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Hayden Paddon, co-driver John Kennard win Rally of Whangarei: APRC Ro4
Whangarei, Sunday 14 May 2023: Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have won the 2023 International Rally of Whangārei in their Hyundai i20N Rally 2 car, finishing 3min35 ahead of Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn (Skoda) while Rana Horan and Michael Connor finished third (Skoda).
Indian businessman from Andhra Pradesh and former Promoter of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) has sponsored the Prize Money for the winners of the APRC segment for both Otago Rally and the International Rally of Whangarei.
The fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) it was also the final round for the sub-category Pacific Cup. Paddon’s successive point scoring reinstated him as champion and was awarded the FIA trophy by representative Mr Wayne Scott.
It’s Paddon’s eighth win in Whangārei – his first was in 2007.
“I’m really proud of our team and being able to take the Pacific Cup again – against strong competition like Ben and Rana,” said Paddon after the finish.
“The event has been nice to us over the years so are honoured to make it win number eight and we look forward to next year. It was a flawless effort from the team. The car ran perfectly, so is a credit to their performance from the workshop to the event.”
The disappointment continued for Shane van Gisbergen and co-driver Glen Weston when they went off the road on the third stage of the morning. Competing for the experience, van Gisbergen’s day started with a spin on the opening stage before setting second-fastest time on the second.
A faultless performance by Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon and John Kennard has rewarded the team with their eighth win at the International Rally of Whangārei on Sunday.
Photo by Geoff Ridder.Following heavy rain in the week leading up to the event the rally ran as scheduled – including the city-side Pohe Island publicity stage. The event covered eight stages to the north on the Saturday and six to the south on Sunday, totalling 707.99km – 225.80km being competitive sections. Attrition was high with 21 of the 48 missing from the finish.
Returning to Whangārei’s Pūtahi Park in the Town Basin, the city’s mayor Mr Vince Cocurullo was on hand to celebrate with the finishers. The top three also received
prize money provided by Indian businessman and promoter Vamcy Merla. Paddon’s team was awarded NZ$3,000 for the win, $2,000 for Hunt and $1,000 for Horan in third.
The Ken Block Memorial trophy was awarded to Auckland’s Rana Horan – for outstanding sportsman like attitude and performance.
“It didn’t all go his way on the Saturday and Rana demonstrated the type of attitude we knew of Ken – his ability to give, accept adversity and still deliver a 100% performance,” said Rally New Zealand representative Chris Carr.
When his name was called out, Horan was speechless: “Awesome. It’s off the hook. Unreal,” he said. “Ken Block is a legend – I was thinking what did I do to deserve this, so am blown away. It really means a lot and I’m so grateful to Rally New Zealand for putting this together.”
Dunlop tyres drive of the event was awarded to Pukekohe’s Zeal Jones – his first time on the Whangārei roads. The 18-year-old finished fifth overall.
First two-wheel drive was Christchurch’s Dylan Thompson (Ford Fiesta Rally 4), finishing just behind Jones in sixth place.
Also the second round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), the local teams now return to the South Island for the third round – the 17 June South Canterbury Rally. While Paddon leads the series, he will miss the next round.
The title deciding final round of the APRC will be held at Indonesia’s Danau Toba Rally – 24 to 26 November.
Top-ten overall: 2023 International Rally of Whangārei (provisional)
1 Hayden Paddon/John Kennard – Hyundai i20n Rally 2 2:04:03.0
2 Ben Hunt/Tony Rawstorn – Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo +3:35.6
3 Raana Horan/Michael Connor – Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo +1:08.4
4 Josh Marston/Andrew Graves – Holden Barina AP4 +6:54.8
5 Zeal Jones/Matt Sayers – Subaru Impreza +3:00.0
6 Dylan Thomson/Bayden Thomson – Ford Fiesta Rally 4 +0:00.5
7 Jackson Clendon/Tania Cresswell – Ford Fiesta Rally 4 +0:35.3
8 Jordan Grant/Glenn Goldring – Suzuki Swift Sport +3:12.4
9 Bryn Jones/Sean Lockyear – Ford Fiesta Rally 4 +0:20.4
10 Mike Young/Amy Hudson – Toyota C-HR +0:16.6
(Top-three are FIA APRC registered competitors).
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Vamcy Merla backs Rally of Whangarei, Pacific Cup winners: APRC
Whangarei (New Zealand), 11 May 2023: The 12-14 May running of the 2023 International Rally of Whangarei is underway with teams now doing pre-event reconnaissance.
“There is prize money of NZ$3,000 for the winning APRC entrant, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third, provided by Indian businessman and promoter Vamcy Merla,” said the organisers about the contribution of Merla, who is taking forward the legacy of his later father, Merla Chandrasekhar Rao of Kalyani Group in Andhra Pradesh.
Preparation for the return of the international level to the Whangārei region comes after numerous weather events and successive years hiatus through COVID-19 restrictions.
Organisers are now looking ahead following Tuesday’s rain downpour – focussing on delivering the event as planned, with currently only one minor alteration to the timetable.
Scheduled to be contested over 18 special sections of closed road, that has now been reduced to 16.
“On the Sunday we’ve removed the Tangihua road from the timetable – which was to be used twice,” said Mr Steve Foster, chairman of the organising committee.
“Following the weather front that passed through we’ve had to ask and been asked the question as to the usability of some roads. Inspection has confirmed It only affected one section of road where there have been slips that are yet to be cleared. While it’s expected to be open again this afternoon we’ve opted to remove it from our schedule.”
At 14.40km long it will reduce the overall competitive distance from 254.60km to 225.80km.
Foster says Pohe Island is now the current focus. The William Fraser Memorial Park is to host Saturday’s publicity section: “Current conditions make it marginal for hospitality to setup at Pohe Island – we’re working on an alternate option while remaining optimistic the clearer weather mean we can run as planned.”
With light rain expected during the Thursday, weather for the next few days is clear.
“It’s possible a few showers could pass through later on Sunday however that’s a few days out and unlikely to affect anything,” added Foster.
The event brings 48 teams to the region – 11 of them contesting the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) category. Top-seed drivers include Hayden Paddon and Shane van Gisbergen.
Seven cars are offshore entries, including the Cusco Toyota C-HR of Michael Young. Others include Eugene Creugent and Pierre-Henri Brunet from New Caledonia, Julien Lenglet and Nelson Law from Vanuatu, Stewart Reid and Glen Alcorn from Australia.
Activity starts from 1pm Friday with shakedown testing at William Fraser Memorial Park’s Pohe Island. Drivers will then be at the Cameron St Mall from 4:45pm for a signing session ahead of the 5:30pm ceremonial start.
The competitive section begins Saturday morning with four special stage tests to the north of Whangārei. They return from 11:42am for a service stop before repeating the journey in the afternoon. The day concludes with a double run of the Pohe Island 1.15km spectator stage.
Sunday uses four road stage sections to the south – repeated after the 10:39am service break. The remaining teams return for the ceremonial finish at the Pūtahi Park – Town Basin, Whangārei, from 3pm.
Spectator tickets start at $10 for the rural stages for the Saturday or Sunday, or $20 for the Pohe Island stage. Full ticketing information can be found on the website. https://www.rallywhangarei.co.nz/spectators/
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Between NASCAR, Indy500 and F1, America is wetting its whistle: Harish Samtani explores
By Harish Samtani
Miami (USA), 10 May 2023: America, a land of NASCAR and Indy 500 is wetting its whistle in a technically complicated form of racing known as Formula 1 in the rest of the world.
Same yet different!
Technically F1 is as similar to the open-wheel racing in USA as chalk is to cheese!
With two engine makers as backbones of the event, there are 2-gear shifts.
All turning left and it’s minus 5G forces (or thereabouts) stressing neck muscles, the Indy 500 has a unique type of driver.
But the adoration levels are sky high here! F1 drivers have a limited fan following in comparison for sure.
Currently, matters are made worse for F1 since there are no characters left. Only one worth mentioning is Fernando Alonso. His stock in USA soared with the unfounded rumour that he is dating Taylor Swift an icon and that too with more wealth and fame than all f1 drivers combined.
Former Indian racing and rally legend Harish Samtani, a columnist now, at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. INDIAinF1 image She sings while F1 drivers are constantly facing the music!
Meanwhile, Red Bull should be commended for the vice like grip it’s taken on the championship but f1 fans call it plain boring.
That’s rather unfair since they have gotten to where are with a lot of hard work and relentless effort.
People have forgotten the times when Lewis Hamilton brought F1 to its knees with his ruthless command of the sport. Unfair and brutal racism ensued as a result. It’s obvious that F1 is a Caucasian sport from the obvious lack of coloured personnel in the pit garages.
This aspect needs to be addressed for sure. Can a successful Mexican driver be deemed as non-Caucasian? I don’t know – you tell me. With the FOM increasing its commercial footprint to non-European and American countries something has to give.
And soon. Making it inclusive is the need of the hour. That would actually help it gain a momentum and a larger fan base. This isn’t rocket science! F1 venues in Europe will have to find ways to make it a family friendly affair and not just for the petrol-heads. That era has passed. Let’s make it fun, competitive and inclusive.
A lack of any one of the 3 would make it struggle. F1 has all the other ingredients to power it ahead to a bright future, for the next decade ahead at least! Technology is going thru a sea change and once we are driven by electric eventually one wonders what lies ahead. For now let’s just deal with its current ‘problems!
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JK Tyre-backed Ruhaan Alva grabs a superb 2nd: GB4 Championship
Silverstone, 9 May 2023: Indian Racing starRuhaan Alva grabbed his maiden podium in the GB4 single-seater championship last weekend with a second-place finish in the final race of the series’ second round at England’s iconic Silverstone race circuit.
The 16-year-old from Bengaluru, backed by the JK Tyre scholarship programme, crossed the line less than a second behind winner Harri Reynolds and Tom Mills finished third.
Ruhaan Alva, who drives for Fortec Motorsports team, took his rostrum result in the third race of the weekend. Starting from pole in the reverse grid race, he had a contact with Sid Smith, which robbed him of the momentum, and gave Reynolds a sniff at the lead.
The Bengaluru teenager defended robustly against Reynolds, going wheel-to-wheel with the Elite Motorsport racer, through the high-speed Maggots and Becketts complex of corners. But the young Indian ultimately had to concede as Reynolds swept past at Vale.
Ruhaan didn’t get a chance to make the place back as the safety car was deployed to clear away Sid Smith’s car, which had suffered a puncture from the start-line contact with Ruhaan and was left stranded at Copse. Thomas Lee had also spun off in his Evans GP car at Abbey.
The safety car came in, once the time limit on the race had run out. With no overtaking allowed, Reynolds went clear of the field and cruised to the flag followed by Ruhaan.
Ruhaan Alva said, “It’s really nice to be here. The qualifying didn’t go as planned and I had to settle for P11. I got caught up in traffic. Later, the rain and resultant spray resulted in a lot of lost time. My first podium of the season is a really good boost to my confidence and we know that if we keep working hard, we will be able to achieve consistent results.”
“Ideally it would have been P1 but Harri passed me and I just had to stick with him and hope that no one else caught me and started fighting me so then I could get a gap behind.
“Obviously I’d like to thank the big sponsors who helped me get here, my Dad, and it’s really great thing being an Indian driver being able to get podiums outside of India now,” Ruhaan concluded.
The GB4 Championship is an entry-level, one-make single seater championship aimed at giving young racers their first taste of slicks-and-wings machinery. Launched in September 2021, the series is currently in its second season and uses Tatuus F4-T014 cars, which are also raced in Italian, ADAC and Spanish F4 series.
About JK Tyre Motorsport
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.
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Le Mans all set to host the historic 1000th MotoGP race
Le Mans, 9 May 2023: As you all know, this weekend Le Mans will host the 1000th Grand Prix in history. Here are some stats for the occasion!
1949 – The Grand Prix World Championship was introduced in 1949 with four classes for solo motorcycles: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. The very first race counting towards a World Championship classification was the 350cc race on Monday June 13th 1949 on the Isle of Man, won by Freddie Frith on a Velocette.
817 – Honda is the most successful manufacturer in GP racing with 817 wins ahead of Yamaha (520), Aprilia (295), MV Agusta (275), Kalex (165) and Suzuki (162).
432 – Valentino Rossi is the rider with most GP starts: 432, meaning he’s raced in more than 43% of all the Grands Prix that have taken place.
393 – From the very first race in 1949 to the 2023 Spanish GP, 393 different riders have stood on the top step of the podium. The most recent “new winner” is Ivan Ortola in Moto3™ in Austin this year.
235 – Valentino Rossi is the rider with the most podiums with 235, ahead of Giacomo Agostini (159), Dani Pedrosa (153), Jorge Lorenzo (152), Angel Nieto (139) and Marc Marquez (139).
125 – 125 different riders have clinched a Grand Prix World Championship, taking a total of 284 titles. Giacomo Agostini holds the record with 15, ahead of Angel Nieto (12 + 1), Mike Hailwood (9), Rossi (9) and Carlo Ubbiali (9).
122 – Agostini is the most successful rider with 122 GP wins ahead of Rossi (115) and Nieto (90). Marc Marquez is fourth with 85 wins, ahead of Hailwood with 76.
73 – Assen is the venue that has hosted the most Grands Prix. It held an event every year since the World Championship started back in 1949, until 2019. The 2020 Dutch TT was then cancelled due to the pandemic, making it 73 Dutch TTs so far counting towards the World Championship.
73 – Since 1949, 73 different circuits have hosted a premier class Grand Prix; Mandalika is the most recent addition, joining the calendar in 2022.
30 – Since 1949, 30 different manufacturers have clinched Grand Prix World titles. Honda leads with 72 titles ahead of Yamaha (37), MV Agusta (37), Aprilia (19) and Suzuki (15).
29 – 29 countries have hosted at least one Grand Prix since 1949. Spain leads with 143 ahead of Italy on 103.
29 – 29 nationalities have won Grands Prix. Italy leads with 876 wins ahead of Spain (700) and the UK (413).
20 – There were six GPs in 1949, all in Europe. 20 GPs are now scheduled in 2023, in 17 different countries.
19 – 19 nationalities are represented in the 125 World Champions crowned since 1949. Italy leads with 80 world titles ahead of Spain (57) and the UK (45).
1 – Of the 125 Champions, 70 (more than half) have clinched only one title – but 55 are multiple World Champions.
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Max Verstappen wins from P9; Red Bull 1-2: Miami GP
Miami (USA), 7 May 2023: Max Verstappen powered his way through from ninth on the grid to win the Miami Grand Prix, passing team-mate Sergio Pérez in the closing stages of the 57-lap race as Red Bull Racing sealed its fourth one-two finish of the season. Fernando Alonso scored his fourth podium finish of the season so far with third place for Aston Martin.
When the lights went out, Pérez got away well and took the lead ahead of Alonso and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. Behind them, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen made a poor start and dropped back to seventh as Pierre Gasly moved to fourth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Meanwhile, Verstappen, on Hard tyres, lost out at the start when Alfa Romeo’s Valterri Bottas made a good start and rose to eighth. However, the Dutchman quickly moved past Alpine’s Esteban to take back P9.
That became P8 on the next lap and then at the end of lap 3 the Dutchman closed up behind the duelling pair of Leclerc and Magnussen and when the Haas driver tried to fight back after Leclerc had overtaken him, Verstappen moved to inside and powered past both under DRS as they crossed the line.
The Red Bull driver closed up to Russell on lap nine and passed the Mercedes driver under braking into Turn 17. He chose the same place to muscle past Gasly on the next lap and then on lap 14 he passed the Spaniard under DRS into Turn 11. His next target was Alonso, and with pace to spare he eased past the Aston Martin driver, who offered little resistance, on the following lap.
The medium-tyre starters now began to pit and Pérez made his stop at the end of lap 20. The Mexican switched to Hard tyres in 2.2 seconds and rejoined in fourth place behind Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who had started on Hard tyres. Verstappen, still on his starting Hards, now led the race.
After Pérez reclaimed P2 from Ocon shortly before half distance the race became a tactical battle between Pérez, on fresh Hard tyres, and Verstappen on ageing Hards and with a stop for Mediums to come.
Pérez, 16 seconds behind his team-mate pushed to close the gap while also trying to protect his tyres for the inevitable fight at the end of the race, but as Verstappen continued to put in strong lap times despite the age of his tyres it soon became clear that the Mexican was fighting a losing battle.
After an exceptional final phase of his long opening, during which he set a cluster of fastest lap times, Verstappen made his sole stop of the race on lap 45 and took on Medium tyres. He emerged just 1.6 seconds behind his team-mate and on lap 47 he closed up to his team-mate and attacked into Turn 17.
Pérez defended well but on the run to Turn 1 at the start of the next lap he drew alongside and after a brief tussle got past to take the lead and ultimately the win.
And 10 laps later Max crossed the line five seconds ahead of Pérez to take a second consecutive Miami Grand Prix and his third win of the season. Alonso, capped a lonely race with a fourth podium finish of the year ahead of Russell and Sainz, who had five seconds added to his time at the flag for an earlier pit lane speeding offence.
Sixth place went to Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc seventh for Ferrari. Gasly was eighth for Alpine ahead of team-mate Ocon and the final point went to Magnussen.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 57 1:27’38.241
2 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 57 1:27’43.625 5.384
3 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 57 1:28’04.546 26.305
4 George Russell Mercedes 57 1:28’11.470 33.229
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 1:28’20.752 42.511
6 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 1:28’29.490 51.249
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 1:28’31.229 52.988
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine 57 1:28’33.911 55.670
9 Esteban Ocon Alpine 57 1:28’36.364 58.123
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas 57 1:28’41.186 1’02.945
11 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 57 1:28’42.550 1’04.309
12 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 57 1:28’42.995 1’04.754
13 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 57 1:28’49.878 1’11.637
14 Alexander Albon Williams 57 1:28’51.102 1’12.861
15 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 57 1:28’53.191 1’14.950
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 57 1:28’56.681 1’18.440
17 Lando Norris McLaren 57 1:29’05.958 1’27.717
18 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri RBPT 57 1:29’07.190 1’28.949
19 Oscar Piastri McLaren 56 – 1 lap
20 Logan Sargeant Williams 56 – 1 lap -
Indian star Advait Deodhar 2nd in Challenger Trophy
Valencia (Spain) 7 May 2023: Valencia, 8 May 2023: Indian racing star Advait Deodhar secured a podium in the Challenger Trophy classification for bronze and silver drivers in the EuroNASCAR PRO, finishing second behind Riccardo Romagnoli. In the overall classification, the Euro-based Deodhar, finished P10 within points for a very impressive debut in the top class.
Kenko Miura came third and overall 11th. The Indian rounded out the top-10 positions. Provisionally, Lucas Lasserre exits the Spanish round of the championship as the championship leader with 71 points. Doubek is in second with 64 points with the aid of bonus points for most positions gained that he secured in Race 2, while Goossens sits in third with 63 points.
Advait Deodhar being interviewed by his manager Anish Gohil in Valencia. Advait Deodhar won the Elite Club championship in 2018 in his debut year and has been competing in EuroNASCAR since then. He took part in the NASCAR2 last year, made an impressive debut in elite Pro-Division at NASCAR Whelen European Series Round 1 here on Saturday.
One driver who stood out from the rest was Indian racing ace Advait Deodhar, who promoted himself to Elite Pro division this year, driving for Academy Motorsports team. Advait had virtually no practice time, going into the race weekend, which made his performance even more impressive.
The NASCAR Whelen European Series made its much-awaited return to Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, and it did not disappoint. The first round of the Elite Pro division saw some exhilarating racing and a mix of fortune for many drivers.
Deodhar salvages P16 in Race 1
Starting from P14 in Race 1 on Saturday, Advait had a decent start but was forced to go wide in Turn 1 and lost a few positions. However, he managed to gain back some places as the race progressed. His battle with Thomas in car number 46 was intense, and he eventually settled for P16.
“The qualifying time for Race 2 on Sunday was based on the quickest lap time from Race 1. Advait was determined to do better in Race 2, starting from P14 again. The start of the race was as expected, with drivers going all out to gain positions,” said Anish Gohil, his spotter.
“An incident in turn one forced half of the grid to go wide but Advait managed to move up to P12. With four laps remaining, another incident involving leading cars of Gimmy and Hezemans forced the safety car out again. Doing everything right at the restart, Advait managed to finish in P10, securing championship points of the season and a top 10 finish,” he added.
It was a step in the right direction for Advait, who will be looking to build on this performance going forward.
The next round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is in the UK at Brands Hatch, which is Advait’s home race. Also it a memorable venue for the Indian, as he secured his first career win in NASCAR at the same venue.
Academy Motorsports have shown great pace at the track, and Advait and the team are determined to perform well at NASCAR GP UK. Overall, the first round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was a fantastic event, with some great racing and performances from all drivers.
“Advait Deodhar’s debut in the Elite Pro division was a promising start, and we look forward to seeing him and Academy Motorsports in action again at Brands Hatch,” Gohil concluded.
In the overall classification, the Euro-based Deodhar, finished P10 within points. Kenko Miura came third and overall 11th. The Indian rounded out the top-10 positions. Provisionally, Lucas Lasserre exits the Spanish round of the championship as the championship leader with 71 points. Doubek is in second with 64 points with the aid of bonus points for most positions gained that he secured in Race 2, while Goossens sits in third with 63 points.
The Race report
The season opener of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season ended with a big bang and it was Lucas Lasserre who won EuroNASCAR PRO Round 2 in a tremendous battle against Martin Doubek. The Speedhouse Racing driver grabbed his first victory since 2018 and gave Speedhouse the team’s second win in EuroNASCAR PRO since its debut in 2017. The Frenchman took advantage from a clash between Gianmarco Ercoli and Liam Hezemans late in the race to take the lead and capture the checkered flag.
The owner, engineer and driver coach of Speedhouse didn’t plan to jump into the #64 Ford Mustang in 2023, but with the cockpit free, the Biarritz resident decided to take the wheel at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Lasserre has been involved in the series since its foundation in 2009 and is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. It took all his cleverness to put the #64 in Victory Lane: the Frenchman took the lead on restart – the second of the race – on lap 17, beating Vladimiros Tziortzis into turn 2 after the Cypriot had kept the lead in turn 1. Lasserre then defended first place and turned the NASCAR GP Spain into a huge party for Speedhouse.
On to Brands Hatch – June 17 and 18
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will make its next stop on June 17-18 at Circuit Brands Hatch in the UK. Four action-packed races will highlight the 10th edition of the popular American SpeedFest at the Indy layout of the legendary race track close to London. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and several TV services from all around the world.
Editor’s Note: With inputs from Official press release from EuroNASCAR /ANDRÉ WIEGOLD / REZA MAULANA / GIAN LUCA GUIGLIA
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Mahindra Racing Formula E team continue to make progress in Monaco
Mumbai / Banbury, May 8, 2023: Mahindra Racing Formula E team leaves round nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship feeling positive with their race pace after a storming start to the Monaco E-Prix by Oliver Rowland.
Oliver lined up in 13th place on the iconic Monaco grid after an improved performance in qualifying earlier in the day. After passing seven cars in the first two laps, he dropped back a few places due to taking attack mode early. Unfortunately, during the hectic race, he made contact with the back of Mortara’s Maserati, injuring his hand. He was also hit on the side by another competitor causing a puncture, meaning he had to pit the #8 for both a nose change and a left rear wheel change. Towards the later stages of the race, Oliver was struggling too much with the pain in his hand, so he and the team decided to retire the car to stop Oliver suffering any more pain.
Racing on his home streets, Lucas Di Grassi also made up seven places throughout the 29-lap race, crossing the line in P13 after starting in 20th place. His qualifying session was hampered by a crash in FP1, the nature of the Monaco race weekend meaning all sessions are held on one day and started towards the back of the grid. After a relatively quiet race, Lucas crossed the line in 13th place, but was promoted to 12th position after a penalty for another competitor.
Retiring from the race with an injured hand, Oliver Rowland said: “I made a great start. I passed seven cars over the first two laps and even managed to save energy at the same time as well, so it was looking positive. I dropped back a couple of spots after using my attack mode early on, but from then on, I was purely focused on moving back up the field again. Unfortunately, I made contact with Mortara, which subsequently hurt my hand when the steering wheel bashed it. I then got hit by Rast and got a puncture so had to pit for a wheel and a front nose change which put us to the back of the pack. Once I returned to the track, I tried to carry on, but I ended up having to retire the car because I was in quite a bit of pain. Luckily no broken bones so we look ahead to Jakarta next.”
Reflecting on his second home race, Lucas Di Grassi said: “We had a tough day, starting with FP1 with a crash making us lose critical time in the first few laps of learning the track. Then we were playing catch up. In qualifying we made some improvements, managing the first set of tyres. I lost a set of tyres because of the crash so in qualifying the first part was actually quite good. Then in the race, we started P20 and we did a good race with a very good strategy and energy saving. I managed to pass seven cars making it up to 13th, but that was the best we could do, especially with the late safety car at the end which really hurt our chances.”
Mahindra Racing CEO, Frederic Bertrand, said: “Oliver had such a fantastic start, passing multiple cars in the opening laps, so it is frustrating that he ended up having to retire the car, but of course it is much more important that he gets his hand looked at immediately. Lucas also had a good race, he made up places to finish 13th, but the late safety car ruined any chance of us making up any more positions to score those points we are aiming for. The qualifying session was again disappointing, but it just goes to show that starting further up the grid, like Oliver did, makes it easier for us to attempt our points finishing target. We move onto Jakarta next.”
The next race for the team is the Jakarta E-Prix double header on 3-4 June.
Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper.
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Geoffrey Emmanuel survives big crash to finish debut race: JrGP, road to MotoGP
Estoril (Portugal), 7 May 2023: India’s Geoffrey Emmanuel, despite a high-side crash in qualifying session, went on to complete his debut race in the first round of the FIM World Championship JuniorGP at the famed Circuit do Estoril on Sunday.
Chennai-born 18-year old Geoffrey, the first and lone Indian rider in the JuniorGP, crashed in the very first flying lap of the qualifying session on Saturday and could not post a time. However, he was still allowed to race on Sunday because of his times in free practice sessions, but had to start from the back of the 29-bike grid and eventually finished 22nd.
Geoffrey, who is sponsored by Fairstreet Sports, Vidiem, Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation and Gusto Racing India, had a very good start in the race. Despite having just 35 minutes of track time on the bike and nursing injuries, he did well to stick on to the last bunch in Moto3. After a red flag due to crashes and a restart of a shortened five-lap race, he moved up to 19th spot before finishing the race in 22nd position with some good battles with the seasoned Moto3 riders.
Earlier, in Free Practice 1, Geoffrey rode the 2018 bike until the new engine arrived for the season, and was fitted on to the new chassis. It meant he could ride only for the last 15 minutes of FP2. His FP3 outing was curtailed to 20 minutes of track time due to rains.
Reflecting on his performance, Geoffrey said: “I enjoyed riding at the highest level of the junior World Championship. I have been learning and improving with every lap on the new bike even though I wasn’t at my best physically. Now, we are looking forward to round two in Valencia, Spain, later this month. I would like to thank my sponsors Fairstreet sports, Vidiem, Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation and Gusto Racing India.”
The second round of the championship, which is a junior class race event that runs under FIM Moto3 regulations and acts as a Moto3 World Championship feeder class, will be held at the Circuit do Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain, on May 20-21.
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Sergio Perez takes pole; Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashes
Miami (USA), 6 May 2023: Sergio Pérez will start the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix from the front of the grid after the Red Bull driver’s first flying lap of Q3 proved good enough for pole position due to a crash for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on his final run of the top-10 shootout. The incident brought out the red flags and the session wasn’t resumed meaning no driver managed to get in a final lap. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso qualified in P2 ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, while championship leader Max Verstappen will start from ninth place on the grid.
In Q1, Vertstappen took P1 with his first lap of the session, thanks to a lap of 1:28.424. The champion was soon beaten by Pérez who set a time of 1:28.306. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc then split the Red Bull pair with a lap of 1:28.422, just 0.002 ahead of Verstappen and a little over a tenth off Pérez .
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, was heading back to the pit lane. The Mercedes driver came across the slow Haas of Kevin Magnussen and to avoid a collision, Hamilton had to swerve and clip the wall. He was soon back on track, however, with no serious damage detected.
Verstappen was on another hot lap, though, and he took over at the top with a lap of 1:27.363. Pérez also improved and moved back to second place, 0.350s behind his team-mate and more than a tenth ahead of Leclerc. In the final moments, Sainz moved 0.003s ahead of Pérez with Leclerc fourth ahead of Magnussen, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who had needed a good final lap, jumped from last to fifth with his last effort.
Ruled out at the end of the first segment were McLaren’s Lando Norris in P16, followed by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tusnoda, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and local hero Logan Sargeant of Williams.
Verstappen and Pérez were first on track at the start of Q2 with both on new soft tyres. Verstappen was first across the line with a lap of 1:27.100. Pérez was right behind his team-mate on track and he followed Max on the timesheet too, slotting into P2, just over two tenths off the champion.
Once again, Sainz split the Red Bull drivers on the first runs, 0.038s behind Max and just under two tenths ahead of Pérez. Alonso was fourth, with Leclerc in fifth.
With a minute left on the clock Leclerc jumped up to P1 with a final lap of 1:26.964. Verstappen was, however, setting personal bests across his final lap and the Red Bull driver returned to P1 with a lap of 1:26.814. Alonso took third behind Leclerc, with Sainz in fourth. Pérez eased through to the top-10 shootout in fifth place.
There was no place in the final segment of Qualifying for Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver was ruled out in P13. Also out were Williams’ Alex Albon in P11 followed by Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg , with Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu behind Hamilton and AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries in P15.
At the start of the top-10 shootout Verstappen was forced to abandon his first flying lap after making a mistake in Turn 5. That left the door open for Pérez and the Mexican took provisional pole with a lap of 1:26.841.
In the final runs, Verstappen led his team-mate out of the garage but neither would get a chance at a final flyer. Ahead of the Red Bulls, Leclerc began his final flyer, but the Monegasque driver lost control in Turn 6 and spun backwards across the run-off and into the barriers. With just 1m36s left on the clock and no time for drivers to complete a warm-up lap if the clock was restarted, Race Control ended the session and Pérez took the third pole position of his career and his second of 2023.
Behind the Mexican, Alonso claimed his second front row start of the year with second place and Sainz took third. Magnussen profited from the misfortunes around him to take a surprise fourth place ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Mercedes’ George Russell and Leclerc. Max, meanwhile, will launch a fight back towards the front from ninth place on the grid behind the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:26.841
2 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:27.202 0.361
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:27.349 0.508
4 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:27.767 0.926
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:27.786 0.945
6 George Russell Mercedes 1:27.804 0.963
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:27.861 1.020
8 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:27.935 1.094
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
10 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo
11 Alex Albon Williams 1:27.795 0.954
12 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:27.903 1.062
13 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:27.975 1.134
14 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:28.091 1.250
15 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1:28.395 1.554
16 Lando Norris McLaren 1:28.394 1.553
17 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:28.429 1.588
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:28.476 1.635
19 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:28.484 1.643
20 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:28.577 1.736
