INDIA in F1

Blog

  • Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race in style

    Buddh International Circuit, 15 Sept 2013: Indian driver Vikash Anand

    Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race at BIC on Sunday. An Adrenna photo
    Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race at BIC on Sunday. An Adrenna photo

    won his first ever MRF 1600 race in style of the season ahead of 15yr old Tarun Reddy at the final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. M Sivaramakrishnan won the Indian Touring Car race after 2013 Champion and winner N Leelakrishnan was given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start. The BIC was bustling with 15000 fans present  for the MMSC NRC special weekend for both cars and bikes. MMSC prize money of over 60 lakhs for the 2013 MMSC NRC is the highest of its kind for Indian motorsport, a press release said.

    The opening race, the Toyota EMR Trophy had Diljith, who started on pole position, again lead from start to finish win with ease. Akhil Rabindra was again his main competition finishing in second place, 6.686 seconds behind the leader. Dean Mascarenhas finished in a distant third, 13.187 seconds behind the leader.    

    In the ITC race, Leelakrishnan started on pole and convincingly led from start to finish. Arjun Balu startting in second, also had a good start and was followed by M Sivaramakrishnan and V Ramnarayan. Arjun managed to stay in second with Sivaramkrishnan all over him. On lap 3 Sivaramkrishnan made his move and passed Arjun with Ramnarayan also getting past a lap later. Leelakrishnan crossed the finish line in 1st place but was later given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start. He eventually finished in 3rd position while Sivaramakrishnan was adjudged the winner. Ramnarayan finished in third place to take the final step of the podium. Leelakrishnan was crowned 2013 ITC Champion with 2012 Champion Arjun Balu finishing in second and V Ramnarayan in third position in the overall championship standings. Newly crowned Indian Junior Touring Car champion Feroze Khan signed off in style with victory in the IJTC race. Charen Chandran finished in second place ahead of Race 1 winner Ananth Pitawala.

    The MRF 1600 race was up next with Japanese driver Kizuka Hirota on reverse-grid pole position. Vikash Anand had a great start from fourth on the grid and was upto second place after the first corner behind Hirota. Behind him Yudai Jinkawa, Advait Deodhar and Tarun Reddy followed. Tarun passed Advait on the long straight to move into 4th place behind Yudai. Vikash started putting pressure on Hirota and passed him on lap 2 with a brilliant move around the outside on Turn 4 at the end of the long straight. Tarun passed Hirota and Yudai over the next two laps to move into second place. At the front Vikash continued to put in fastest laps and pull away from the rest of the pack. He crossed the line in first place to take a well deserved win. tarun finished in second place with Hirota in third after Yudai suffered a puncture. 2013 Championship winner Ashwin Sundar did not race and was crowned MRF 1600 Champion in the last round. Vikash Anand finished in second place with Tarun Reddy in third place in the Championship.

    With the championship still on the line, the final race of the day was Race 4 of the Toyota EMR Trophy. Varun Anekar started on pole in the reverse grid race. Varun led from the start and took his first ever win ahead of Akshay Gupta and Binoy John Maddela. Diljith finished in 4th place but that was enough for him to be crowned the first ever Toyota EMR Trophy winner with Akshil Rabindra in second and Varun Anekar in third place in the standings. All the three will get the opportunity to race internationally in the Vios Cup that will take place in Thailand later this year, which is conducted by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in Thailand.

    Results:

    Race 1, Toyota EMR

    1. Diljith
    2. Akhil Rabindra
    3. Dean Mascarenhas

    Race 2, ITC

    1. M Sivaramakrishnan
    2. V Ramnarayan
    3. N Leelakrishnan

    Race 2, Indian Junior Touring Cars

    1. Feroze Khan
    2. Charen Chandran
    3. Ananth Pitawala

    Race 3, MRF 1600

    1. Vikash Anand
    2. Tarun Reddy
    3. Kizuka Hirota

    Race 4, Toyota EMR

    1. Varun Anekar
    2. Akshay Gupta
    3. Binoy John Maddela

    National Racing Championship winners:

    INDIAN TOURING CARS

    1. N Leelakrishnan
    2. Arjun Balu
    3. V Ramnarayan

    INDIAN JUNIOR TOURING CARS

    1. Feroze Khan
    2. Charen Chandran
    3. VJ Senthil

    MRF 1600

    1. Ashwin Sundar
    2. Vikash Anand
    3. Tarun Reddy

    TOYOTA EMR TROPHY

    1. Diljith
    2. Akhil Rabindra
    3. Varun Anekar

    ends

  • Rajini Krishnan steals the show in Round 3 Moto Racing Nationals

    Buddh International Circuit, 15 Sept 2013: K Rajini Krishnan stole the show with a win and runner-up place at Round 3 of the 2013 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit on S

    Rajini leads the race in round 3 on Sunday at BIC. Photo by Adrenna Communications.
    Rajini leads the race in round 3 on Sunday at BIC. Photo by Adrenna Communications.

    unday. Both Honda CBR 250R and NRC Experts categories saw some close racing all weekend with a crowd of 15000 fans present in the grandstand at the BIC, according to an Adrenna press release.

    First race of the day saw the TVS-Apache RTR180 in action and Mathana Kumar took the honours with another convincing win to complete a perfect weekend for the young rider. The battle for second was a five-way scrap with Ananth Raj finishing in second just ahead of SK Prakash. Arvind Ganesh finished in 4th position ahead of Mizoram rider B Lalrutsanga.

    The second race of the day, the Yamaha-Y2F R15, saw Arun Muthukrishnan crossing the finish line ahead of Ramesh by a mere 0.448 seconds. Race 1 winner Shyam Shankar finished in 3rd place ahead of Vivek Pillai. The difference in time between 3rd position and 7th position was 3 tenths off a second as they crossed the finish line showing how close the racing was.

    The CBR 250R race once again was highlight of the day with 7 riders all in position to win for the entire race. There was frantic trading of places for the entire race. Sarath Kumar, who started on pole, lost out at the start to Race 1 winner K Rajini Krishnan. Rajini led for the first two laps with Sarath, Sumit Lucas Toppo, Harshit Rao, A Prabhu all following. Prabhu and Sarath took over the lead for a brief while before Rajini was back in front. Heading into the last lap Rajini led followed by Prabhu and Sarath. As they came out of the last corner Prabhu and Sarath collided with both crashing out of the race. Rajini held on for another great win with Sumit finishing in second and Harshit Rao in third place.

    The last race of the day saw the NRC Experts 165cc take to the track. If the previous race was close the NRC Experts category provided even more action with some great wheel-to-wheel racing. Rajini was once again in the thick of things as he led from the start followed by K Jagan and Sumit Lucas Toppo. Right behind them was Deepak R and Vivek Pillai with all 6 riders in with a chance to win. In the end Jagan overtook race leader Rajini on the final lap to finish 0.183 seconds behind. Deepak R finished in 3rd place, 0.265 seconds behind. The top 5 were separate by 0.765 seconds at the end of the race.

    ends

     

  • Sebastien Ogier, Julien Ingrassia win but fail to clinch World Rally title

    Coffs Harbour (NSW), 15 Sept 2013: The Volkswagen Motorsport crew of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia came within moments of sealing the FIA World Rally Championship title in Australia today, denied the crown as Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul climbed into second position in the final stage when Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen had a puncture and dropped to third, providing one of the most thrilling finishes this season, an FIA release said.

    Sebastian Ogier - Ingrassia win Rally Australia on Sunday. An FIA photo
    Sebastian Ogier – Ingrassia win Rally Australia on Sunday. An FIA photo
    In the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers, Ogier has missed claiming the title by just one point, setting the scene for an epic battle on the next round in France when fellow countryman and reigning World Champion Sébastien Loeb will be back in the seat of the Citroën DS3 WRC. The fight for the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers also continues but Volkswagen Motorsport has increased its lead over the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team following the retirement of Kris Meeke after the final stage this afternoon.
    Today’s competition took in two identical loops of three stages covering 125.14 competitive kilometres, the final run through ‘Shipmans’ counting as the Power Stage where additional Championship points are awarded to the fastest three drivers in this single stage. And it was here that the drama unfolded, and it was Neuville’s second position in the rally as well as the Power Stage that denied Ogier of his first world title. The Frenchman nevertheless claimed his 13th World Rally victory and sixth this season. Behind the dramatic turn of events in the final stage, fourth was claimed by Jari-Matti Latvala, the Finn also losing time with a puncture in the final stage, and fifth was taken by Mads Østberg, the Norwegian moving ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen in the first stage of the day. Evgeny Novikov finished seventh ahead of local hero Nathan Quinn. Kris Meeke, who rolled on Saturday, restarted this morning under Rally 2 regulations but damaged rear suspension in the final stage saw him ultimately unable to return to the finish in Coffs Harbour.
    The 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders back to Europe for Rallye de France Alsace (3-6 October). Here, nine-time World Rally Champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena will re-join the series for their final outing in the Championship.
    Rally Australia – Final Unofficial Classification (subject to scrutineering)
    1.   Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia
    2.   Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul
    3.   Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen
    4.   Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila
    5.   Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson
    6.   Andreas Mikkelsen/Paul Nagle
    7.   Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor
    8.   Nathan Quinn/Glenn MacNeall
    9.   Khalid Al Qassimi/Scott Martin
    10. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari/Killian Duffy
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Citroën DS3 WRC
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    MINI John Cooper Works WRC
    Citroën DS3 WRC
    Ford Fiesta RRC
    3hr 19 min 55.0sec
    3hr 21 min 27.1sec
    3hr 21 min 57.1sec
    3hr 22 min 52.4sec
    3hr 23 min 12.2sec
    3hr 23 min 32.6sec
    3hr 27 min 26.2sec
    3hr 33 min 05.2sec
    3hr 35 min 12.6sec
    3hr 37 min 22.7sec

    FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 10 of 13 rounds)

    Sébastien Ogier (FRA)
    Thierry Neuville (BEL)
    Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)
    Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)
    Dani Sordo (ESP)
    Mads Østberg (NOR)
    Sébastien Loeb (FRA)
    Martin Prokop (CZE)
    Evgeny Novikov (RUS)
    Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)
    Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)
    Elfyn Evans (GBR)
    Robert Kubica (POL)
    Bryan Bouffier (FRA)
    Juho Hänninen (FIN)
    Chris Atkinson (AUS)
    Michal Kosciuszko (POL)
    Ken Block (USA)
    Jari Ketomaa (FIN)
    Khalid Al Qassimi (ARE)
    Hayden Paddon (NZL)
    Sepp Weigand (DEU)
    Per-Gunnar Andersson (SWE)
    Henning Solberg (NOR)
    Benito Guerra (MEX)
    Nathan Quinn (AUS)
    Olivier Burri (CHE)
    Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)
    Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)
    Esapekka Lappi (FIN)
    212 points
    129 points
    110 points
    103 points
    96 points
    7 points
    68 points
    49 points
    47 points
    34 points
    30 points
    16 points
    14 points
    10 points
    8 points
    8 points
    7 points
    6 points
    6 points
    5 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    2 points
    1 point
    1 point
    1 point

    FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 10 of 13 rounds)

    Volkswagen Motorsport
    Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
    Qatar World Rally Team
    Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team
    Jipocar Czech National Team
    Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team
    Volkswagen Motorsport II
    Lotos WRC Team
    299 points
    251 points
    145 points
    142 points
    51 points
    41 points
    34 points
    20 points

     

  • Leelakrishnan dominates ITC; Jinkawa wins thrilling MRF 1600 race

    Buddh International Circuit, 14 Sept 2013: Japanese driver Yudai Jinkawa won a thrilling MRF 1600 race ahead of Vikash Anand and Tarun Reddy (later given a jumpstart penalty) with the top 3 being separated by 3 tenths off a second at the chequered flag. The final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship took place at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida with most drivers driving here for the first time. N Leelakrishnan held off reigning champion Arjun Balu to win by 3.030seconds in the Indian Touring Car category while Ananth Pitawala claimed his first ever win in the Indian Junior Touring Car category. Diljith won Race 1 while youngster Akhil Rabindra won Race 2 of the Toyota EMR Trophy.

    The opening race, the Toyota EMR Trophy had Diljith, who started on pole position, lead from start to finish to take a dominant win. Akhil Rabindra managed to hold off Abhinay Bikkani to finish in second place, 7.716 seconds behind the leader. Varun Anekar finished in 4th place after a race long battle with Akhil and Abhinay.  

    In the ITC race, Leelakrishnan started on pole and had a good start off the line. Arjun Balu started slow but just managed to hold off a charging M Sivaramakrishnan behind him. Leelakrishnan pulled a 2 second lead in the first two laps and managed to keep the gap for the rest of the race. Arjun went faster as the race went on setting his fastest lap off the race on the second last lap. Sivaramakrishnan had a lonely race in third as he finished 13.317 seconds behind the leader.

    The next race was the most exciting with the MRF 1600 on track. Yudai, starting on pole, had a great start and went into the lead with Tarun and Vikash right behind him. Tarun and Vikash had a great battle for the first 3 laps with the latter finally getting past in the mid-sector. Vikash then started to reel Yudai in bringing Tarun with him and was right on his tail with three laps to go. Vikash drove brilliantly and tried to pass Yudai several times but could not find a way past. The top three finally finished within a mere 0.307 seconds separating them. Tarun was later given a penalty for jumping the start and ended up in 5th place with Advait Deodhar moving up to the final podium spot. Adavit, Kizuka Hirota and Masaki Fujimura had their own battle trading places throughout the race.

    The final race of the day was Race 2 of the Toyota EMR Trophy with Akhil Rabindra taking his first victory. It was the closest Toyota race with 1 second separating the top 4 at the chequered flag. Akhil and Diljith started in 7th & 8th position and worked their way through field. Akhil had a better start and was upto 4th position by lap 3. He then passed Varun Aneakr to move into 2nd place before passing Farhan Ahmed to take the lead. Diljith moved up to 3rd position and tried hard to pass Farhan for 2nd place but ran out of laps.

    Results: Race 1, Toyota EMR: 1. Diljith; 2. Akhil Rabindra; 3. Varun Anekar.

    Race 2, ITC: 1. N Leelakrishnan; 2. Arjun Balu; 3. M Sivaramakrishnan.

    Race 3, Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Ananth Pitawala; 2. VJ Senthil; 3. Charen Chandran.

    Race 4, MRF 1600: 1. Yudai Jinkawa; 2. Vikash Anand; 3. Advait Deodhar.

    Race 5, Toyota EMR: 1. Akhil Rabindra; 2. Farhan Ahmed; 3. Diljith.

    ends

    Leelakrishnan wins ITC race at BIC on Saturday. An Adrenna photo
    Leelakrishnan wins ITC race at BIC on Saturday. An Adrenna photo

  • Rajini pips Sarath in the final corner

    Buddh International Circuit (Greater Noida), 14 Sept 2013: India’s top two riders Sarath Kumar and K Rajini Krishnan in the Honda CBR 250 category fought tooth and nail in the 3rd Round of the 2013 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship which kicked off at the Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday. Four4 races were held today.

    Rajini got past Sarath on the final corner in the final lap to win by 0.0157 seconds.

    The National championship created history by becoming the first-ever competitive bike championship to race at the BIC with leading motorcycle manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and TVS participating.

    First race of the day saw the TVS-Apache RTR180 in action and Mathana Kumar took the honours with a convincing win. He was followed across the finish line by Ananth P Raj, who finished 5.898 seconds behind. The battle for third went down to the wire with a three-way-battle between Arvind Ganesh, SK Prakash and Alwyn Jebaz. Arvind came out in front to take the final step of the podium.

    The second race of the day, the Yamaha-Y2F R15, provided some more nail biting action with Shyam Shankar and Vivek Pillai trading placed all through the race. Shyam and Vivek came out of the last corner side-by-side with Shyam just edging ahead as they crossed the finish line 0.083 seconds ahead.

    The action resumed with the CBR 250R with India’s two top riders Sarath Kumar & Rajini Krishnan going head-to-head once again. Last time out in Chennai both collided and it looked like it might happen again but both riders put on a scintillating performance to show their class. Sarath, who started on pole, led off the line followed by Abhishek V and Rajini. Rajini soon passed Abhishek and had a race long battle with Sarath. At the start of the last lap it looked like Sarath had done enough but Rajini came hard at him and they were side-by-side coming into the fast corner. Rajini dived down the inside of Sarath and made the move stick and crossed the line in first place ahead of Sarath. Abhishek V finished in the third place.

    The last race of the day saw the NRC Experts 165cc take to the track. K Jagan took a victory ahead of Harry Sylvester and Deepak R. Jagan started well and led from start to finish easily. Harry and Deepak behind him battled each other the whole race with almost nothing between them.

    Races will resume Sunday morning at 10

    K Rajini wins the first race at BIC on Saturday in the National Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications
    K Rajini wins the first race at BIC on Saturday in the National Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications

    am. 

    ends

     

  • Singapore should suit us better; I’ve unfinished business there..: Kimi

    After a second consecutive race with no points to show for his efforts, Kimi Raikkonen wants to make amends in Singapore.

    Despite a storming drive through the Monza field – Kimi Räikkönen heads to Singapore pumped and ready for the challenge ahead:

    Excerpts from an interview:

     It’s now been announced where you will drive next year; how does that affect the rest of your
    season?

    Hopefully it means I won’t be asked so much where I’m driving next year, but maybe it means more 
    questions. For my racing this season it doesn’t make any difference. I’ll keep pushing at every race to get
    the best result I can.

    Are you looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix?
    I really like going to Singapore. It’s a great place to be, I love the local food, and I don’t mind the unusual
    times we run in the car as it means I don’t have to get up so early. I have some unfinished business after
    my three Grands Prix there so far, as I enjoy the circuit but have not yet had a podium. That doesn’t mean
    I’m not quick there as I’ve been told I still hold the lap record from 2008. I crashed while fighting for fifth
    place that year, finished down in tenth in 2009, and took sixth last season, so I want more this time.

    What difference does it make racing at night?
    In the first years of the race being held I was a little bit surprised by how people were talking so much about
    the different timing. Obviously when they switched on the lights it was exactly the same as racing in the day
    time. I think everybody in Formula 1 enjoys the night race. It’s worked out really well as Singapore is a
    buzzing city and lots of people turn up. Apart from one or two dark spots in the run-off areas the circuit is
    very well lit, so there is not a big difference to racing in the day.

    Regardless of being at night, it’s a street race; what effect does this have?
    Monaco was not that good for us but there is no reason why Singapore should be difficult. Like at every
    street circuit it’s very difficult to pass other cars there, so starting the race as high as possible on the grid is
    very an important factor in getting a good result on Sunday.

    How do you think the circuit will suit the E21?
    Everybody will bring updates to this race so we’ll have to see what difference that makes. It’s a case of
    trying to get the maximum from our package and working on achieving the best balance. If we get
    everything right we should do okay.

    Any worries about the weather?
    We saw rain last year in Singapore and it’s no secret that our car sometimes struggles in wet conditions.
    It’s something we’ll deal with if it happens, and as always the weather is the same for everyone.

    Is it good to be back to a higher downforce layout?
    After these two weekends with zero points it’s nice to get back to a circuit we expect to be more suited to
    our car. We seem to go better at high downforce circuits that’s for sure. The car actually worked
    surprisingly well at Monza during the race so it was a shame we lost so much time at the start. After getting
    the new nose, our race pace was not too bad.

    What’s your target in Singapore?
    Obviously, the podium is a target again. We’ve had two races without scoring any points so we need to
    score as many as we can in the remaining races this season.

    How are you feeling about your Championship charge?
    You don’t win Championships by not scoring points. We’ve had two races where we haven’t scored which
    is not ideal. We’re here to race and score as many points as we can. Of course, that’s what everyone is
    trying to do so we just have to keep pushing and hope that we have some pretty good races for the rest of
    the year, then we’ll see where we end up in the standings.

    ends

    File photo of Kimi Raikkonen by Lotus F1 team.
    File photo of Kimi Raikkonen by Lotus F1 team.

  • Volkswagen driver Sebastian Ogier takes lead in Rally Australia

    New South Wales, 13 Sept 2013: Eight special stages, seven best times – the Volkswagen factory duo Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) have made their mark on round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship in Australia. The pair, who are leading the WRC Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship, won almost every single Special Stage on Friday, giving them a 20.0-second lead over their closest rival, Mikko Hirvonen (Citroën), who has won the Rally Australia three times. Volkswagen’s Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) have secured fifth place in the overall standings one third of the way into the event, despite starting from an unfavourable position. As one of the first World Rally Cars to tackle the Special Stages, they cleared all the loose dust and gravel off the track. Andreas Mikkelsen/Paul Nagle (N/IRL) finished the first 94.54 kilometres of 352.36-kilometre time trials in seventh position in the overall standings, according to a Volkswagen Press Release.

    Saturday is the longest day at the Rally Australia. The teams will cover another 132.68 kilometres in the course of six Stages, including completing “Nambucca” twice which, at 49.90 kilometres, is the longest Special Stage in round ten.

    Quotes following day two of the Rally Australia

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
    “We’ve set ourselves the goal of playing it safe and primarily collecting points for the Manufacturers’ Championship and we’re on course to do that at the moment. Our early starting position this morning certainly didn’t give us an advantage – it was very slippery and we had to clear the track for the cars behind us. The afternoon went better; we worked our way up from eight to fifth position, which will give us a better starting position on Saturday. Saturday could prove crucial for the rally: the Nambucca Stage is almost 50 kilometres long, so everyone will have to pay close attention to their tyres.”

    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
    “It was a perfect day for us – a really good start to the rally. This morning’s Stages were incredibly slippery, so we had to be really careful. There was a lot of loose gravel on the tracks, which made it difficult to find a good line. That’s why we didn’t go all out to attack because we really didn’t want to crash out of the rally early on because of some stupid mistake. The grip level was much better this afternoon, so Julien and I had loads of fun in the Polo R WRC. I’d like to say a special thank-you to the organisers for extending the starting interval to four minutes because the rally cars in front were throwing up an incredible amount of dust. All bets are off tomorrow because the weather experts are forecasting rain tonight.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
    “It was a really eventful day for us. Things went very well on the loop this morning until we came to a point where our pace notes were too optimistic. The track went over a blind crest then into a left-hand bend which tightened – more so than I expected. Luckily, there was a lane branching off so I could turn off towards the emergency exit. Then we sat there, virtually blinded by dust. We had to wait for it to clear before we could keep going. This afternoon brought another scary moment, when I broadsided a bank. After that, it felt like the car had a slow puncture. Luckily, it didn’t. All in all, we’re nevertheless pleased with what we achieved. But the rally is far from over.”

    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
    “It was a good, very successful day for Volkswagen at the Rally Australia. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were on top form today – they couldn’t have been better. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila also made the most of their opportunities, although they had to cope with clearing the track as one of the first World Rally Cars today after a disappointing qualifying. With that in mind, fifth place in the overall standings is a really good result. Andreas Mikkelsen and Paul Nagle also performed well in the Special Stages today. All in all, we’re satisfied with the first third of the event Down Under. But all of the competitors will face tough challenges in the next two days. We need absolute concentration right to the very end and the whole team will have to work hard without making any mistakes.”

    And then there was …
    … Miikka Anttila’s first-ever Rally Australia – with a Volkswagen Polo made in Hanover. In 1999, Anttila – now Jari-Matti Latvala’s co-driver – competed alongside his compatriot Janne Tuohino in a Group N Polo with just 120 hp. The Polo was built as a customer car at the site in Ikarusallee where Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH is now based. Unfortunately, this first overseas event ended early for Tuohino/Anttila. The Polo found a new home and went to a new owner in Australia after the rally.

    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
    Rally Australia – results
    Friday,
    13 September 2013    		 km #7
    Latvala/
    Anttila    		 #8
    Ogier/
    Ingrassia    		 #9
    Mikkelsen/
    Nagle
    SS 03 Tuckers Nob 1 08.44 P08
    (+ 17.2s)    		 P01 P05
    (+ 4.9s)
    SS 04 Bellingen 1 10.72 P08
    (+ 12.7s)    		 P01 P05
    (+ 7.2s)
    SS 05 Newry 1 24.91 P07
    (+ 15.1s)    		 P01 P08
    (+ 26.4s)
    SS 06 Tuckers Nob 2 08.44 P05
    (+ 3.3s)    		 P01 P06
    (+ 4.9s)
    SS 07 Bellingen 2 10.72 P04
    (+ 1.9s)    		 P01 P05
    (+ 4.1s)
    SS 08 Newry 2 24.91 P04
    (+ 6.8s)    		 P01 P07
    (+ 16.7s)
    SS 09 Coffs 3 01.60 P04
    (+ 1.4s)    		 P01 P02
    (+ 1.0s)
    SS 10 Coffs 4 01.60 P01 P02
    (+ 0.1s)    		 P03
    (+ 0.2s)
    Overall classification P05
    (+ 58.2s)    		 P01 P07
    (+ 1m 03.8s)
    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
    Rally Australia – TV broadcast
    Western Europe
    Andorra (Canal +); Austria (LAOLA1.tv, ORF, ServusTV); Belgium (RTBF); Denmark (VIASAT); Finland (MTV3, YLE Sport); France (Canal +, France TV, Léquipe 21, TF1); Germany (Sport1, RTL, n-tv, LAOLA1.tv, ServusTV); Greece (OTE); Ireland (Setanta); Italy (RAI, Canale Italia, Sportitalia); Monaco (Canal +, France TV, Léquipe 21, TF1); Netherlands (RTL 7); Norway (VIASAT); Portugal (Sport TV, RTP); Spain (Canal +); Sweden (SVT); Wales (S4C)
    Eastern Europe
    Czech Republic (Czech TV, Sport 5); Poland (TVP, TV4, TV6); Romania (Dolce Sport); Russia (Auto Plus); Slovakia (Czech TV, Sport 5); Ukraine (First Automotive Channel)
    Asia Pacific
    Malaysia (Astro); Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam (ESPN Star); Japan (J Sports); New Zealand (Sky Sports); Australia (Speed TV); Thailand (Truevision)
    North and Latin America
    Argentina (Channel 12); Brazil (ESPN); Latin America (Fox Sports)
    International
    Worldwide (Reuters, SNTV)

  • BIC to host National Racing events for both bikes, 4-wheelers

    Greater Noida, 13 Sept 2013: For the first time in the history of Indian motorsports, both 2-Wheelers and 4-Wheelers of the National Racing Championship under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will race together in a special weekend at the Buddh International Circuit in here this weekend.

    According to a press release from Adrenna Communications, both the National Racing Championship and Indian National Motorcycle Championship will take place on Saturday and Sunday bringing together the biggest manufacturers in the world. Toyota, Honda, Yamaha will bring the international manufacturers together while MRF Tyres and TVS Racing will keep the Indian flag flying high. This will also mark the first time that a motorcycle race will be held at the BIC since the circuit opened in 2011.

    The launch saw the 160+ participants standing on the main straight of the BIC under the start-finish lights along with various racing categories that will take place this weekend. The five partners (MRF, TVS, Toyota, Yamaha, Honda) all addressed the media and stressed on the need to develop motorsports in the country and this weekend being one little step.

    Speaking on the main straight of the Circuit Vicky Chandhok, President, FMSCI, said: “This is truly a great moment for us to have both 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers racing on the same weekend. We would like to do this in a more regular basis depending on the outcome of the weekend. The home of the Indian GP is a great place to host this event for the first time ever. It is great to see manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, TVS and of course MRF Racing all coming together for one simple goal – develop the sport in India. To have the first ever motorcycle race at the BIC is truly a great feeling and I am confident that this is the first of many. We will have motorcycle racing, single-seater racing, sportscar racing, what more could a racing fan ask for?”

    The historic weekend will feature the MRF 1600 category, Toyota EMR Trophy and the Indian Touring Cars and Indian Junior Touring Cars Championship in the 4-Wheeler category. The 2-Wheeler races will include the the TVS Apache RTR-180 category, Yamaha Y2F R15 One Make Championship, Honda CBR 250 One Make Championship and NRC Experts, Group C upto 165cc.

    Ajit Thomas, President, MMSC, was thrilled at the prospect of both cars and bikes racing on the same weekend. “This is the 17th year of the National Racing Championship and we are really excited about this special weekend that will see both bikes and cars running together. In our 60th year I am extremely proud of the great work done by everyone at the MMSC and all our esteemed partner. We are keen to take this unique initiative to the BIC and looking to make this a constant fixture in the coming years. We have only one objective in mind and that is to develop motorsports in the country and do everything in our power to make it a success,” he said.  

    MRF Racing, will unleash their MRF 1600 category  on the BIC for only the second time, after being the support race for the Formula One Indian GP in 2011. Ashwin Sundar wrapped up the championship in the last round in Chennai but young pretenders Tarun Reddy, Advait Deodhar and Vikash Anand will be looking to make their mark at this challenging circuit. The international drivers have been impressive with Yudai Jinkawa taking three wins and Kizuki Hirota taking one win.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “Coming to the BIC is always a special feeling and we can’t wait to see our cars go around this great circuit. Since the lap is longer and harder on the tyres we have had to push the envelope to ensure the driver’s can push the cars to the limit. We are extremely proud of the entire MRF 1600 season and a special thank you to the entire team who have made this possible. At the beginning of the season we were clear that we wanted to have a competitive series and am glad to see that we have achieved this. There is no better way to end the season that letting these young drivers fight it out at the BIC.”

    The Indian Touring Car championship will see championship leader looking to close out the title as heads to the BIC with a 34 point lead. Last year’s champion Arjun Balu has seen his title hopes fade over the last two rounds as he has struggled to finish on the podium. He is level on points with V Ramnarayan as they will battle for the second place this weekend.

    The Toyota Etios Motor Racing (EMR) Trophy will continue their participation in the 2013 NRC with 4 races being held at the BIC for the race weekend. This will be the first time that the Toyota EMR cars will race at the BIC. The winners will get an opportunity to race outside India to further hone their skills. The Toyota EMR had a great first round in Chennai and will give their young drivers the opportunity to impress at the BIC. Diljith was dominant at the earlier round in Chennai winning 2 out of the 3 races and will be the favourite to win again.

    Commenting on this occasion, Sanjay Gupta, General Manager, Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “After a fun & excitement filled exhibition race season last year, the inaugural round of EMR Trophy took place in July in Chennai this year. This is our second participation in the National Racing Championship and the first time that the EMR cars will be driven at the BIC. Racing at the BIC will be a huge boost for all our drivers as they are all geared to take on the EMR Trophy. The best three EMR drivers of both Trophy I & II will also get the opportunity to race at the Vios Cup scheduled to take place in Thailand this year. It is a single make racing conducted by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in Thailand.”

    The races from the FMSCI 2013 FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship will include the TVS Apache RTR-180 category, Yamaha Y2F R15 One Make Championship, Honda CBR 250 One Make Championship and NRC Experts, Group C upto 165cc.

    The TVS Apache RTR-180 category has Ananth Raj in the lead with 93 points, with second placed SK Prakash 20 points behind him and Arun M further behind. Arvind Pangaonkar, Head, TVS Racing and Advisor R&D, TVS Motor Company, commented, “TVS Racing’s commitment to motorsport is evident in the fact that TVS Motor Company has for more than 25 years participated in, supported and excelled in various types of motorsports events held across the country. Such platforms help us get practical, hands on learning and insights.  This wealth of knowledge subsequently gets translated into our stock motorcycles to enhance customer delight.”

    The Yamaha Y2F R15 One Make Championship is much closer with the top 5 riders separated by only 20 points. Shyam Shankar leads the championship ahead of Mathana Kumar. Behind them there is a five point difference separating M Sudhakar, P Ananth Raj and Dinesh Kumar.

    Speaking on the occasion Mr. Ravinder Singh, VP- Sales Strategy Planning, Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt. Ltd. said, “Motorsports has always been an integral part of our corporate philosophy. We’ve always given special importance to motorcycle racing in India as we consider it a way of expressing the ‘Spirit of Challenge’ that we value so highly. We’ve really come a long way since 2010 when we first started the R15 One Make Race Championships in India. Through the R15 One Make race Championship, which is one of our key initiatives to connect with our customers, we aspire to take the motorcycle racing culture to newer heights in the country. This is the first time the race involving national level riders is being hosted at the Buddh International Circuit, a step which will help increase awareness on the Indian racing culture in this part of the country as well. We are very happy with this development as it is very much in line with our endeavor to take the racing culture to newer heights in the country.”

    India’s only MotoGP rider Sarath Kumar leads the charge in the Honda CBR 250 One Make Championship with 73 points. The battle behind him is extremely close with upcoming rider Sumit Lucas Toppo in second place ahead of international race winner K Rajni Krishnan.

    “This is the first time that HMSI is conducting Honda One Make Race at Buddh International Circuit. As a responsible member of society, Honda will continue to expand safe fun biking culture in India. With the CBR 250R under Team Championship, Honda will promote its global legacy of providing advanced motor-sports experience of expert riders.”, said Mr. Y S Guleria- Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India.

    The NRC Experts Group C upto 165cc category is the closest of all with K Jagan and Vivek Pillai tied for first place with Sumit Lucas Toppo in third place, just 8 points away.

    For all the live action go to www.madrasmotorsports.in

    Participants in all categories who will be racing this weekend at BiC. An Adrenna photo

    Participants in all categories who will be racing this weekend at BiC. An Adrenna photo

    ends

     

     

     

  • Volkswagen driver Mikkelsen in first place after Day 1: WRC

    Coffs Harbour, (NSW, Australia), 12 Sept 2013: Volkswagen has started the Rally Australia with best times in the first two Special Stages. The three factory duos from Wolfsburg claimed leading positions with the Polo R WRC Down Under following two spectacular sprints. The drivers completed the Super Special Stage through the middle of Coffs Harbour city twice. Andreas Mikkelsen/Paul Nagle (N/IRL) won SS 01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) – who are currently leading the WRC Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship – put in the second best time. Andreas Mikkelsen goes into day two at the top of the standings, while Sébastien Ogier will start Friday in fourth place. Just ahead of him are Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) in third, according to WRC Rallye Australiaa Volkswagen Motorsport press release.

    The Rally Australia is being held within an approximately 50-kilometre radius of Coffs Harbour. Spring in New South Wales provides the perfect conditions for rallying: the contestants can look forward to glorious sunshine and mild temperatures on Friday.

    Quotes following day one of the Rally Australia

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7
    “The Super Special Stages in Coffs Harbour were a brief warm-up. As of tomorrow, we will face three very different, demanding days – starting with tight, technically challenging routes, followed by fast, flowing sections, then narrow tracks through the forests. Qualifying didn’t go as well as I’d hoped: I was obviously too cautious with the softer tyres, meaning I have to tackle the stages early on. All is not lost though because the rally is expected to be really tricky for everyone. I wasn’t happy with my performance in the last two rallies in Finland and Germany, so I really hope that I can finish well again here and collect as many points as possible for the Manufacturers’ Championship.”

    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8
    “Having crashed out of the Rally Germany early on, I’m aiming for another podium finish in Australia. It goes without saying that I want to win here and bag more important points to help me secure the title of World Champion. Qualifying wasn’t 100% perfect, but I’m satisfied with how it went. Although Kris Meeke surprised us with his impressive time, we’ve got a good starting position for the slippery gravel conditions here in Coffs Harbour. After all, what really matters is the rally as a whole, and it only really gets goingtomorrow. I’m really looking forward to the Special Stages. The recce showed that some of the Special Stages here are extremely fast, and that’s what I enjoy the most. On top of that, the scenery here in Down Under is absolutely fascinating. The only thing I’m a bit worried about is the snakes out in the bush – so I’m glad I’m in a car.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
    “Two short test days, two lots of free practice and the two Super Special Stages today – that’s pretty much all the competitive driving I’ve done with Paul Nagle as my co-driver as yet. So it’s just as well that we’ve proven to be a great team so far. But the next three days of rallying will be the real test. They’re like three rallies rolled into one: narrow and technical on Friday, an open landscapeon Saturday and full speed through the forests on Sunday. The surroundings are simply stunning too – I’m looking forward to the next few days. And if there is anything I can do to help Volkswagen or Sébastien Ogier secure the World Championship title, I’ll be happy to do it. With that in mind, it’s good news that day one went so well for us with first and second place in the Super Special Stages.”

    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
    “The two Super Special Stages today made for a fantastic start to the Rally Australia. That said, they aren’t all that meaningful in sporting terms. They only help us to go into the next few days in a positive frame of mind, because that is when things will really get serious. The Rally Australia is extremely challenging – both for drivers and co-drivers and for the cars. Complete concentration is essential. But the drivers and co-drivers in our team have shown that they’re right on the ball from the outset.”

    And then there was …

    … the rally in Oz that is something of a home event. How can that be? Back in 1847, the waterside town of Coffs Harbour on the eastern coast of Australia in scenic New South Wales was named after John Korff. His father, John Conrad Korff, emigrated to Australia from Germany – Brunswick, to be precise. And Brunswick is between Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg and the Motorsport department in Hanover. Reason enough to feel just a little bit at home on the other side of the world.
    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
    Rally Australia – results
    Thursday,
    12 September 2013    		 km #7
    Latvala/
    Anttila    		 #8
    Ogier/
    Ingrassia    		 #9
    Mikkelsen/
    Nagle
    SS 01 Coffs 1 01.60 P03
    (+ 1.2 s)    		 P05
    (+ 1.6s)    		 P01
    SS 02 Coffs 2 01.60 P05
    (+ 0.3s)    		 P01 P02
    (+ 0.1s)
    Overall classification P03
    (+ 1.4s)    		 P04
    (+ 1.5s)    		 P01
    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
    Rally Australia – TV broadcast
    Western Europe
    Andorra (Canal +); Austria (LAOLA1.tv, ORF, ServusTV); Belgium (RTBF); Denmark (VIASAT); Finland (MTV3, YLE Sport); France (Canal +, France TV, Léquipe 21, TF1); Germany (Sport1, RTL, n-tv, LAOLA1.tv, ServusTV); Greece (OTE); Ireland (Setanta); Italy (RAI, Canale Italia, Sportitalia); Monaco (Canal +, France TV, Léquipe 21, TF1); Netherlands (RTL 7); Norway (VIASAT); Portugal (Sport TV, RTP); Spain (Canal +); Sweden (SVT); Wales (S4C)
    Eastern Europe
    Czech Republic (Czech TV, Sport 5); Poland (TVP, TV4, TV6); Romania (Dolce Sport); Russia (Auto Plus); Slovakia (Czech TV, Sport 5); Ukraine (First Automotive Channel)
    Asia Pacific
    Malaysia (Astro); Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam (ESPN Star); Japan (J Sports); New Zealand (Sky Sports); Australia (Speed TV); Thailand (Truevision)
    North and Latin America
    Argentina (Channel 12); Brazil (ESPN); Latin America (Fox Sports)
    International
    Worldwide (Reuters, SNTV)

  • No more pressure, says leader Sebastian Ogier of Volkswagen

    Coffs Harbour (NSW, Australia),

    Volkswagen's Sebastian Ogier leads the Drivers' Championship. Photo by Volkswagen Motorsports
    Volkswagen’s Sebastian Ogier leads the Drivers’ Championship. Photo by Volkswagen Motorsports

    12 Sept 2013: FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP pre-event press conference ahead of Rally Australia

     
    Present:
    Kris Meeke, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Motorsport
    Thierry Neuville, Qatar World Rally Team
    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Motorsport II
    Q:
    Kris, this is your second opportunity in a WRC car this year and this time you are with the manufacturer team. It has got off to a good start so far, quickest at Qualifying!
    KM:
    For me it was a nice morning and quite a nice stage actually, I think it was still probably a little bit slippery in places but a lot cleaner than we will expect tomorrow. It’s going to be a very difficult and technical rally but I knew road position was going to be quite important especially as it’s so slippery. It was nice to do the best time because the best choice is where we want to be.
    Q:
    And what is that choice going to be?
    KM:
    I think that maybe it will rain at some point over the weekend but we have to see this afternoon what develops, and also it’s quite important what decision the organisers make for the dust and I think it’s at a point, it’s not for competition, it’s for safety. We really need to put gaps out there, it’s not hurting anyone to have a larger gap but we need that.
    Q:
    Talk to me about that run this morning because you had your free practice runs and you were one of the last drivers to go into that Qualifying stage. You would have known what Ogier’s time was, did you think you could get a few seconds on that, or did you go in with an open mind?
    KM:
    I had a good run in the first pass. Free Practice 2 wasn’t so good. I knew I made some mistakes so there was more to come. I heard Seb’s time over the radio and thought that’s going to take some time to beat it.
    Q:
    And how are you feeling ahead of the weekend in terms of pressure?
    KM:
    I think it’s fair to say this is what you work for all your career, to try and get into a factory team. There will always be some pressure from some angles. If you’re performing at the top, you need to keep performing at the top and prove you’re good enough. I’m just happy to be part of the team, and to be part of a factory team for the first time is a nice opportunity.
    Q:
    It is your first time here, what have you done to prepare?
    KM:
    To be honest we’re limited to what homework you can do before the rally. I think there are only three stages the same as 2011, so in that respect, it’s quite new. It’s always better and this is only my eighth or ninth start in a world rally car so I don’t have so much experience but it always helps when it’s new stages for everyone. It’s more of a level playing field but it’s surprisingly tricky in places. Quite narrow and bad drops in places and in some places the forestry roads are not clearly defined. It’s a bit difficult sometimes to make the notes, and you have to drive around with feeling.
    Q:
    Sébastien, the possibility of taking the title is getting tantalisingly close for you. How are you feeling coming into Australia?
    SO:
    Good. I think it’s nice to be in this position, of course. Okay, I will approach this rally just like another one and I just want to get another good result if I can. It could be good for the Championship but also we need now the points for the Manufacturer’s title because it is getting close, and that’s so far also on target, so definitely I will try to do my best if I can.
    Q:
    When you were in Germany a couple of weeks ago it was mathematically possible for you to win at that event, but it really did depend on what Thierry (Neuville) and Jari-Matti (Latvala) did. This time around it’s closer, it’s more on your shoulders, on what you can do this weekend as well as what they do. Do you feel more pressure coming into Australia than you did going into Germany?
    SO:
    No more pressure, but like you mentioned, because we are close for the Championship this weekend, but in Germany it was not depending only on me, and of course I didn’t do a good rally and it was not possible. But this weekend it comes very close with Thierry.
    Q:
    I can imagine you are pretty motivated to have a better weekend?
    SO:
    Of course, it has been very good for us until Germany and then okay we did our first mistake of the season. It was not a huge one, but okay that’s finished and now I just want to restart this weekend and do a good result again for the rest of the season. As I mentioned, it is important for me but also for the team because that battle is raging all the season and to get the Manufacturers title I will do my best to win that; I have to.
    Q:
    You’ve been in Australia for two weeks now. Is your jet lag completely gone?
    SO:
    Yes, I had two weeks in Sydney, so it has completely gone for me.
    Q:
    Thierry, after a fantastic battle in Germany just two weeks ago you now head to an event that you have never contested. Do you feel you will be able to fight as close to the top as in Germany?
    TN:
    Obviously I don’t know because this rally is new for me, so Malcolm (Wilson) is telling me to be careful. Okay, everything is good in the Fiesta and I feel very comfortable, so maybe it is possible to be competitive this weekend. This is mostly a new event for everybody so the disadvantage is possibly not so big. We try to do our best, of course, and I hope to go to the finish because we need the experience.
    Q:
    What preparation have you done prior to the event?
    TN:
    Honestly I feel like I’m not really well prepared because there is really nothing to do here. Only two stages are the same as last time so at home we tried to watch some of the in-car footage and get some videos. At the end we all face the same conditions, but the most important thing is the recce, the notes must be good so we can be confident.
    Q:
    Did you have a good recce?
    TN:
    It was not an easy recce with the dust hanging in front of you, it was sometimes difficult to see but we’ve done very well I think. The pace notes are very good. I’m really looking forward to the start this evening and especially tomorrow.
    Q:
    I guess you’ll be aiming for the podium, I’m sure Sébastien Ogier will be keeping an eye on where you are in relation to himself of course – what’s your aim?
    TN:
    Like I said before, my aim is to keep my second position in the World Championship. I will definitely keep my eye on Jari-Matti because he is my closest competitor. If there are no problems for Sébastien and he does well, he will be World Champion anyway so for me it doesn’t matter. It’s important to stay second in the Championship. I will keep my eyes on Jari-Matti and be ready when we have to fight.
    Q:
    Your performance in Germany had many people talking, is there any news on where you will be next season yet?
    TN:
    I have a good position for next year of course. But at the end, it’s me who will make the decision.
    Q:
    Andreas, Paul Nagle is taking over for the injured Mikko Markkula here in Australia. You tested with Paul before the event. How is the relationship working so far?
    AM:
    Things with Paul are working really well. I didn’t have a doubt he was the man for the job. I’ve competed with him ever since I was 17-years-old and I started off my rallying in Ireland so I know him from some time before. The choice was quite natural that he could take Mikko’s place when he had his back injury. And things have been working really well. His calling is good, his speaking is nice and we did two days’ test as well and we adjusted ourselves together; so, yeah, I am confident that he will do a very good job.
    Q:
    How about Mikko’s recovery? Have you spoken to him?
    AM:
    Yeah, I have talked with Mikko. He is slowly recovering but it is one of those injuries that takes its time, eight or nine weeks, and at the same time it is better to wait a bit longer time than be too quick.
    Q:
    So what is your plan for this event?
    AM:
    I will take it as it comes. If I can help Seb (Ogier) in some way, or for the Manufacturer’s title, of course I will do it. But at the same time that means I need to finish, so we will take it stage by stage and I’m sure I will have a new goal for each day.
    Q:
    Is there any stage that particularly stands out as being incredibly difficult here or is it a tough three days?
    AM:
    It is three very different days. Obviously the first day is very technical; the second day is much more open, quite nice roads, and the last day is super-fast inside the forest. So, three very different days but I must say the really long stage has a small place inside of it which is about five or six kilometres long which is really narrow, over crests, where we go uphill and that is a really good section.
    FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
    Present:
    Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari
    Hayden Paddon
    Q:
    Abdulaziz, it is a welcome back to the Championship for you. You missed Finland and we didn’t see you in Germany either. Is it good to be back on the WRC?
    AA-K:
    Yes, of course, it has been three months since Sardinia and it went very quick so we are back, but it was good that we did some testing at M-Sport two weeks ago to get back into the driving seat again, so I’m looking forward to this rally, to be in good competition. This is my first time competing against (Hayden) Paddon so it will be really good to see what the pace is against him. Yazeed (Al-Rajhi) is back in the Championship after his injury and two (Ford) R5s. It will be really good to see our RRCs against the R5s so it will be good competition, I think.
    Q:
    In the Championship itself you are in second position to Robert Kubica. He is not competing here this weekend, so do you see this now as a chance to reclaim the lead?
    AA-K:
    Yes of course we are keen to get the lead again and I think Kubica is using all his bad luck in Poland… I think surely he is the fastest in WRC 2, plus Paddon and some drivers like Lappi, but I think he should win the Championship.
    Q:
    Do you think this is a rally you could be successful on, from what you have seen of the stages from the recce?
    AA-K:
    Yes, I think you have to be careful with some stages. We have some notes where you have to be careful, and some stages are very fast, like one stage or two stages on Sunday. You have to drive very fast to be very close to the guys at the front and also you have to be very careful to finish because honestly I came here to take some points, not to just go flat-out on three days, so I really try hard to finish this rally.
    Q:
    You’ve made a great start in WRC, had some great results. What are your plans for next year?
    AA-K:
    I don’t know. I would like to come back to do WRC 2. Before I can drive a world rally car, I have to win all the stages in a WRC 2 car or at least to lead all the stages but I am not doing all that well at the moment, honestly. There are many faster drivers than me, so if I get the budget for next year from Seashore then I think everything will be the same, yes, WRC 2, I will do it again.
    Q:
    Hayden, this is as close as you are going to get to home this year on the WRC. You competed here in 2011 and sealed the Production Car Championship on this event. Does it bring back good memories being here?
    HP:
    Yeah, it’s always been very kind to us this rally. Even two years prior to that we won Group N in 2009 so we’ve certainly got a good track record here. Obviously we’ve got this weekend but it’s as close as we’ll get to home and you know, it feels like you’re at home. I know the Kiwi’s won’t like me saying that, but everything is very similar. You don’t feel so much culture shock as you do in some places in Europe. We’re feeling good, feeling comfortable and the car is great.
    Q:
    Are there similarities between the roads here and New Zealand?
    HP:
    Nothing compares to New Zealand’s roads! But there are some stages here that are very nice. Particularly the long stage; it’s one of the best stages in the Championship. It’s got a bit of everything, a lot of very fast flowing stuff, some technical stuff in the middle and opening up again at the end. Some of the other stages I’ve compared to Portugal, similar bedrock, so there’s a variety of stages which is going to keep the drivers honest. Even things like car set-up and stuff are going to vary as the weekend progresses.
    Q:
    You are the only WRC 2 driver in an S2000 here, up against RRC and R5 cars – how much of a difference will it make?
    HP:
    Here it won’t be as much of an advantage as it is in some other rallies. The Skoda has a very good chassis and what we’ve got is speed and momentum and our car is just as good, if not better, than some of the others. Where we’re missing out is engine power and torque, being able to get out of the tight corners hairpins, and Germany was a prime example of that. Here it’s not such a problem but it is interesting how Super 2000 cars have become quite obsolete over the space of two or three months which is not good for the sport, but hopefully there’s a few of them still sitting around in sheds and a few more will hopefully come out.
    Q:
    What is the objective for you this weekend in Australia?
    HP:
    Of course it is to try and win but that’s not going to be easy. We have some tough competition. We’re going to have to try and set a good pace from the word go and probably our biggest hurdle this weekend is with the car. It’s our own car that we’ve got and we’re using our own New Zealand team. But we’ve basically got no spare parts for the weekend so it is going to mean on the rougher sections we’re really going to have look after the car. And that’s down to budget, we don’t have the budget to be buying expensive parts so it’s going to be a fine balance trying to drive fast and trying to look after the car.
    Q:
    When you say no spare parts, none at all?
    HP:
    We’ve got little bits and pieces but no suspension arms, gearboxes or diffs or anything like that. So we’ve got to be very very careful.
    Q:
    So a definite element of caution over the weekend?
    HP:
    Oh definitely. But in saying that, in some of the stages which are smooth and fast, they’re not car breakers so you can push 100 per cent and as long as we keep in the middle of the road, it shouldn’t be a problem.
    Q:
    At present I believe the plan is not to return to Europe due to budget restrictions this season, could a win here help to secure extra budget?
    HP:
    It will certainly help. We’ve obviously out of France, we’ve missed the entry cut-off for France but we are still working on trying to do things for Spain and GB. We’re never giving up. Of course we would still like to do the full Championship, but that’s maybe not so possible now but we will be heading back to Europe where we have some testing and some things involved when we head back over there and hopefully we can keep working on a budget and maybe we’ll get to Spain.
    Q:
    Is there anything in the pipeline for next year, can you tell us anything about 2014?
    HP:
    It’s very early at the moment. We will have a lot more substantial program for next year and we simply haven’t been in the WRC enough this year. So there are several things that we’re working on which are proving positive and things are looking much better now than they did six months ago.