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Balasubramaniam wins support race; Rain forces postponement of other races
Chennai, Sept 17: The races in the top classes for Super bikes failed to take off as rain played spoilsport and the remaining four races for Sunday were put off. The second round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2023 which was truncated to just five races besides a few practice runs due to incessant rains at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.
The only race completed on Sunday was the Support Race, 165cc to 225cc class, which was won by local rider Balasubramaniam R. He clocked 14.054 seconds, beating city mate Badusha M (14.484s). Madhan Kumar R from Trichy clocked 15.037s to take the third spot.
A rider in action at the MIC on Sunday (It is not Madhan, as originally captioned, regret error.) Photo by Karan Ravi Hemanth Muddappa, Saimon Dalvi, Md Riyaz and others who were eager to ply their superbikes were disappointed and had to return without a single session. The third and fourth round will be held together in December.
Results:
Support Race – 165-225cc: 1. Balasubramaniam R (Chennai) (14.054s); 2. Badusha M (Chennai) (14.484s); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Trichy) (15.037s).
Balasubramaniam, centre, won the race. Photo by Sathya M Rain photo by INDIAinF1’s photo adviser Srinivasa Krishnan Drag Races at Madras International Circuit put off due to rain. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan. -
Carlos Sainz wins, breaks the RedBull win streak: Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore, 17 Sept. 2023: Carlos Sainz took a well worked Sinagpore Grand Prix to end Red Bull Racing’s 15-race winning streak, with the Ferrari driver beating Lando Norris to the flag as the leading pair held of a late-race Mercedes charge that left Lewis Hamilton with third place following a final-lap crash for George Russell. Championship leader Max Verstappen was forced to settle for fifth place at the flag.
At the start, Sainz led from pole, while Ferrari team-mate Leclerc, starting from third on the the grid, got a good start on Soft tyres to steal P2 from Russell as they went into Turn 1. Behind the top three, Norris held fourth place on the approach to Turn 1, but behind him Hamilton launched an overambitious attack from P5 and he cut the corner, emerging in third behind the Ferraris. The Briton soon handed the places back.
Further back, Verstappen, starting on Hard tyres, was soon up to P10 after AlhaTauri’s Liam Lawson dropped back to 12th at the start and he then passed the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, to move to eighth place by the start of lap 7.
Sainz, meanwhile, was controlling the race well. On lap 10, the Spaniard led team-mate Leclerc by 1.3s, with Russell a further 1.5s behind in third place. Norris held fourth ahead of Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, while Esteban Ocon in seventh was coming under pressure from Max who was just 0.8s behind.
The race now became a tactical battle ahead of the first pit stop window, with the Ferrari drivers lapping slowly to protect their tyres and bunching the field behind. And with no real gaps to drop into the benefit of an undercut was diminished.
The stalemate was broken on lap 20 when Williams’ Logan Sargent lost control in Turn 8 and hit the barriers. He was able to get going but with his front wing trapped under his car, debris began to break off and as the American made it back to the pit lane, the Safety Car was deployed.
The top seven cars all immediately dived into the pits. The hadr-tyre shod Red Bulls stayed out and when Sainz emerged in the lead, Verstappen was in P2, ahead of Russell, with Peerez in P4, ahead of Norris and Leclerc who had lost time and position during the pit stops when he was held in his box because of traffic.
The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 22 and Sainz controlled the re-start well to keep Verstappen at bay. The Red Bull drivers were only flirting with the top spots, however, and over the course of the following laps their aged Hard tyres began to fade badly and they fell back to the lower half of the top 10.
At half distance, Sainz led Russell by just 0.8 seconds with Norris 0.7s further back. Hamilton was right on the McLaren driver’s tail, while Leclerc was two seconds behind the second Mercedes.
Pérez made his sole pit stop at the end of lap 39, followed on the next lap by Verstappen. They rejoined with Verstappen in P15 and Pérez two places further back.
On lap 43, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon lost power and pulled over at close to the pit exit, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Williams’ Alex Albon and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu both headed for the pits, as did Russell and Hamilton, Mercedes stacking their pit stop and gambling on having greater pace than the cars ahead in the final stages.
On lap 52, Sainz led Norris by 1.4s, with Leclerc almost five seconds behind the McLaren. Following their stop under the VSC, Russell, lapping over a second quicker than Leclerc was just 1.2 seconds behind the Monegasque driver, with Hamilton just behind. And on lap 54 the Mercedes drivers pounced, both powering past Leclerc who was defenceless on much older Hard tyres.
With pace in abundance the Mercedes pair began to close in on Norris and Sainz, but the lead Ferrari driver was alive to the threat and he cleverly allowed Norris to stay within DRS range to boost the McLaren driver’s chances against Russell.
Russell’s patience and precision ran out of the final lap. The Englishman closed up to Norris but when the McLaren driver clipped the wall, the Mercedes man followed his line too closely and hit the wall harder. He arrowed off track and up an escape road in a shower of sparks, his race over.
And a few hundred metres later, having nursed his tyres through each stint and driven a smart, tactically astute race, Sainz crossed the line to take his second grand prix win ahead of Norris and Hamilton.
Leclerc was left with fourth place, but behind him Red Bull staged a late race recovery that saw Verstappen rise from 15th after his pit stop to fifth at the flag ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Pérez, went on a charge, muscling through to P8, though the Mexican driver was summoned to the stewards after the race after appearing to elbow Albon off track as he moved through the order. Lawson took two well-earned points for AlphaTauri and the final point on offer went to Magnussen.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix – Race
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 62 1:46’37.418
2 Lando Norris McLaren 62 1:46’38.230 0.812
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 62 1:46’38.687 1.269
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 62 1:46’58.595 21.177
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 62 1:46’58.859 21.441
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine 62 1:47’15.859 38.441
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren 62 1:47’18.897 41.479
8 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 62 1:47’31.952 54.534
9 Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 62 –
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas 62 –
11 Alexander Albon Williams 62 –
12 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 62 –
13 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 62 –
14 Logan Sargeant Williams 62 –
15 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 62 –
16 George Russell Mercedes 61 – Accident
Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 51 – Retirement
Esteban Ocon Alpine 42 – Retirement
Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 0 – Accident damage
Lance Stroll Aston Martin 0 – Withdrawn -
Rivaan Dev Preetham bounces back and dominates Round 3
Bengaluru, 17 Sept. 2023: Ten-year-old talented driver Rivaan Dev Preetham bounced back with vengeance and won both the final and pre-final races of the Micro Max category in the Round 3 of the Meco fmsci Rotax Max National Karting Championship which concluded at the Meco Kartopia here on Saturday.
Rivaan Dev Preetham, springs back into contention in Micro Max class with a dominant show.
INDIAinF1.com Photo by Rahul ReghuRivaan Dev, son of former champion, Preetham Moses, was at his best clocking the fastest laps in both the races. Earlier in the qualifying session he also set a record of sort for the Micro Max category dipping under a minute, when he posted a stunning 59.478. His blistering pace in the qualies led both Danish Dalmiya and Rehan Khan too, to go under the 60-sec mark but in the races Rivaan is the only driver to clock under a minute. Six of his laps in the final were under the magic mark. After dominating the first round, Rivaan had an incident and lost a lot of points. Now, he is trailing by one point in second place in the championship table.
In the Finals of the Micro Max, Zephaan Ardeshir kept his Mumbai mate Danish Dalmiya behind to take the second spot and in the pre-final too he finished second but it was second round hero Yatharth Gaur of Faridabad, who came third.
In the Junior class, Ishaan Madesh saw a rare defeat an eventful pre-finals which was reduced to 11 laps after an incident. Hunner Singh of Gurugram came first and defending champion Nikhilesh Raju of Bengaluru came second in both races but in the final he docked a 10-sec penalty for ignoring yellow flags and lost the podium. Ishaan brought normalcy back winning the Final and Aarav Dewan of Gurugram who finished third behind Raju, moved up to second and Hunner came third. Raju clocked the best times in both the races.
In the Senior Max races, reigning champion Abhay M of Bengaluru won the final after losing the pre-final, where he redeemed a third place. Arjun Chheda of Pune won the pre-final and came second in the 16-lap final. Raiden Samervel of Mumbai was third in the final. Abhay clocked the fastest laps in both the races.
Round 3 was held on Friday and Saturday. Round 4 of the five round Karting Nationals will be held from October 20 to 22.
The results:
Senior Max – Final (16 laps): 1. Abhay M (Bengaluru, Birel Art India) (14mins, 51.497secs); 2. Arjun Chheda (Pune, Crest Motorsport) (14:53.072); 3. Raiden Samarvel (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (14:58.639). Best lap: Abhay 55.029.
Pre-Final (14 laps): 1. Arjun Chheda (12:53.488); 2. Veer Rajwade (Pune, Crest Motorsport) (12:58.030); 3. Abhay M (12:58.199). Best lap: Abhay 54.894.
Junior Max – Final (14 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13mins, 04.584secs); 2. Aarav Dewan (Gurugram, Leapfrog Racing) (13:06.267); 3. Hunner Singh (Gurugram, Birel Art India) (13:07.561). Best lap: Nikhilesh 55.153.
Pre-Final (11 laps): 1. Hunnder Singh (11:30.527); 2. NikhileshRaju (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (11:31.066); 3. Aarav Dewan (11:31.296). Best lap: Nikhilesh 55.005.
Micro Max – Final (12 laps): 1. RivaanDevPreetham (Chennai, MSport) (12:05.803); 2. ZephaanArdeshir (Mumbai, Peregrine Racing) (12:10.589); 3. Danish Dalmiya (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (12:13.488). Best Lap: Rivaan 59.766.
Pre-Final (10 laps): RivaanPreetham (10:11.977); 2. ZephaanArdeshir (10:19.948); 3. DarshNawalgaria (Bengaluru, MSport) (10:20.364). Best Lap: Rivaan 59.944.
(Results were updated with the official final results on 17 Sept. 2023)
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Md Arfath, fastest rider on Day 1; Jagathishree wins girls’ race
Chennai, Sept. 16: Mohammed Arfath became the fastest rider on Day 1 in the second round of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Drag Championship at the Madras International Circuit (MIC) here on Saturday.
Arfath, won the Super Sport 2-stroke 131cc to 165cc class and also bagged two more podium places on Saturday. Mohammed Fazil won the Super Sport Indian 4-stroke upto 165cc class and Abdul Shaik claimed the Super Sport 2-stroke upto 130cc class. All the three riders are from Team G1Racing and their bikes are tuned by Waseem Akram.
Mohammed Arfath, fastest rider In the Girls 4-stroke upto 165cc event, Jagathishree beat defending champion Lani Zena Fernandes to win the class.
“I am happy with the race. It is a big confidence booster for the upcoming Nationals. Want to come back stronger after a forgettable Round 2 and 3. I was recovering after a bad chicken pox attack. But having finished in the top-5 among 36 male riders in Nationals stock category as the only girl, I am looking forward to the next Sunday,” said Jagathishree.
Muddappa raring to go
Ten-time Indian National champion, Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing will begin his campaign on Muddappa holds both the National records in ‘851 to 1050cc class’ and the ‘1051cc and above class’ which he bettered last season. Apart from these two classes, he will take part in the 550-850cc class, and re-introduced Unrestricted Open category. The 851 to 1050cc class is now a support category and will not count for the National championship.
On Sunday, the top four classes will be held. “We started well in the first round and we are well prepared as we aim to go for three National titles this year,” said a confident Muddappa of Mantra Racing team.
Saturday’s Provisional Results (Roud 2):
Girls 4-stroke upto 165cc: 1 Jagthishree 16.650 seconds; 2. Lani Zena Fernandes16.920; 3. Soundari A 16.949;
Super Sport 2-stroke upto 130cc: 1. Abdul Shaik 13.438; 2. Mohammed Arfath13.715; 3. R Sirajuddin 14.140;
Super Sport 2-stroke 131 to 165cc: 1. Mohammed Arfath 13.187; 2. Mustafa Siraj Khan 13.268; 3. Abdul Shaik 13.283;
Super Sport Indian 4-stroke upto 165cc: 1. Mohammed Fazil 14.327;2. Aravind Ganesh 14.335; 3. Mohammed Arfath 14.482.
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Carlos Sainz takes pole followed by George Russell: Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore, 16 Sept. 2023: In a close-fought qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, beating Mercedes’ George Russell and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc as championship leader Max Verstappen and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez were dumped out in Q2.
In the final runs of Q3, Sainz and Leclerc looked to have handed Ferrari a front-row lockout, with Sainz, on a 1:30.984, 0.079s ahead of his team-mate but Russell, one of the last on track at the end of a dramatic session put in a lap of 1:31.056 to edge ahead of Leclerc by just seven thousandths of a second and take a first front-row place since the Australian Grand Prix.
McLaren’s Lando Norris took fourth place in the session, just under three tenths off the pace, with Lewis Hamilton fifth in the second Mercedes. Kevin Magnussen handed Haas a positive result with sixth place while Fernando Alonso out Aston Martin seventh, after the Silverstone-based team had earlier seen Lance Stroll crash heavily at the end of Q1. Esteban Ocon was eight for Alpine ahead of Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg and the final top-10 spot was taken by AlphaTauri’s impressive Liam Lawson.
There was no place in the top-10 shootout for either Red Bull, however. Max Verstappen endured a torrid session, struggling for grip throughout and branding his RB19 “shocking’ after Lawson beat him to P10 by the tiny margin of 0.007s. The Dutchman’s misery was compounded by being placed under investigation for two separate incidents, first for apparently impeding in the pit lane during Q1 and then for a possible block of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda during the middle segment.
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Pérez was also ruled out at the end of Q2 with the Mexican driver spinning late in the session and qualifying in P13 behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Alex Albon qualified 14th for Williams, while Tsunoda ended the night in 15the place.
Earlier at the end of Q1 Stroll brought out the red flags when he crashed heavily at the final corner while attempting to drag himself out of the drop zone as the track rapidly improved at the end of the session.
Tsunoda had hauled himself to an unlikely P1 with Pérez climbing to P2 ahead of Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg and it looked like progress to the next segment would in part be defined by when drivers crossed the line. That led to queuing at the end of prep laps and Race Officials indicated that the potentially dangerous traffic jam would also be looked at after the session.
Stroll’s crash meant that Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was knocked out in P16 ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu in P19 in the second Alfa. The unfortunate but uninjured Stroll qualified in 20th place.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:30.984 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:31.056 0.072
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.063 0.079
4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:31.270 0.286
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.485 0.501
6 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:31.575 0.591
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:31.615 0.631
8 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:31.673 0.689
9 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 1:31.808 0.824
10 Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 1:32.268 1.284
11 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:32.173 1.189
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:32.274 1.290
13 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:32.310 1.326
14 Alexander Albon Williams 1:33.719 2.735
15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri – – –
16 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:32.809 1.825
17 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:32.902 1.918
18 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:33.252 2.268
19 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:33.258 2.274
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:33.397 2.413
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Carlos Sainz tops timesheets in FP2: Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore, 15 Sept. 2023: Carlos Sainz topped the timesheet in the second practice for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, beating Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc by juts 0.018s as Max Verstappen finished in eighth place.
It was Sainz who set the session’s early benchmark, with the Spanish driver posting a lap of 1:34.150 on Medium-compound Pirelli tyres, but as the clicked towards the 10-minute mark that time was beaten by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who took top spot with a lap of 1:33.964. Sainz was soon back on top, however, with a lap of 1:33.303, before making another improvement at the quarter mark to 1:33.213, with Alonso back in P2.
With almost a third of the session gone, Yuki Tsunoda, in a heavily revised AlphaTauri, jumped to second place with a lap of 1:33.483, but further back there was little joy for world champion Max Verstappen with the Dutchman languishing in ninth place and grumbling over the radio about the poor balance of his car before pitting for adjustments.
Leclerc was much more comfortable on the streets of Marina Bay and the Monegasque driver reclaimed top spot just before the 20-minute mark with a medium-tyre lap of 1:32.974, 0.239s quicker than Sainz in second.
A lull followed as teams prepped for quali sims, with Sainz one of the first on track on Soft tyres, followed soon after by Leclerc. And in their intra-team duel, it was Sainz who came out on top with a 1:32.120s, just 0.018s ahead of his team-mate as Alonso slotted into third ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson.
Hamilton then emerged and took P3 from Alonso, while George Russell sandwiched the Aston Martin driver by taking fifth place.
After a long spell in the Red Bull garage for set-up changes, Verstappen eventually emerged at the halfway mark but he only managed the sixth quickest time, a sizeable 0.732s behind Sainz. Alonso then improved to third, although the Aston Martin driver was still 0.358s behind Sainz.
Like his team-mate Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez was also struggling with his RB19 and after the Mexican’s first attempt on Softs put him eighth and more than 0.8s off the pace he told his engineer that it “was just not coming” and that the rear end of his car was stepping out “massively”.
With 20 minutes left Russell moved to third and that brought to an end any major improvements on soft tyres, with the bulk of the field moving to harder compounds for the remainder of the session.
Elsewhere, there was trouble for Alex Albon. Having set his fastest lap on the hard tyre, a power unit issue after five laps ensured Williams driver could not make a quali run.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:32.120 26 193.052
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:32.138 0.018 27 193.014
3 George Russell Mercedes 1:32.355 0.235 25 192.561
4 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:32.478 0.358 25 192.305
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:32.585 0.465 23 192.082
6 Lando Norris McLaren 1:32.711 0.591 23 191.821
7 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:32.812 0.692 23 191.613
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:32.852 0.732 23 191.530
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:33.017 0.897 25 191.190
10 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:33.105 0.985 24 191.010
11 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:33.139 1.019 22 190.940
12 Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 1:33.285 1.165 27 190.641
13 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:33.361 1.241 25 190.486
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:33.390 1.270 25 190.427
15 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:33.461 1.341 23 190.282
16 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:33.477 1.357 27 190.250
17 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:33.575 1.455 25 190.050
18 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.824 1.704 24 189.546
19 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:34.327 2.207 28 188.535
20 Alexander Albon Williams 1:35.558 3.438 5 186.106 -
Indian Oil roped in as title sponsor for MotoGP Indian GP
National, 15 Sept. 2023: MotoGP Bharat has roped in IndianOil, the country’s leading diversified, integrated energy major as title sponsor for India’s first-ever MotoGP Grand Prix scheduled to take place at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida from September 22 to 24.
Organized by FairStreet Sports in collaboration with Dorna Sports, the MotoGP Bharat promises to be a thrilling spectacle with 41 teams and 82 riders participating in the MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 categories, featuring renowned names like Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Brad Binder, Jack Miller, and Jorge Martin. With IndianOil as its title sponsor, the race is poised to reach even greater heights, igniting the passion and growth for motorsports across the nation.
Pushkar Nath Srivastava, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of FairStreet Sport, the promoters of MotoGP Bharat said: “We are thrilled to welcome IndianOil as our title sponsor for MotoGP™ Bharat. As we gear up for the country’s biggest racing event, this association with one of India’s energy giants adds a new layer of excitement to it. This association is a testament to IndianOil’s commitment to supporting sporting excellence in India and we believe that it will accelerate the growth of motorcycle racing in the country.”
Having established its presence in almost all the streams of oil, gas, petrochemicals, and alternative energy sources in the country, IndianOil stands as the nation’s highest-ranked Energy-PSU in the Fortune 500 of 2023. The brand has a rich legacy of championing various sports and tournaments and its association with MotoGP™ Bharat exemplifies its commitment to create a thriving sporting culture in India.
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KY Ahamed gets wild card to race in front of home fans at the BIC in Moto3 class
Bengaluru, 12 Sept. 2023: Multiple National champion KY Ahamed of Chennai is all set to make his debut in the MotoGP of India at the Buddh International Circuit from September 22 to 24. Ahamad will become the first Indian to race in the Moto3 class, according to information received here tonight.
However, S Sarath Kumar, another rider from Chennai, became the first Indian to race in the 125cc class in 2011, racing for the WTR Ten10 Racing Team.
KY Ahamed, the Petronas TVS racing star is given a wild card to take part in Moto3 race, according to MotoGP news.
This historic Indian Grand Prix will be made even more special for Indian fans as the local rider Kadai Yaseen Ahamed will compete alongside Malaysian Shahril Danial Syahmi as a wildcard for the Petronas MIE Racing Vision Track Racing team in the Moto3 category. The duo will be riding the Honda NSF250R.
“I am excited and thrilled to hear this wonderful news. It is a life-time opportunity to ride in Moto3, that too in front of my home crowd. It is the best news in my life. I thank Petronal TVS Rcing and MIE Racing Vision Track Racing team for this opportunity. I will try and give my best and I thank all my sponsors, family and supporters,” said KY Ahamed. “My special thanks are to fmsci and Madras Motor Sports Club, where I honed my skills. And finally with my mentor Jagan, I would not have reached this stage,” acknowledged Ahamed.
“When I started training him in 2012, the only goal is to ultimately take part in the World championship. It was delayed a bit but now we realised our dream. We were very much focused and trained hard for years, it didn’t happen all of a sudden. He came through a long process to achieve this. It’s a delight and really a Proud movement for me that a kid alongside me is now on the World Motorcycle Championship grid. Thanks to all who helped us through the whole journey,” said Jagan Kumar, Ahamad’s mentor and 10-time Indian National champion. “Congratulation Bhai, make our country proud,” he added.
Petronas and MIE Racing are once again proud to be able to bring two young athletes to the world stage, part of an effort to promote and publicise the values of motorsport such as dedication, passion and the continual pursuit of excellence, both human and technological.
The 21-year-old Shahril Danial Syahmi from Parit Buntar, Perak, Malaysia will be competing in the Moto3™ World Championship for the second time, following his debut in the category earlier this year during the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Malaysian raced for the MTHelmets – MSI Team as a replacement for compatriot Syarifuddin Azman, who sustained an injury at Mugello. Having competed in the Asia Talent Cup and Asia Road Racing Championship in recent years, in 2023 Danial is on track in both the FIM JuniorGP World Championship and the Red Bull Rookies Cup.
26-year-old K.Y. Ahamed from Chennai, India was crowned 2020 Indian National Champion in the Pro-Stock 400 class. Ahamed also has experience in other championships such as the Thailand Superbike 400 series and the Asia Cup Japan. 2023 sees the Indian compete in the Asia Road Racing Championship aboard the TVS Racing Team’s TVS RR310 OMC.
Midori Moriwaki: “I’m proud to collaborate with PETRONAS on another project designed to support young athletes, and to be able to do so on what is a very special occasion, as MotoGP makes its debut in India. This will be a real challenge, but it is one that we are ready to take on with passion and enthusiasm because it perfectly embodies the values that MIE Racing holds and bases its activities on.”
PETRONAS Senior General Manager of Group Strategic Relations and Communications, Datin Anita Azrina Abdul Aziz: “This collaboration with Midori is yet another platform for PETRONAS to contribute towards the development of the next generation of Malaysian talents in the two-wheels segment. This is also an opportunity for us to commercially elevate the PETRONAS brand in India as well as push the advancement of our fluid technology in motorsports, particularly within the FIM Grand Prix World Championship arena.”
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10 days to go: MotoGP India all set to produce top speeds
New Delhi, 12 Sept. 2023: The excitement is building up as the inaugural MotoGP Bharat is just about 10 days away and motorsport fans across the globe are waiting with bated breaths to witness the race at the track that hosted three Formula One races about a decade ago.
The MotoGP Bharat will be held at the Buddh International Circuit in Gautam Buddh Nagar from September 22-24. The homologation process has been completed and certain modifications have been made to make it suitable for mototrycle racing.
However, one of the most exciting prospects is that the top speed could touch 370 Kmph. This year, Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM set the high-speed record at 366.1 Kmph. This new expected top speed of 370 Kmph is due to the long back straight, measuring 1006 metres. This straight stretch is divided into two parts – the first segment is downhill, that will allow the riders to achieve maximum acceleration, while the latter part, which is uphill, will enable them to brake late and maintain top speed.
Amit Sandill, Director Racing, Fairstreet Sports, said, “MotoGP Bharat is poised to redefine speed in the world of motorcycle racing. The Buddh International Circuit has undergone remarkable modifications, and it will be breathtaking to see the riders achieve mind boggling speeds.”
The parabola or the stadium section at turns 9 and 10, is the perfect camber for riders to slingshot out of the turns and permits them to push their bikes to the limit. The track’s surface gives exceptional grip to the tyres, offering riders complete control over their machines. Meanwhile, safety measures have been bolstered with the installation of 1800 metres of new safety barricading.
Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer of Dorna Sports, added, “The changes made to the Buddh International Circuit are truly remarkable. This track now stands witness to India’s commitment to hosting world-class motorsport events. We believe the circuit has the potential to register speed that could rewrite the MotoGP record books.”
With a track that is flowing, fast, and includes 13 challenging turns (8 right and 5 left), the race promises to be full of action.
Some of the biggest names from the racing world including Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati, Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda Team, Marco Bezzecchi of Mooney, Brad Binder and Jack Miller of Red Bull KTM, Jorge Martin of Prima among others, will participate in the race.
Currently, Ducati’s Bagnaia leads the championship standings.
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Harith Noah claims victory in B1 class at TransAnatolia rally, finishes Overall 4th
Imzir (Tureky), 11 Sept. 2023: Imzir (Turkey), 11 Sept. 2023: Dakar rider from TVS Factory Racing Team, Harith Noah, completed the grueling seven days of TransAnatolia Rally and came out in flying colours winning in the B1 class (bikes under 450cc), to pep-up his preparation for the Dakar Rally 2024. “It is nice to be on the top of the podium again. I am very happy as this is the first time I am winning an international rally-raid event,” said the RedBull athlete from Turkey.
Trans Anatolia Rally Raid, which was first held in 2010, ran this year with 122 competitors and 83 vehicles from 13 countries, including professional factory teams from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Iran, India and England. It ran from September 2 to 9. After 14 Special Stages and 2350kms, the rally concluded on Izmir’s Independence Day.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer attended the award ceremony and he said that he was pleased to host the final ceremony of TransAnatolia.
Harith Noah, the veteran of four Dakar rallies chose TransAnatolia as preparation for the Dakar 2024 and put his Sherco TVS 450RTR on top in the B1 Motorcycles class for the single cylinder bikes of 450cc. Representing India, Harith Noah created history becoming the fastest rider at the almighty Dakar Rally, finishing in the top-20 in his second attempt in 2021.
The TransAnatolia race started at Samsun and finished at Imzir after seven days of tough action that saw many ups and downs. With the incessant rhythm of his navigational notes of very precise Road Books, Harith Noah conquered the rally-raid, finishing fourth overall clocking a cumulative time of 17 hours, 09 minutes and 55seconds and winning his class with confidence.
“Coming back from a wrist surgery, the goal was to finish and learn as much as possible as it was a rally raid with navigation. I was riding this bike for the first time with a new suspension setup the team has worked on. Overall, I was confident on the bike and the stages went well. I will be going to Morocco to test this bike again in the desert,” said Harith Noah, from TVS Racing, who was also supported by Stanley Tools.
On Day 5, he was 6th overall despite facing some technical problems but completed the two Special Stages and a Super Special on the Turkey Motocross GP circuit. Earlier, on Day 4, Noah had some drama in store. The small 25-km SS7 taught him some lessons. “If you ain’t focused you will lose. Yes, I lost a lot of time searching for the correct way. But in SS8 I pushed hard to make-up some time which I did,” he said. After starting on Day 1 with a lot of rain, Hairth Noah opened Stage 2, as stage 1 was cancelled. Day 2 and 3, he made some mistakes but recovered with grit and determination to stay in the hunt for the podium. “The new suspension on the bike is really good. Blessed to be here doing what I love,” said the five-time Indian Supercross champion from Turkey after Day 1.
Top class result:
In the Castrol POWER1 motorcycle category, Andorran biker Pol Tarres from Yamaha team took the first place in 16 hours 10 minutes 10 seconds. Italian Alessandro Botturi from Yamaha took second position with 16 hours 21 minutes 17seconds and Italian biker Jacopo Cerutti from Aprilla team took third place with 16 hours 23 minutes 00 second. Harith Noah of India came fourth in 17 hours, 09 minutes and 55seconds.
The Dakar 2024, the fifth edition at Saudi Arabia will be from January 5 to 19, 2024.
