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Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan Sprint ahead of Verstappen
Baku, 29 April 2023: Sergio Pérez took the first Sprint win of his career with a controlled drive to victory in Baku that saw him pass Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc midway through the race in the Sprint race ahead of the FIA Formula 1 Championship here on Sunday .
Third place in the 17-lap race went to Max Verstappen. The championship leader dropped to fourth at the start after being hit by George Russell but later passed the Mercedes drive to take the P3 medal.
When the lights went out at the start, Leclerc got away well from the front of the grid to take the lead. Pérez matched the Ferrari drive off the line and tucked in behind, but Verstappen was slow to start and he was quickly put under pressure by Russell. Verstappen had the upper hand in Turn 1 but Russell was more aggressive at the next corner. He locked up on cold tyres, however, and collided with the Red Bull, gouging a hole in the sidepod of Versatppen’s RB19. The Dutchman had to give way to the Briton as they headed onto the straight towards Turn 3.
Moments later the Virtual Safety Car was deployed when AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda hit the wall in Turn 14 and with debris on the track the physical Safety Car was released at the end of lap three.
The SC left the track at the end of lap five. Leclerc managed the restart well ahead of Pérez but it was Verstappen who reacted best to Leclerc’s acceleration and he ambushed Russell just after they crossed the start-finish line. The Dutchman dived down the inside of the Mercedes and powered past the Mercedes into Turn 1.
Behind them, Carlos Sainz also reacted well and he muscled past Lewis Hamilton under braking into Turn 1 to take P5. Hamilton, forced wide, also surrendered position to the opportunistic Fernando Alonso who tucked in behind Sainz and stole P6.
On lap 8, with DRS back in play after the resumption, Pérez closed up to Leclerc and as they roared along the long straight toward Turn 1 he swept past the Ferrari to take the lead.
Two laps later, Leclerc lost the DRS boost of being within a second of Pérez and Verstappen tried to close in. The Ferrari driver responded, though, and he briefly pushed his way back into DRS of the race leader as Verstappen drifted out of range of Leclerc.
Pérez was now in firm control and on lap 14 he stretched his lead to 1.3 seconds and from there sailed serenely on to take a superbly managed first Sprint win.
Verstappen managed to close up to within a second of Leclerc on the penultimate lap but the Ferrari driver was wily enough to harvest energy in the right places and was able to keep restrict the Dutchman to third at the flag.
Behind the top three, Russell took fourth place ahead of Sainz and Alonso and Hamilton and the final point on offer went to Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Sprint
1 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 17 –
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 17 4.463
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 17 5.065
4 George Russell Mercedes 17 8.532
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 17 10.388
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 17 11.613
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 17 16.503
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 17 18.417
9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 17 21.757
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 17 22.851
11 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 17 27.990
12 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 17 34.602
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 17 36.918
14 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT 17 41.626
27 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 17 48.587
16 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 17 49.917
17 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 17 51.104
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 17 1’00.621
Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT 2 – Retirement
Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 0 – Withdrawn -
Abdul Shaikh starts title defence in style; adds one more win; Jagathishree tops
Irungattukottai (Chennai), 29 April 2023: Champion rider Abdul Shaikh began with a bang scoring a double in the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2023 at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.
In the Girls’ section, Jagathishree sprang a surprise winning the 4Stroke up to 165cc Novice class with ease and grace.
The Drag Nationals are powered by Vamsi Merla, a businessman from Andhra Pradesh and successor to well-known philanthropist and businessman Later Merla Chandrasekhar Rao of the Kalyani group.
Organised and promoted by Madras Motor Sports Club, the Drag Nationals are run on a dedicated quarter-mile strip for most of the classes except the feature races where the distance is reduced to 303 metres to provide for a longer run-off space.
Abdul Shaik, on his winning run in the Super Sport up to 130cc class. The 29-year-old Bengalurean Abdul Shaikh topped in the 2-Stroke 131-165cc and up to 130cc categories. He is the defending champion in the up to 130cc class and is looking for two titles this year. “I am so happy today. It was a hectic day and I am tired. It really took some time to get into the groove as both the tyre temperature and track temperature fell after the short spell of rain. The rain is welcome but adjusting to weather challenges has its own pitfalls. I am glad, I did well in my class and also got enough points in the next class ie 131 to 165cc category.”
Jagathishree, beat many stars to win the first round of the Drag Nationals at Madras International Circuit on Saturday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Jagathishree of One Racing team from Chennai emerged winner in the Girls’ class beating a host of experienced riders in Ryhana Bee, Soundari Sindy, and defending champion Lani Zena Fernandes, who did not attend the podium ceremony due to a family emergency. Lani came second followed by Sindy, as she is popularly known at the circuit. Sindy lost the National title in the last round last year after a powerful run in the first three rounds. Today, her third place is enough to bag crucial points and both Lani Zena, Sindy, and the fourth-placed Czimhy will be in contention for the championship in the four-round Nationals.
But Saturday was Jagathishree’s. With a display of immense control and despite a slow reaction time (which has no impact on the final time due to the 3-second window), she pelted the fastest time both in the practice run and the final run. Riding a bike tuned by Dilli Babu for Team One Racing run by Mohamed Hanif, who is also her coach, she is here to stay. “The wet conditions presented a challenge but I was confident and we did clinch the first victory,’’ said a happy Jagathishree.
Another local rider Saravanan E claimed the honours in the 4-Stroke Up to 165cc Super Sport Indian category as he clocked 14.346 seconds beating Mohammed Fazil of Bengaluru by a fraction of a second. Fazil clocked 14.360. Madhan Kumar R, also of Chennai timed 14.562 to take the final spot on the podium.
Saravanan E claimed the honours in the 4-Stroke Up to 165cc Super Sport Indian category. The day’s proceedings were delayed by about two hours due to heavy showers but the promoters, Madras Motor Sports Club, stepped up to the challenge and completed the day’s scheduled programme by putting off any category races to the next day.
The event concludes on Sunday and will see the “big boys” on their superbikes competing for the honours with practice runs in the morning followed by the final runs in the afternoon.
The first round saw lukewarm response with only about 100 entries all the 2022 National champions except a couple, on hand to defend their titles. Reigning Bharatraj who did not take part today is expected to join in Round 2.
The results (Provisional):
4-Stroke Up to 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Bike #79 Saravanan E (Chennai) (14.346secs); 2. #82 Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru) (14.360); 3. #84 Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.562).
Girls (4-Stroke Up to 165cc, Novice): 1. #2 Jagathishree (Chennai, One Racing) (16.515); 2. #9 Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Ultimate 1) (16.965); 3. #13 Soundari Sindy A (Chennai, AS Motorsports) (16.992).
2-Stroke 131-165cc (Super Sport): 1. #47 Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.072); 2. #39 Shashi Kiran (Bengaluru) (13.425); 3. #38 Manoj Kumar (Chennai) (13.515).
2-Stroke Up to 130 (Super Sport): 1. #24 Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.468); 2. #20 Mohamed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.505); 3. #23 Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (13.800).
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Pure gold! Binder vs Miller vs Bagnaia lights up the Tissot Sprint in Spain
KTM put on a true showstopper as Bagnaia picks a late race pocket to complete his Saturday turnaround.
There’s racing, and there’s racing. MotoGP is in the business of the latter, and the Tissot Sprint at Jerez was another sublime showdown as 2023 continues to deliver. The same can be said of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the South African went toe-to-toe with teammate Jack Miller over the slightly shortened 11-lap dash, just able to edge clear on the final lap to his second Sprint win in four. Miller certainly made it a Thriller at the front, but the Australian was ultimately pipped to second by reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the final lap, heading ever-so-slightly wide and Pecco needing no second invitation.
The first start saw a crash bring out the red flag as Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was caught out by an incident between Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) also unable to avoid it. The riders were all ok and able to head back for the restart, but damaged bikes needed moving. Morbidelli was also then given a Long Lap for the contact, to be served on Sunday.
LIGHTS OUT = ELBOWS OUT
Ready to race? You bet. The KTMs attacked straight away on take two, with Binder grabbing the lead from Miller and both Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Bagnaia also slicing past polesitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). Martin then went for Miller, but it wasn’t long before the Aussie struck back, and the squabble offered Bagnaia his first pickpocketing opportunity of the afternoon as he slotted into third: Binder, Miller, Bagnaia, and Martin were locked together.Drama hit then for Alex Marquez as hit the gravel trap, and just one lap later and disaster struck for another Spaniard as Aleix Espargaro crashed out of a point-scoring position for the 3rd time in 2023. The polesitter was out of it, and both will try and reset it for Sunday.
Miller took to the front with eight to go, however, and the duel was on. The KTMs still began to pull away from the two Ducatis though, and by four laps to go the gap was half a second. Meanwhile, Martin was riding all over the rear wheel of Bagnaia’s factory Ducati, as the reigning Champion seemed to struggle to hold onto the leading duo. Martin was desperate to find a way past the Italian as the number #1 was proving a tricky hurdle.
Miller and Binder were ragged perfection in the lead though, sliding their way around the Jerez circuit in a two-man show for a few laps. Binder looked ready to pounce, but Miller held him off, the two blasted round in tandem, and then the South African tried it once, denied, but twice, absolutely not shy. It looked like a lot to ask as the number 33 machine squirreled and headed in a little deep, but on the exit, Binder sealed the deal, back into the lead with a lap and a half to go.
From there, Binder had it pinned. There was no catching the South African this time, and instead, the duel was now for a second. The Ducatis had gained ground and Bagnaia lined up a move on Miller into the Pedrosa corner, with the Australian trying to resist on the brakes but overshooting it, giving the reigning Champion an opportunity he wouldn’t turn down.
Miller gathered it back up to avoid another duel with earlier sparring partner Martin, and the Australian didn’t quite get that win or make it a 1-2, but he definitely still stormed Jerez. Bagnaia’s second is an impressive turnaround from where his Saturday started in Q1 too.
DUELS, DUELS, DUELS
Fifth was also an incredibly close finish. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Racing Team) also had viewers glued to their screens as the Portuguese rider fended off the MotoGP™ Legend for 5th place… just.Just 1.5 seconds further back Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had his hands full trying to defend his 7th place from Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing Ducati), but the Spaniard came out on top in that scrap leaving the Frenchman to settle for P8. The Mooney VR46 Racing riders were involved in an intense fight for the final point-scoring position in the Sprint too, in the end, it was Bezzecchi who won the battle against Luca Marini to bag 9th place. Bezzecchi is now only three points clear of Pecco in the title fight…
After an incredible day of action at the Gran Premio MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn de España, MotoGP fans now have the opportunity to digest all of Saturday’s action before it all kicks off again on Sunday. If Saturday is anything to go by, you do not want to miss any on Sunday’s billing as the race gets underway at 15:00 local time (GMT +2)!
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As FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship announced, is India ready?
A new project is announced by the FIM and Dorna Sports
Spain, Sunday, 29 April 2023:
The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosted a very special presentation on Saturday as the FIM and Dorna Sports announced a new project: the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship. The new competition is intended to widen access to the sport of motorcycle racing for women and create a platform of representation for female riders.
On launch in 2024, the initial series will primarily run alongside the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The target for the first season is at least six rounds, with two races to take place per round. The grid will race on equal machinery, with a single motorcycle supplier to be announced in due course.
The new Championship aims to create opportunities for female riders who are already competing – providing an environment in which they can build a professional, viable career in motorcycle racing – and looks to lay the groundwork for more equal representation across all motorcycling paddocks of the future. Providing a positive example for prospective female competitors, the series will further underline that motorcycling is a sport for all to enjoy, on and off track.
Jorge Viegas, FIM President: “This is the first time ever, since 1904, that we are going to start next year with the FIM Women’s World Championship. I also hope you like the logo, it’s a surprise for all of you!
“We gave a lot of thought to this, and we had a lot of demand. As we do in Motocross, Enduro and Trial, we are starting with a women’s World Championship next year in circuit racing. Our plan is to have six races in Europe, and we are planning to do a single brand competition. We will try to have women from all over the world racing in this new Championship. It will be organised primarily within the frame of the WorldSBK Championship.
“It’s a Championship where we want women to be pro. It’s not a step to another category, we want women who race here to be able to earn a wage as a rider, as professionals. We hope to start in March or April next year.”
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “When I was informed about this project and its possibilities I took a lot of interest and had a lot of enthusiasm. Currently, we thought that the World Superbike platform could be one of the places to start this project, but it doesn’t mean that it could only be in Superbike. It’s within Dorna, so we will see how this develops.
“We don’t have all the details yet, this is a live project, evolving all the time. It’s important that we expand the opportunities available, and especially seeing a lot of Cups and projects that we’ve started, I think it’s a big challenge but all of us must be proud of being able to offer this opportunity. At the end of the season I would like to see a good progression for the future ahead in order to have more riders and more possibilities in this sport.
“The best platform to start with is a single brand, and we’ve been discussing it informally with manufacturers already. We will start to define the details, but we expect something in a similar range to Supersport displacement. There has been a lot of interest but this is a project that is progressing, and can progress through the years to expand with different manufacturers, teams… we want to create a destination where female riders from around the world can join the Championship and find professional success. That means we can also explore new ways to promote the motorcycle industry. If we start from zero, we can be more creative. Like I said from my side, I will put in my full commitment to make it happen and to make it work at the standard that we want, and hopefully, we can be successful and enjoy it.”
Françoise Emery, FIM CEO: “We created a commission for women in motorcycling more than twenty years ago now so it is not really anything new in the FIM. We try to promote and support the women in motorcycle racing. What we try to do is offer female riders all opportunities and possibilities for them to ride, and as mentioned by the FIM President, we already have championships in Motocross, Enduro and Trial. So now we are pleased to launch a women’s Championship in circuit racing.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are used to making announcements in extraordinary Press Conferences, and today is an extraordinary one! After much reflection, we have taken a decision, along with the FIM, which is very important both for us and for the future of the motorcycling world.
“We’re very happy to announce this project and be part of this important initiative, the FIM Women’s Motorcycle Racing World Championship.”
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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc takes Baku pole ahead of Max Verstappen: F1
Baku (Azerbaijan), 28 April 2023: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took a superb first pole position of 2023 in Qualifying for Sunday’s FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by almost two-tenths of a second after nothing could separate the pair in the opening runs of Q3.
Verstappen’s opening time in the final segment of Qualifying was swift 1:40.455, and that was matched, to the thousandth by Leclerc. However, the Red Bull driver claimed the provisional pole by virtue of having set the time first.
But there was no denying the Ferrari driver in the final runs as a brave final lap gave him a 0.188s advantage over Verstappen, who said he had suffered from a warm-up issue on his last lap. Sergio Pérez, meanwhile, went quicker than Leclerc in the first sector on his final flyer, but the Mexican lost time later in the lap and was forced to settle for third.
Earlier, at the start of the one-hour session, Verstappen took an early Q1 lead with a lap of 1:41.887. That put him two-tenths of a second ahead of Leclerc. Pérez, meanwhile, was down in fifth place after a tricky opening run that left with an opening time of 1:43.373.
There was no time for the Mexican to immediately improve, however, as the red flags were displayed soon after when Nyck de Vries hit the wall in Turn 3. The Dutch driver attempted to carry too much speed into the 90˚ left-hander and went straight into the barriers at the corner exit.
When the session eventually resumed, running was brief, as the red flags came out again almost immediately. Pierre Gasly also crashed in Turn 3 with the Alpine driver hitting the wall with the rear right side of his car. He was able to keep going to the next escape road, but with the barriers requiring repair, the session had to be stopped.
When the action restarted, Pérez jumped to the top of the order with a 1:41.756. Verstappen bypassed that to take P1 with a lap of 1:41.398 before heading back to the garage. Leclerc slotted into third place ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris moved to fifth.
Pérez went for another run, but with little pressure coming from behind, the Mexican abandoned the attempt in the final sector and headed back to the pit lane.
Leclerc continued his attempt, however, and he took P1 with a time of 1:41.269, 0.129 ahead of Verstappen. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso moved to third place and Peerez progressed to fourth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.
At the wrong end of the Q1 timesheet, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu was ruled out in P16 along with the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen and the unfortunate Gasly and de Vries.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso set the first solid time of Q2 with a 1:41.400, but Pérezbeat that time to take P1 with a lap of 1:41.131 before Verstappen slotted into P2, 0.062s behind his team-mate. Leclerc then took P1 with a lap of 1:41.037 and with just under four minutes remaining the Red Bulls headed back out on track for their final runs.
In the end, with no improvement coming in his final sector, Pérez chose to back out of his final run. Verstappen, though, went purple in all three sectors and took P1 with a lap of 1:40.822.
The shock elimination at the end of the session was Russell. The Mercedes driver was edged out of the final segment by team-mate Hamilton, by just 0.004s. Also out at the end of the middle segment were Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Williams’ Alex Albon, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, and the second Williams of Logan Sargeant.
Pérez was the first on track at the start of Q3 and the Mexican opened his account with a lap of 1:40.563. Behind him, Verstappen was quicker, and the champion claimed the provisional pole with a lap of 1:40.445. There was nothing in terms of time to separate the Dutchman from Leclerc, however. The Ferrari driver crossed the line in an identical time, though Verstappen took P1 thanks to crossing the line first.
For the final runs, Leclerc went out ahead of the two Red Bull drivers, with Pérez ahead of Verstappen on track.
Leclerc crossed the line in 1:40.203 and though Pérez went quicker than the Ferrari driver through the opening sector, he lost time in the middle of the track. It was a similar story for Verstappen. The champion lost time in the second sector and when he crossed the line he was just under two-tenths off the Ferrari and on the front row. Pérez had to settle for a row two berth ahead of Sainz.
Fifth place in Qualifying went to Hamilton, with Alonso sixth. Seventh place went to Norris, while Yuki Tsunoda took an excellent eighth place for AlphaTauri. Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin and the final top-10 place went to Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:40.203
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:40.391 0.188
3 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:40.495 0.292
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:41.016 0.813
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:41.177 0.974
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:41.253 1.050
7 Lando Norris 1:41.281 1.078
8 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:41.581 1.378
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:41.611 1.408
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:41.611 1.408
11 George Russell Mercedes 1:41.654 1.451
12 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:41.798 1.595
13 Alex Albon Williams 1:41.818 1.615
14 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:42.259 2.056
15 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:42.395 2.192
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:42.642 2.439
17 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:42.755 2.552
18 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:43.417 3.214
19 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:44.853 4.650
20 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1:55.282 15.079 -
Hemanth Muddappa going for ‘Dream-Dozen’: 2023 Drag Nationals on April 29, 30
Chennai, 28 April 2023: Bengaluru speed maestro Hemanth Muddappa is all set to begin another year as he attempts to better his records in the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2023 powered by Vamcy Merla at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday and Sunday.
The CEO of a Nutrition brand 1up, joined the exclusive club of National champions who have 10 titles in Motorsports. However, his dreams of notching up three titles had to wait as he clinched only one title and the ‘dream-dozen’ is the target this year. “Last year itself we were well-prepared and the fourth round provided us a golden chance but we could not get our act together. Alimon (Saidalvi) did very well and I congratulate him. This year is a new beginning and the urge is even stronger and we have put in hardwork and with the team’s dedication, we all gunning for more this year,” quipped Muddappa.
The 2023 Championship, comprising four rounds, has received a big boost with Vamcy Merla offering support. This has greatly benefitted the competitors as the top three finishers in various categories will receive start-money from promoters Madras Motor Sports Club.
About 100 entries have been received for the first of the four rounds of the championship that will be held on the drag strip at the MIC aided by imported timing equipment. The list includes a record 14 entries in the Girls’ category.
All the 2022 National champions in various categories are back to defend their titles and they include – Alimon, Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing), Abdul Shaikh and Prashanth (all from Bengaluru), Bharath Raj (Chennai, Rockers Racing) and Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power Ultimate 1).
On view for two-wheeler enthusiasts will be a mix of powerful superbikes like the BMW, Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ninja, along with a clutch of home-grown machines specially prepared for the drag competition.
The two-day event has practice runs on Saturday followed by the final runs in four classes including the women’s event and the rest of the final runs will be on Sunday including the feature race where superbikes and stars like Hemanth Muddappa, Riaz and Alimon will showcase their skills.
2022 MMSC FMSCI Indian National Champions; Promoter: MMSC, Chennai.
1. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 2 Stroke upto 130 cc Super Sport: Abdul Shaikh, Bengaluru.
2. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 2 Stroke upto 130 cc Super Sport: AP Motorsports, Chennai.
3. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 2 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport: Prashanth, Bengaluru.
4. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 2 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport: Rockers Racing,
5. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 165 cc Girls Stock: Lani Zena Fernandez, Puducherry.
6. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 165 cc Girls Stock: Axor Sparks Racing,
7. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport Indian: Bharathraj J, Chennai.
8. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport Indian: Rockers Racing,
9. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke Unrestricted Super Sport: Alimon Saidalvi,
10. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke Unrestricted Super Sport: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
11. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 361 cc to 550 cc Super Sport Indian: Bharathraj J,
12. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 361 cc to 550 cc Super Sport Indian: Rockers Racing,
13. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 551 cc to 850 cc Super Sport: Saurabh Parab
14. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 551 cc to 850 cc Super Sport: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
15. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 1051 cc – 1650 cc Super Sport: Hemanth Muddappa
16. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 1051 cc – 1650 cc Super Sport: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
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F2: Jehan Daruvala eyeing Azerbaijan podium hat-trick
Mumbai, 27 April 2023: India’s Jehan Daruvala will be eyeing his third consecutive Azerbaijan podium, as Formula 2 returns to action at the Baku city circuit after a month-long break.
The 24-year-old, who races for Dutch team MP Motorsport, finished third around the fearsomely fast, 6-km long street track on his first visit to the venue in 2021.
He followed that up with a second-place finish last year, crossing the line less than half a second behind the race winner. Now, batteries recharged, he is aiming to go one better to not only win but also make it three podiums from three races.
Jehan said, “Baku has been something of a happy hunting ground for me. With the exception of the narrow, tight section that runs through the old city, the layout is quite similar to Jeddah, which plays to the strengths of my driving style. I’ve got a bit of unfinished business as I very nearly won here last year and I’m feeling relaxed, recharged and confident heading into the weekend.”
The Baku street track, with its fast layout and unforgiving barriers, has served up plenty of thrills and spills over the years. Last year’s Formula 2 round was packed with incidents, with the Feature race even finishing behind the safety car.
The championship will once again act as a support series to the Formula One Grand Prix. Track action will kick-off on Friday, April 28th, with practice and qualifying. The shorter Sprint race will take place on Saturday with the main Feature race to be held on Sunday ahead of the Formula One race.
About Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala is a racing driver from Mumbai, India. He began karting at the age of 10 in 2009. Two years later, he finished among the top-three I Force India’s ‘One From a Billion’ talent hunt. In 2013, he became the first Asian to win the British KF3 karting championship. A proven winner, Jehan has won in every category he has competed in. He is currently racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, which is a feeder series to Formula 1 and takes place on the same weekends. He is eligible for a Formula 1 superlicence and also serves as Formula E reserve for Indian manufacturer Mahindra Racing.
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Aishwarya Pissay completes Stage 1 successfully: Morocco Desert Challenge
Agadir (Morocco), 24 April 2023: India’s only world champion in motorsports Aishwarya Pissay began Rally Raid competition with a flourish as she successfully completed Stage 1, the competitive stage, in the Morocco Desert Challenge 2023 here on Sunday.
Earlier, she finished the scrutiny without any problems. The Desert Challenge offers eight stages from April 21 to 30. The tough rally-raid which started here in Agadir will conclude in Merzouga after eight stages on April 30.
“I am happy to tell you that I cleared scrutiny with flying colours and completed Stage 1. This being my first Road Book Race, I am looking to gain a lot of experience from this challenge. I finished Stage 1 yesterday (23 April 2023), which was a 124-Km Prologue,” said Aishwarya Pissay, the Bengaluru based Sherco-TVS rider. She clocked 01H 06’ 53”.
“A 610-km-long Stage2 beckons today and I am really looking forward to tackling this,” she added.
She also posted a few pictures on Instagram and said: “A few photos from my first few days here which included meeting some amazing people and acclimatising to the environment. The atmosphere is electric and I am really glad and thankful to be back in Racing form.”
Aishwarya Pissay after completing the scrutiny. Photo: Pissya’s social media FB handle Morocco Desert Challenge literally is what it promises to be, a real challenge in the Moroccan desert. It has been three years since the MDC raced through Morocco. A lot can change in such a long period, even in a desolate environment like the desert. That’s why we choose to drastically change course with a completely new route!
0 kilometre liaison
Not only is Morocco Desert Challenge an adventure full of surprises, with technical parts, fast African plains, many dunes, salt lakes and legendary Paris-Dakar stages, it also offers something really unique: 0 kilometre of liaison from the start of the first special till the finish of the last one. That’s right: no liaison, only pure rally experience.
Early December, Sports Director Jean-Claude Kaket left Agadir, Morocco with his team to validate those new tracks and write the new road-books. As soon as these are finalized, you can find the updated descriptions here.
Stage 1 – Agadir to Agadir
On Friday April 21 and Saturday April 22, 2023 the Morocco Desert Challenge kicked off with a scrutiny in Agadir, one of Morocco’s friendly seaside resorts with an international airport. Bivouac 0 is at Place for Al Amal, Agadir’s largest public square. The rally hotels, where everybody is accommodated, are located along the square.
Prologue
Prepare for a prologue that will make you lick your fingers. The general comment during the verifications in late February: “This is one of the nicest stages we have ever ridden in Morocco!” In this first 38-kilometre special, you get a nice succession of turns, bumps and jumps in front of your wheels. Following the winding tracks, you ride through a landscape reminiscent of an African Savannah. The tracks consist mainly of a soft, sandy yet fast surface, and above all: there is not a stone to be found! The pistes are narrow, making overtaking difficult at times. Towards the end, the final kilometres present you with a tough navigation exercise. In short: a stage where you can immediately make the difference if you aim for a top position on Plage Blanche.
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Historic result for Jaden; only Indian in six years to get a British F4 podium
Leicestershire (UK), 23 April 2023: Young Indian racing star Jaden Pariat of Argenti Motorsport displayed his immense talent with a podium in the first round of the ROKiT British F4 Championship at Donington Park here on Sunday. He is only the second Indian to get an international podium in a Tatuus F4 car after Kush Maini’s podium in 2017.
“The podium is being hailed as a big milestone for the younger generation looking to break-through to higher levels of Formula racing. We are overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages and thank everyone who stood by us,” said Atikur Rehman, a former Indian national rally star and the force behind Jaden, who last year took a rookie podium in one of the two rounds he took part.
The 16-year motorsports athlete from supported by Minerva’s Virtual Academy, Lyca Radio and Bobatree, scored a creditable Overall third place in Race 2. He overcame initial hiccups in the qualification session and took a P17 after slipping from P5 as he came for a tyre change and fell short of laps due to a red flag following an incident in front of him.
Jaden Pariat, historic 3rd in six years after Kush Maini’s podium in 2017. Showing good pace and consistently the fastest of the four Phinsys by Argenti drivers in Thursday’s practice sessions, the teenager, from Northeast India, had high hopes of impressing as he started his first full year in the series. Joined on Saturday by lucky Lyca Radio competition winners who enjoyed VIP access to the British F4 paddock, Jaden was keen to put on a show for his guests.
Heading into qualifying on Saturday, Jaden was just 0.7s from pole position, but with the grid so closely matched, finished 18th fastest. However, his consistency paid off on second quickest times, as he would line up 13th for race one that afternoon and fourth for the reversed grid contest.
Sadly, the teenager loaded the clutch too much on the line meaning the car switched off before the lights went out for the first race, falling down the order. However, he would have a chance to make amends as the red flag was shown when a rival went into the gravel. Starting 17th for the restart, he had a superb launch to gain two spots before he made it to turn one and, continuing to battle, making up five places in total, crossing the line 12th.
Starting fourth for the fully reversed grid race, held in difficult, cool, and wet conditions on Sunday morning, Jaden drove well to avoid trouble with many of his rivals spinning off or coming into strife. Holding his own – when rival teammates came together in front of him – he crossed the line third for a superb maiden podium in the series.
The third and final race of the weekend provided yet more challenging conditions with rain falling once again – at times heavily – making for a slippery track surface. Marking a promising end to the opening weekend of the season, the young driver made up an excellent six places to finish 12th once again.Jaden R Pariat in action. All photos by Jakob Ebrey “Logging important points in the bag after a tough week-end, it was important to cash in on the little chances we had,” said Jaden, who had very little seat time in the Championship car.
“I’m very satisfied with the results we achieved. I am super happy to have gotten an overall podium for Race 2. With wet conditions and a whole lot of chaos ahead of us, it is great work by the team. I am surrounded by the amazing support from everyone at Lyca Radio and my team Argenti. I can’t wait for the next race,” added Jaden.
Jaden Pariat, #77
Grid 1 – 13, R1 – 12
G2 – 4, R2 – 3
G3 – 18, R3 – 12
Championship: 12 (11 points)
“Qualifying was very tight. We definitely had the pace in the first stint, we were up with the front runners and well into the points. Unfortunately, on our second stint, it took some time for the tyres to come in, and then when it looked like we were set to complete our fastest lap, the red flag cut it short. We didn’t get the opportunity to see where we truly could have been, but it’s so close, so that could have happened to anyone, even one tenth can make such a huge difference.
“For race one, the initial start wasn’t great. I loaded the clutch too much and the car switched off, but it happened just before the lights went out, so I did lose a little bit of time there, but I wasn’t too far behind the pack. The two laps that we had before the safety car, were pretty strong and we gained three places. Luckily, after the red flag we had a full restart, and I had a much better start that time, making up some places during the race.
“Race two was really chaotic, with a lot of cars going off and a lot of drama happening in front of me, but we kept it clean. We played it smart, trying to always calculate what was about to happen. We were patient and in the end that really paid off. I’m really happy with third, it’s a great feeling to be back on the podium, and for it to come on the first weekend of the season is really promising.
“The third race was good, unfortunately we were held up a lot by the two cars I was battling with. We had the pace to be in the points, but it’s racing, and these things happen. I’m happy with how my race craft has been improving, I made two moves that I’m quite proud of. It’s sometimes difficult to find the correct balance of pushing to the limit and holding back, but I think we managed it well. There were a few close calls, but we kept it clean the whole weekend.
“It’s been great to work with everyone at Argenti, we have a good relationship and continue to give each other input and feedback that has been pushing us forward together. I’m happy with how the team have been supporting me and the car they’ve given me this weekend. I hope I can bring home some more good results and podiums for them.
“It was an honour to welcome the Lyca Radio competition winners into the paddock, as well as representatives from the station. To have achieved the podium whilst they were here to see was very special, and I can’t thank them enough for their continued support.”The Championship now moves to Brands Hatch for the next three races on 6-7 May.
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Gaurav Gill’s campaign to equal Cody Crocker’s record this year; Origins of APRC
Bengaluru, 22 April 2023: Arjuna awardee Gaurav Gill will not be taking part in the International Rally of Whangarei from May 12 to 14. But the ‘King of Indian Motorsports’ has already qualified for the APRC Final round to be held in Indonesia in November where the other qualifiers from Asia Cup and Pacific Cup will vie for the coveted APRC title. Gill, who won three titles in his career will be gunning to equal the record of Cody Crocker.
Origins of APRC
Asia Pacific Rally Championship is a premier motorsports regional car rally approved and run under the aegis of FIA, the international Motorsports body. It was started it 1988 to provide a chance for better local participation and to reduce costs for the competitors. Besides Formula 1 and MotoGP, the most popular forms of motorsports in the World, there are a few other speed sports which mix a dash of adventure and adrenaline flow that have captivated the hearts of speed lovers. World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar are such ones, they are bigger motorsports events that test skill, speed, strength, endurance, and precision, and have a huge fan following similar to the top two, the F1 and MotoGP.
Both WRC and Dakar are off-road and have captured the imagination of the fans. So in 1988, WRC became popular and the Governing body of the Sport, FIA thought it fit to capture the audience in Asia and Pacific continents that together have 40 per cent or more of the World’s fans. And thus, APRC was born, and most of the top WRC drivers were eager to compete and beat the best in our region in the early years. As such, more than half of the WRC rounds had APRC events run concurrently in the initial years.
Huge transport costs & lack of locally-developed cars, a set-back
Over the years, the competition petered down to regional drivers due to the costs involved in transporting cars and the lack of development of a rally car in Asia. Naturally, Australia and New Zealand dominated but it was a Japanese driver Kenjiro Shinozuka in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 who won the inaugural APRC. Many rallies used to double up as the WRC rounds and it was a mind-boggling response from Asians and Aussies that turned motorsport discipline into a spectator sport. The Japanese manufacturers, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Subaru were all there and our very own Karamjit Singh too called the shots, not long after. The Indian-origin Malaysian driver was the first to win the championship from emerging APRC nations.
Flying Sikh of Motorsports
After the turn of the century, Karamjit Singh, nick-named motorsports’ ‘Flying Sikh’, won his first title in 2001 and repeated the feat in 2002 before the MRF Tyres entry as MRF Racing, stopped him when German Armin Kremer won the maiden title for the Indian outfit in 2003. Karamjiat came back the next year with another victory in 2004 for his third and last win in a Proton Pert.
In later years, MRF Tyres dominated the scene with an overall haul of nine victories, the only team to have nine wins. But MRF played safe, recruiting only foreign drivers after initially deciding to field a couple of Indian drivers. However, Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill changed that with his maiden win in 2013 and went on to become a three-time champ. In fact, but for a narrow miss, he would have been a four-time champion.
Cody Crocker, is the only driver to get 4 APRC titles
Nevertheless, the Indian presence was truly satisfying with the exploits of Gill, who showed brute speed and magical memory of the speed stages which resulted in his domination. Some of the names who dominated APRC over the years are British driver Possum Bourne, Swedish driver Kenneth Eriksson, Karamjit Singh, Aussie Cody Crocker (4 titles), who had a 4-win row from 2006 to 2009, and then our very own Gaurav Gill who notched up two more wins in 2016 and 2017, to make it 3 APRC titles. Along with seven Indian National titles and a good performance in WRC saw he become the first Indian in motorsports to get the coveted Arjuna Award.
APRC took a two-year forced break due to the travel restrictions arising out of COVID-19, Kiwi Hayden Paddon won after the hiatus and is the reigning 2022 champion.
Format change
In 2008, the format changed to split the regional event to Asia Cup and Pacific Cup, two different legs for the two continents but they were not given a continental championship status as APRC remained the ultimate goal as qualifiers take a shot at the APRC crown in the finals. While Gaurav Gill won the Asia Cup twice in a Skoda Fabia R5, the MRF team won five times in the Pacific Cup. This year, 2023, Gill, along with a new co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, donned the colours of JK Tyre. He dominated the tricky terrain of the South India Rally, which he lost to another Indian pair Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai in 2022. The win in Chennai began Gill’s campaign for a fourth APRC title. The winners of different Asia and Pacific rounds will vie for honours at the grand finale in Indonesia in November.
One of the reasons the costs increase for participants is the transportation of vehicles. The split into Cups and a one-round finale are working to reduce the costs, but it also took its toll on entry numbers. When India, took its Indian National Rally Championship to North East a few years back, the organisers could not sustain the venue in the calendar. But in 2020, the then INRC Promoter Vamcy Merla took care of the expenses for transportation of all cars and it saw record numbers from both North and South take part in the Indian Nationals.
Efforts on to boost driver participation in APRC
Apart from transportation costs, there were other setbacks. There is no truly locally built car and the AP4 cars are becoming expensive for the participants and teams and numbers started shrinking. Then again Vamcy Merla, a former Indian rally driver and motorsports lover from Andhra Pradesh, was roped in by the APRC Working Group chairman and the man who brought Formula 1 to India, Vicky Chandhok, to promote the Indian round. Soon the entries improved from four to 17. Now he also supported the Prize Money for the Pacific Cup winners in Rally Otago and has contributed to the organisers for running the International Rally of Whangarei, apart from doubling the prize money for the APRC segment winners.
A people’s man Chandhok is known to firefight and get motorsports events on the road in the worst of times. He has handled many such situations and his current role in rescuing APRC is not surprising. No wonder, Vicky Chandhok was unanimously asked to continue as the Chairman even after his term was over a couple of years back. Together the two Indians are reviving the regional championship to its past glory. With like-minded people and sincere efforts, the process that began should be sustained and it will only help the drivers and teams by providing an international experience.
The next round of the APRC Pacific round will be in New Zealand, the Whangarei Rally from May 12 to 14. There will be 18 Special Stages over 264 kilometres on what is widely regarded as the world’s best gravel rally roads.
The fast-cambered roads of the north will host the second round of the 2023 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship. The event will also see the top-3 registered Drivers from Rally Otago and Rally of Whangarei qualify for a place in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship final in late November.
