.045 0.052
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’26.582 0.100 0.116
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’26.737 0.255 0.295
5 George Russell Mercedes 1’26.791 0.309 0.357
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’26.808 0.326 0.377
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1’27.030 0.548 0.634
8 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’27.193 0.711 0.822
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1’27.543 1.061 1.227
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’27.790 1.308 1.512
11 Nico Hรผlkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 1’27.850 1.368 1.582
12 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1’28.070 1.588 1.836
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’28.167 1.685 1.948
14 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1’28.375 1.893 2.189
15 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes – – –
16 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’29.028 2.546 2.944
17 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1’29.171 2.689 3.109
18 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’29.246 2.764 3.196
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 1’29.312 2.830 3.272
20 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1’29.825 3.343 3.866 -
Ishaan Madesh, Rivaan Dev Preetham dominate: Meco Meritus Cup
Bengaluru, 27 April 2025: Promising local talent Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) and Chennaiโs Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport) came up with dominating performances in their respective categories in the first round of the Meco Meritus Cup karting competition at the Meco Kartopia track, here on Sunday.
Ishaan was in a league of his own in the Senior Max category where he won both the Sprint races besides topping the qualifying session to pick up maximum points and top the table.
Similarly, Rivaan won both Sprint wins in the Mini Max category as he held off another Chennai driver Rehan Khan. The two MSport teammates were brimming with confidence following their recent international participation in theย Champions of the Future Academy Program. Mumbaiโsย Hamza Balasinorwala (Crest Motorsport) finished third.
Shiv Tummala, who won a double in the Micro Max class that was dominated by Peregrine Racing at Meco Kartopia on Sunday. Photo INDIAinF1.com (arranged) Shiv Tummala (Peregrine Racing) from Hyderabad also notched a double in the Micro Max category, winning both the Sprint races. Peregrine Racing dominated the Micro Max class sweeping all the podium places in Race 2. Bengaluru’s Jishnu Seralathan came second in both the races while another local boy Zidaan Arshaan Anees, also from Peregrine, took the third place in the second race. Coimbatore’s Shivneel of MSport took third in the Sprint, the only podium place which Peregrine could not lay their hands on.
Puneโs Arafath Sheikh (Crest Motorsport) was unbeaten in the OKJ Junior class which the Meco Motorsports introduced in 2023 as the India Karting Academy Trophy (Junior Class) into the Meritus Cup, to give the Indian junior drivers an opportunity to experience the FIA OK-J engine which is a replica of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy that runs with the FIA homologated OK-J engines and the FIA homologated OTK Chassis.
Meco Motorsports, promoters of the National Karting Championship for over a decade, are pleased to announce the association with Sidvin Energy Engineering as the Presenting Sponsor and MRF as the partner sponsor for the Meritus Cup and the Meco fmsci National Kartingย Championship scheduled to commence next month.
Final results: Senior Max โ Sprint Race 1 (14 laps):
1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13mins, 08.334secs);
2. Arafath Sheikh (Pune, Crest Motorsport) (13:10.090);
3. Neythan McPherson (Pune, Crest Motorsport) (13:14.558).
Sprint Race 2: 1. Ishaan Maadesh (13:09.827);
2. Arafath Sheikh (13:11.029);
3. Nikilesh Raju (Bengaluru, MSport) (13:11.454).
OK Junior (15 laps):
1. Arafath Sheikh (Pune, Crest Motorsport) (14:12.912);
2. Kairav Roberson (Chennai, MSport) (14:14.878);
3. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSport) (14:17.251).
Micro Max โ Sprint Race 1 (10 laps):
1. Shiv Tummala (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:17.782);
2. Jishnu Seralathan (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:30.299);
3. Shivneel (Coimbatore, MSport) (10:30.531).
Race 2 (12 laps): 1. Shiv Tummala (12:43.633);
2. Jishnu Seralathan (12:46.972);
3, Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13:09.008).
Mini Max โ Sprint Race 1 (10 laps):
1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSport) (09:56.463);
2. Rehan Khan R (Chennai, MSport) (09:58.279);
3. Yatharth Gaur (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing) (10:07.925).
Race 2 (12 laps): 1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (12:15.500);
2. Hamza Balasinorwala (Crest Motorsport) (12:15.941);
3. Rehan Khan (12:20.841).
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Alex Marquez clinches maiden win as Quartararo makes rostrum return
Jerez (Spain), 27 April 2025: Mr P2? Not anymore.ย Alex Marquezย (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) is a MotoGP winner after the new World Championship leader emerged victorious in what was a hugely dramatic Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain that sawย Marc Marquezย (Ducati Lenovo Team) crash out on Lap 3 โ andย Fabio Quartararoย (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) hold offย Francesco Bagnaiaย (Ducati Lenovo Team) to clinch his first Grand Prix podium since 2023.
AN OPENING LAP BARNSTORMER
Corr, what a first lap. Quartararo launched superbly from pole, and so did Bagnaia from third. Marc Marquez didnโt get away as well as he would have wanted, and immediately the #93 was P3. Bagnaia tried to show a wheel to Quartararo at Turn 2 but thought better of it as Turn 6 saw Alex Marquez almost collect his older brother. The Spaniard was in way too hot but managed to hook it back up and hold into P4, as Marc Marquez and Bagnaia went into battle at Jerezโs famous stadium section.Marquez dived underneath his teammate at Turn 9 to the roar of 100,000 fans. But Bagnaia, hanging it around the outside and getting a better run out of Turn 10, got back alongside the six-time MotoGP World Champion. Then, contact between the Ducati duo! Both were fighting for the same piece of asphalt, and it was the #63 who came out on top.
MARC MARQUEZ CRASHES FROM P3
An opening lap for the ages was then followed by monumental drama. The home hero, Marc Marquez, while shadowing Bagnaia, crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 3 while sitting in P3. Seemingly asking too much of that front end, the Spaniard was down and out of victory contention โ but not the Grand Prix.HOW THE GRAND PRIX WAS WON
Where did that leave us then? Quartararo led from Bagnaia, but Alex Marquez shoved his way past the Italian to climb into P2 and set his sights on trying to latch onto and pass El Diablo. Further back, there was more drama as lead rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed at Turn 6 from fourth place.On Lap 10 of 25, Quartararo was keeping Alex Marquez at bay and Bagnaia was lapping 0.6s behind the Gresini star. Maverick Viรฑales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was 1.3s behind the factory Ducati rider in P4 before Lap 11 saw a change of the Grand Prix lead.
Turn 1 saw Alex Marquez strike. An aggressive but great move up the inside of Quartararo saw the Sprint silver medallist snatch the race lead baton, and within a lap, his lead was up to 0.8s. Now, what could Bagnaia do about passing Quartararo?
After a few laps, the answer was nothing. And Viรฑales was beginning to reel in Quartararo and Bagnaia, while Alex Marquezโs lead grew to 1.7s on Lap 16 of 25. On Marc Marquez watch, he was now back in the points after crashes for Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) promoted Marquez into P15.
With five laps left, Marquezโs lead was 2.4s over Quartararo, and the latter was keeping Bagnaia 0.6s behind. Viรฑales was now 0.4s away from a podium spot, as we saw Marc Marquez and Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team) enjoy a little battle for P13 on Lap 21.
Three to go. Was there life left in the fight for P2? Bagnaia was trying, but Quartararo was hitting all his markers in his efforts to keep the #63 behind him, as Alex Marquez edged closer to a maiden MotoGP win.
Two to go. It was as you were, with Viรฑales seemingly now settling for a P4 โ the #12 was 0.9s away from Bagnaiaโs tailpipes.
LAST LAP TIME IN JEREZ! Only a mistake now would cost Alex Marquez a famous win, and Quartararo was still far enough ahead of Bagnaia that it wasnโt allowing the latter to show a wheel. And after being Mr P2 for much of 2025 so far, Alex Marquez clinched a well-deserved maiden MotoGP Grand Prix win to crown himself Mr P1 in front of his adoring home fans.
Quartararo did fend off Bagnaia for an outstanding P2 finish and his first Grand Prix podium since the 2023 Indonesian GP. What a weekend for Yamaha, and although itโs not a fourth Jerez victory in a row, Bagnaiaโs second P3 of the weekend brings solid points to the Italianโs camp.
YOUR SPANISH GP POINTS SCORERS
After the disappointment of a post-race penalty in Qatar, Viรฑales backed up his quality display by earning P4 in Spain, with Top Gun finishing three seconds up the road from fifth place Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Brad Binder and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Pedro Acosta crossed the line in P6 and P7 in what was a much more positive Sunday for KTM, as Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) rounded out the top 10.Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) took the chequered flag in P11 and having crashed early doors, a disappointed Marc Marquez managed to salvage a P12. Not the Sunday Marquez was searching for, but those four points could prove pivotal.
Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Espargaro and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) โ following an early crash โ closed out the points scorers in Jerez.
NEXT UP: LE MANS
Heโs done it. Alex Marquez is a MotoGP winner and once again, heโs the title chase leader. Jerez, you delivered. And next up, we land at another all-time legendary venueโฆ Le Mans. What lies ahead at the French GP? -
Sarthak Chavan beats Chiranth to win Race 2 in FIM Asia Road Racing Championship
Buriram (Thailand), 27 April 2025: Sarthak Chavan, the Indian champion made a grand statement for India winning the Race 2 of the opening round at the 2025 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Chang International Circuit here on Sunday.
Sarthak Chavan beat his Indian mate Chiranth Vishwanath to become the pride of India after securing the top spot on the podium in the TVS ASIA One Make Championship second race. In Race 1, he finished fifth after he lost the suspension following a contact.
The race began with young rider Hunter Corney from Australia rocketing into the lead, closely trailed by Hiroki Ono from Japan and Sarthak.
Chiranth refused to stay deep within the group and sped up to join the front group. He even set a fastest lap time of 1โ50:737s with a top speed of 207.3 km/h.
After swapping leads for several laps, the chequered flag came down in Sarthakโs favour. The Indian rider clocked his first-ever victory in the TVS ASIA One Make Championship with a time of 14โ56:976s, 0.130s ahead of Chiranth Vishwanath from India. Hiroki rounded out the winning trifecta in third place with a time of 14โ57:216s.
Hunter, in final lap, made contact with another bike, which caused him to lose control and drop back from the front group, ultimately losing his position in the battle for the podium.
Sarthak said, โYesterday was not so good. I couldโve qualified for P1, but it didnโt go well. I had a big contact at Turn 3, and my rear suspension got locked in the mud guard. Yesterday, I was just thinking about what to do on the next day, and today I did it. The last lap was really intense; my bike felt like it was dropping a bit of power, but it was still a great race. I managed to do a good lap time and finish in P1. After about 10 years of being here, my national anthem is finally played in ARRC. Iโm happy. Of course, some will say their bike is slow, but thatโs not possible because everyone here has the same bike. It was a wonderful opportunity and race.โ
TOP 5 FASTEST โ RACE 2
Sarthak Chavan โ India (14โ56:976s)
Chiranth Vishwanath โ India (14โ57:106s)
Hiroki Ono โ Japan (14โ57:216s)
Atih Kanghair โ Thailand (14โ57:624s)
Md Ramdan Rosli โ Malaysia (14โ58:133s)
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Karna Kadur, Musa Sherif clinch APRC Round 1, along with INRC for a grand double
Chennai, 27 April 2025: After a lapse of three years, Bengaluruโs reigning National champion Karna Kadur of Arka Motorsports won a round of the FIA-Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2025 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.
It was a near-flawless drive in the Volkswagen Polo by the 36-year-old Kadur who was greatly aided by his experienced co-driver Musa Sherif from Kasargod as the duo combined beautifully to also clinch the crown in the first round of the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Championship 2025.
Finishing second in APRC was Kadurโs team-mate and England-based former National champion Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik, Mangaluru) while Delhiโs Harkrishan Wadia (co-driver Harish KN, Bengaluru) completed the APRC podium after Philippos Matthai (Harish KN), who was running third, retired with a mechanical problem about five Kms from the finish of the dayโs last Special Stage.
Wadia, who drove brilliantly today, made a lot of ground to make up a two-minute penalty he had received yesterday for an early check-in at the Start Time Control to win the Junior APRC (28 years and younger) class ahead of overnight leader Arnav Pratap Singh (Rohit N) and Abhin Rai (Moideen Jasheer KM).
Kadur attributed his success to a judicial blend of caution and aggression. โAfter a long time, we had a trouble-free run. The car was great and just about everything fell into place. We had carefully planned our strategy, and it was executed flawlessly. We could have gone faster, but in view of the rising temperature, we had to exercise some caution. A few competitors suffered as they did not back off and having seen this, I kept something in reserve in case I needed to push hard. Anyway, itโs a good start to the season. Also, my co-driver Musaโs calls were spot-on, and it greatly helped,โ he said.
Ghosh had to overcome a misbehaving VW Polo which was put together about three days before the event after his Mahindra XUV 300 packed up during testing. โWe had issues with the car throughout the weekend. Today, we lost the clutch, and it slowed us down. But considering everything, including having only a few days to prepare this VW Polo, we did pretty well.โ
Wadia could hardly believe his luck in finishing third in APRC and topping the INRC2 category. โThe two-minute penalty I copped yesterday for early check-in at the start, hurt me a lot. Though I was on pace through the two days, two minutes kept getting added to my time. However, I guess, I got lucky in the end with Philippos retiring while I made 50-plus seconds on my rivals today.โ
Another notable performance came from Bengaluru-based Tarushi Vikram (Vybhav Mukund Rao) who took the honours in the Women INRC class, displaying good pace and control.
Out of the 49 cars that started the rally, 13 cars failed to finish.
Provisional Final classification:
FIA-APRC (Asia Cup): 1. Kadur / Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) (02 hours, 03 mins, 44.0 secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (02:04:35.8); 3. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (02:07:38.5) (including 2min penalty).
Junior APRC: 1. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (02:07.38.5); 2. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (02:09:25.9); 3. Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (02:10:16.9).
INRC Overall: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (02:06:09.5).
INRC1: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Suhem Kabeer / Vinay Padmashali (Pvt.) (02:12:15.2).
INRC2: 1. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (02:06:09.5); 2. Pragathi Gowda/ Chandramouli M (Pvt.)ย (02:07:23.5); 3. Wadia / Kashyap;.
INRC3: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (02:09:25.9); 2. Vishak B / Chiranth Jain (Chettinad Sporting) (02:09:27.4); 3. Abhin Rai / Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (02:10:16.9).
INRC 3T (Turbo): 1. Ramcharan C / Vignesh Mahalingam (Falkon Motorsports) (03:15.3); 2. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Ritchy Thomas (Pvt.) (02:28:34.9); 3. Jeet Jhabhak / Sekar V (Pvt.) (02:59:09.9).
Women INRC: 1. Tarushi Vikram / Vybhav Mukund Rao (Chettinad Sporting) (02:17:07.0); 2. Phoebe Nongrum Dale / Nash Ross (Pvt.) (02:20:17.9); 3. Anushriya Gulati / Karan Aukta (Arka Motorsports) (02: 48:58.8).
Junior INRC: 1. Abhin Rai / Moideen Jasheer (Pvt.) (02:10:16.9); 2. Ajay Shankar / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Falkon Motorsports) (02:11:47.0); 3. RB Kharbirymbai/ Dhanush CP (Snap Racing) (02:14:26.1).
Fmsci Gypsy Challenge: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Dheeraj Manae (Pvt.) (02:22:23.0); 2. Kariappa Mekerira / Supreeth Sagar (Pvt.) (02:24:49.7); 3. Pankaj Dutt / Jibran Ahmed (Pvt.) (02:33:15.9).
Fmsci Classic Challenge: 1. Pramod Raman / Dheeraj KV (Pvt.) (02:21:01.0); 2. Siddhartha Santhosh / Sawan Satyanarayan (Pvt.) (02:22:13.6); 3. Satish P / Dr. Dinesh S (Pvt) (02:31:54.8).
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Karna Kadur takes control of APRC with a comfortable lead: South India Rally
Chennai, 26 April 2025: Bengaluru ace Karna Kadur came up with a mature drive to open a sizable lead in theย FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship promoted by Vamcy Merla which is part of the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48thย South India Rally, here on Saturday. With only four Special Stages to be run on the morrow, Kadur and his co-driver Musa Sherif have victory in their sights.
Kadur leads his Arka Motorsports team-mate and the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh combination of Harkrishan Wadia and Kunal Kashyap by over a minute. In third place is their team-mate and former National champion Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who nursed his patched-up Volkswagen Polo, a late replacement for his Mahindra XUV 300 which blew its engine during a test run a few days before the event.
In the INRC category of the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Rally Championship Round-1 powered by Vamcy Merla, Kadur leads Ghosh with Suhem Kabeer (Vinay Padmashali) in third spot.
About his performance today, Kadur said: โI was a bit conservative in the first loop, especially the first Special Stage (AAVISA) which had some small rocks on the road. In the second run, I did not hold back since I knew the terrain would have been swept clean by the cars. So, I was able to make over a minute on my own time. Tomorrow is another day, but I will try to hold position and push only if I must. The main goal is to bring the car home in one piece.โ
Two of the front-runners in the APRC, Jason Saldanha and Chetan Shivram had issues with their respective cars and lost time that saw them drop down the order. The other big disappointment was the retirement of Hyundai i20 which is making its debut in the Indian motorsports scene with Hyderabadโs Jeet Jhabakh packing up with a driveshaft problem but he is likely to rejoin the rally on Sunday, if the car is fully repaired.
Meanwhile, the competition in the National championship was as razor sharp as ever with positions changing by the minute while Bengaluru-based Tarushi Vikram displayed impressive pace to lead the Women INRC class.
Provisional, unaudited classifications (After Leg-1):
FIA-APRC/Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) (01 hr, 05 min, 25.4 secs); 2. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:34.2); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:39.8).
INRC: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Suhem Kabir / Vinay Padmashali (Pvt.) (01:09:03.9).
INRC2: 1. Wadia / Kashyap; 2. Philippos Matthai / Harish KN (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:51.3); 3. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (01:06:56.1).
INRC3: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (01:07:37.8); 2. Vishak B / Chiranth Jain (Chettinad Sporting) (01:07:52.8); 3. Abin Rai / Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (01:08:34.1).
INRC 3T (Turbo): 1. C Ramcharan / Vignesh Mahalingam (01:14:40.1).
Women INRC: 1. Tarushi Vikram / Vybhav Mukund Rao (01:11:51.0).
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Hyderabad star Stephen Rogers dominates 4W Drag Championship Round 1 & 2
Bengaluru, 21 April 2025: Hyderabad ace, Stephen Jyothi Rogers Pachigalla started his campaign in the Fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2025 (4-wheeler) with a grand triple crown in the premier Unrestricted class, besides setting a National record, as he topped the category in both first and second rounds held at the Taneja Aerospace, Hosur, last weekendย (April 18-20).
In the three-day event, promoted and organized by Speedway Motorsports and Vroom Motorsports, Pachigalla, driving an Audi R8 in the premier Unrestricted class, aced the highly competitive field, clocking 09.635 seconds for the 402-metre dash in Round 1 on Friday and improving it to 08.948 seconds in Round-2 on Sunday and setting a new National record in the process.
Pachigalla further underlined his status by winning the Indian Open M3 (Unlimited) category race on Sunday by clocking 08.955 seconds.
Later, in the Vroom Drag Meet, a support event, Pachigalla clocked 08.849 seconds to better the National record he had set earlier.
Meanwhile, veteran Vidyaprakash Damondaran from Coimbatore, the oldest participant at 80 years of age, and driving an Audi TT, remained unbeaten in the Pro-Stock 3061cc โ 4002cc class across both rounds.
The massive crowd was treated to exciting fare as Bengaluruโs Shreyas Mahendra won in three categories โ Pro-Stock 2051-2550c cc, Indian Open M1 and M2 โ in Round-1.
There were separate categories for petrol and diesel vehicles besides the Indian Open that was open to vehicles powered by either fuel.
Provisional results (winners only):
ROUND-1:
PETROL โ Unrestricted (N1): Stephen Jyothi Rogers Pachigalla (09.635secs). Pro-Stock K2 (1151cc โ 1450cc): Narayan Swamy (15.483s). PS K3 (1451cc โ 1650cc): Shaik Hussain Pasha (17.241s). PS K4 (1651cc โ 2050cc): Thrishal M.S (15.545s). PS K5 (2051cc โ 2550cc): Shreyas Mahendra (13.618). PS K7 (3061cc โ 4002cc): Vidyaprakash Damodaran (13.351s). PS K8 (4003cc โ 5100cc): Karthik KV (10.315s).
DIESEL – PS L4 (1651cc-2050cc): Naveen Reddy Kesara (13.749s). PS L6 (2551cc-3060cc): Aakash Durai (12.571s).
Indian Open M1 (Upto 2750cc): Shreyas Mahendra (12.963s). Indian Open M2 (Upto 4002cc): Shreyas Mahendra (13.259s). Indian Open M3 (Unlimited): Yajur Miglani (10.656s).
ROUND-2:
PETROL โ Unrestricted (N1): Stephen Jyothi Rogers Pachigalla (08.948s). PS K2 (1151cc โ 1450cc): Narayan Swamy (14.880s). PS K3 (1451cc โ 1650cc): Vinay SM (15.036s). PS K4 (1651cc โ 2050cc): Thrishal M.S (15.790s). PS K5 (2051cc โ 2550cc): Vijay Raju (13.846s). PS K7 (3061cc โ 4002cc): Vidyaprakash Damodaran (13.830s). PS K8 (4003cc โ 5100cc): Karthik KV (10.230).
DIESEL โ PS L4 (1651cc-2050cc): Naveen Reddy Kesara (13.624s). PS L6 (2551cc-3060cc): Aakash Durai (12.415).
Indian Open M1 (Upto 2750cc): Vijay Raju (14.195s). Indian Open M2 (Upto 4002cc): Vidyaprakash Damodaran (13.236s). Indian Open M3 (Unlimited): Stephen Jyothi Rogers Pachigalla (08.955s).
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Slideways Industries Gears Up for South India Rally; Reigning champ Shroff to miss Ro1
By Aniruddha Rangnekar
Pune, 21 April 2025: With over a decade of relentless passion and performance, Team Slideways Industries returns to the Blueband Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for the 2025 season, ready to take on the dust, speed, and competition. Based in Pune and proudly backed by the Pinnacle Group, Slideways Industries has grown into a household name in Indian motorsport, known for its consistency, innovation, and champion pedigree.
The team will be fielding two cars for the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally, the opening round of the Blueband 2025 INRC season, set to take place in Chennai. Despite the absence of key drivers Daraius Shroff, Aniruddha Rangnekar, and Shivani Parmarโall sitting out this round due to personal commitmentsโSlideways is raring to go with a dynamic new lineup.
A Global Touch and a Youthful Spark
Adding an international flair to the rally is the Singapore-based husband-wife duo, Raguvaran V and Amanda Chew Jia Ying. The pair brings global experience and enthusiasm to the INRC, making them the only international entry in this edition of the rally.
Alongside them, promising young talent Tarushi Vikram from Chikkamagaluru will be piloting the second Slideways car, showcasing the teamโs commitment to nurturing new talent in Indian motorsport. Both entries are part of Slidewaysโ highly acclaimed Arrive & Drive programme in the INRC3 category.
Revolutionising Grassroots Rallying
Slideways Industries has been a pioneer of the Arrive & Drive format in India, offering aspiring racers a seamless entry into professional rallying. Under this program, the team handles everythingโfrom logistics, testing, and car prep to full service supportโso that drivers can focus solely on what they do best: driving. Itโs a one-of-a-kind initiative that has opened doors for both young hopefuls and motorsport enthusiasts to experience the thrill of INRC.
A Legacy of Champions
Over the years, Slideways Industries has built an enviable legacy. Their 2024 INRC3 Drivers Championship win with Mumbai’s Daraius Shroff is just one of the many accolades to their name. The team has also collaborated closely with Gaurav Gill, Indiaโs only Arjuna Awardee in motorsport and multiple Asia Pacific Rally Champion.
Their long-standing partnership with the Gaurav Gill Advanced Driving Academy further strengthens their grassroots impact, with Slideways drivers doubling up as instructors to groom the next generation of Indian rally stars.
Legends Behind the Wheel
Slideways has had some iconic names behind the wheel of their machines, including Karamjit Singh, the legendary multiple Asia Pacific Rally Champion, and Vikram Mathias, a stalwart of Indian rallying. These associations not only speak volumes about the teamโs engineering prowess but also about their stature within the motorsport community.
As the engines rev and the dust begins to rise in Chennai, Team Slideways Industries stands poised yet again to inspire, compete, and win. Watch this space as one of Indiaโs most-loved rally teams hits the ground running in the 2025 INRC season!
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To SIR with love: From Singapore Streets to South India Stages – Meet Rallyโs Newest Couple
CHENNAI, 21 April 2025: When you think of Singapore, you think of skyscrapers, spotless streets, and Formula 1’s Marina Bay Circuit. You donโt think of gravel roads, rally-spec cars, or jungle trails. But for husband-and-wife duo Raguvaran and Amanda, rallying is more than just motorsportโitโs a shared dream that’s defied borders, convention, and even geography.
This weekend, the duo will be making their competitive debut at the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally, the opening round of the Blueband 2025 Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), representing Puneโs formidable Slideways Industries team. Theyโre the only international team on the entry listโand their journey here is as heartwarming as remarkable.
A Rally Dream Born on an Island Without Rallies
Singapore is a bustling city-state barely 49 km wide, where every inch of land is spoken for. Rallying there? Practically impossible. โThere were no rally events. Just no space,โ says Amanda, who caught the rally bug long before she ever got behind the wheel. โBut I always dreamed of co-driving.โ
After marrying Ragu, a motorsport volunteer since 2012 with some single-seater driving experience, the couple decided to give rallying a serious shot. โAmanda had this undying interest in rallies,โ Ragu smiles. โSo I said, โLetโs go for itโโthough I did hit pause when I saw what we were getting into at first!โ
Slideways Industries: The Launchpad
Their rally aspirations began to take shape when they connected with Slideways Industries, one of Indiaโs most respected rally outfits. With over a decade in the sport and a reputation for nurturing talent through its arrive-and-drive programme, the team gave Amanda and Ragu just what they needed: a fully-prepped rally car, professional training, and logistical support. โAll we had to do was show up and drive,โ Amanda laughs.
Slideways has previously fielded legends like Gaurav Gill, Karamjit Singh, and Vikram Mathias, and helped produce champions like Daraius Shroff, the 2024 INRC3 titleholder. Now, theyโre backing a team thatโs perhaps their most unique yetโRagama Racing, a name inspired by the coupleโs bond (Rag-u and Ama-nda).
From Organisers to Racers
Before they strapped into rally suits, Amanda and Ragu spent years on the other side of the barrier. They volunteered, managed events, and served in key positions at Singaporeโs motorsport events. In 2017, their paths converged again as friends, which turned to romance in 2022, and soon enough, a motorsport partnership for life.
The Road to South India Rally
Their official rally debut comes after just a single testing session last week in Coimbatore. โWe only just sat in a rally car for the first time,โ Amanda admits. But theyโre undeterred. โOur goal is simple: finish the rally, have fun, and make friends.โ
As temperatures soar in Chennai, the coupleโs biggest challenge might just be the Indian summer. But spirits are high. โThis is a dream come true for us,โ says Ragu. โIโm particularly stoked for Amanda. Sheโs been building up to this moment for much longer than I have.โ
A Rally Debut Unlike Any Other
Amanda will co-drive, calling the shots from the navigatorโs seat, while Ragu takes the wheel. Itโs a trial by fire in one of the INRCโs toughest events, but itโs also the kind of story that reminds fans why they fell in love with motorsport in the first place.
So, if you find yourself at the service park this weekend, look for the couple with matching helmets, mismatched gloves, and big grins of โRagama Racing.โ Stop by. Say hi. Theyโll likely be more excited to meet you than you are to meet them.
Amanda and Ragu would like to give a shout-out to those who have assisted their journey: โThis would not have been possible if not for the help of our good friend and world-renowned professional co-driver, Dale Moscatt, and Aniruddha of Slideways Industries. Each of them contributed significantly to getting us well prepared for this event.โ
For Amanda and Ragu,ย this isnโt just a rallyโitโs the start of something incredible.ย As their team name denotes, it’s music on four wheels!
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Oscar Piastri wins in Jeddah to take title lead as Verstappen penalised: F1
Jeddah, 20 April 2025: McLarenโs Oscar Piastri took a composed Saudi Arabian Grand Prix win to take the lead of the Formula 1 Driversโ Championship after a first corner tussle with Max Verstappen resulted in the Red Bull driver being handed a time penalty that eventually dropped him to second behind the Australian.ย
At the start of the race, Verstappen got away well from pole, but on the other side of the front row Piastriโs reactions were marginally quicker. On the run to Turn 1 the McLaren driver nosed ahead of the Red Bull driver on the inside and in Turn Verstappen was forced to cut the corner. The Dutchman continued in the lead, however.
Further back in the pack, Yuki Tusnoda, in the other Red Bull, had Pierre Gasly on his right-hand side and as the pair went into a corner there was contact. Both drivers spun into the wall and while Gasly sustained heavy damage Tsunoda was able to limp back to the pits where the damage was judged to be too great and get retired.
The Safety Car was deployed and during the caution, the Race Stewards ruled that Verstappen had left the track and gained an advantage at the start and he was handed a five-second time penalty.
The Dutchman controlled the lap 8 restart well and he quickly built a one-second lead over Piastri, with Russell third ahead of Leclerc and Mercedesโ Kimi Antonelli. Ferrariโs Lewis Hamilton was sixth. McLarenโs Lando Norris, who had started in tenth on Hard tyres, had risen to eighth after the lap one incident and after the restart muscled his way past Williamsโ Carlos Sainz to take P7.
He then set about was tussling with Hamilton and after twice getting past the Ferrari driver only to be passed again on the pit straight, the Briton at last chose to bide his time and on Lap 15 he held back ahead of the final corner, got DRS, and finally dismissed the seven-time champion. The McLaren driver then began to close up to Antonelli and on lap 18 he powered past the Italian to claim fifth place.
At the front, Verstappen began to pull away from Piastri and by lap 19 he had carved out a three-second gap to the Australian as the pit window opened. On lap 20 Piastri blinked. He dived into the pits to take on Hard tyres and emerged behind Hamilton. Verstappen though stayed out, with his race engineer urging him to keep his good pace going.
At the end of lap 21, the Dutchman made his stop. But after serving his time penalty and bolting on a set of Hard tyres he exited the pit lane three seconds behind Piastri. The Australian then began to post fastest laps to build the gap to over four seconds. At the front, Leclerc, on aged Mediums, now led the race, with Norris, on starting Hard tyres and still setting competitive times, in P2.
Leclerc finally decided heโd had enough of his tyres at the end of lap 29 and after switching to Hard tyres he rejoined in fifth place, behind Russell. Norris finally made his pit stop at the end of lap 34 and after fitting a set of Mediums, he dropped into fifth place, behind Leclerc.
Their stops propelled Piastri back to the lead, 4.5s ahead of Verstappen who was 6.5s clear of Russell. Leclerc was on the move, though, and with fresh Hard tyres on board he quickly reeled in Russell. On lap 38 he closed right up to the Mercedes and powered past on the pit straight to claim the final podium place. Russell, struggling for pace, was then reeled in by Norris who eased past under DRS to take fourth place.
And though the McLaren driver tried to close on Leclerc, the order at the top stabilised and after 50 laps Piastri took victory just 2.8s ahead of Verstappen. Leclerc hung on to third ahead of Norris with Russell in fifth. Antonelli took sixth in the second Mercedes with Hamilton in P7 ahead of Sainz and Alex Albon who handed Williams a double points finish. Racing Bullsโ Isack Hadjar took the final point with tenth place
2025 FIA Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix โ Race
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:21’06.758
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:21’09.601 2.843
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 50 1:21’14.862 8.104
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:21’15.954 9.196
5 George Russell Mercedes 50 1:21’33.994 27.236
6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 50 1:21’41.446 34.688
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 50 1:21’45.831 39.073
8 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 50 1:22’11.388 1’04.630
9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 50 1:22’13.273 1’06.515
10 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 50 1:22’13.849 1’07.091
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:22’22.675 1’15.917
12 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 50 1:22’25.209 1’18.451
13 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 50 1:22’25.952 1’19.194
14 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 50 1:22’46.481 1’39.723
15 Nico Hรผlkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 49 1:21’11.367 1 lap /4.609
16 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 49 1:21’12.285 1 lap /5.527
17 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 49 1:21’26.022 1 lap /19.264
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 49 1:21’26.064 1 lap /19.306
Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1 2’45.662 Accident damage
Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 0 – Accident.
