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  • Aniruddha Rangnekar fastest; Ruthuparna bags a triple: Autocross Nationals

    Aniruddha Rangnekar fastest; Ruthuparna bags a triple: Autocross Nationals

    Pune, 2 April 2023: Talented Pune driver Aniruddha Rangnekar clinched the Overall honours as he won the fastest driver tag and led his team Slideways Industries to a rich haul in the IARC fmsci Indian National Autocross Championship promoted by Bangalore Motorsports Club at the Nanoli Speedway on April 1 and 2. Rangnekar clocked 1min, 15.265 seconds in the INAC2 open covering about 1 Km, of a lap on the dirt track in his Chettinad Sporting prepared Polo shod on JK Tyres.

    Promoter Umesh Pandey of Bangalore Motorsports Club said: “We saw new talent and a lot of enthusiasm in the first round and the championship is becoming bigger and better. This year we have eight rounds in different regions of the country and the finals are likely in Bengaluru again in December.” Pandey, the brain behind the whole Championship, made it a truly ‘National’ event, in geography too, by spreading the Zonal rounds around the country including one round in North East. The Pune round is the first of the eight rounds and the qualified drivers will fight it out for National Championship titles in eight classes. A non-championship support event, “Time Attack” was also held to promote the sport.

    Aniruddha won INAC2 Open with a faster time than Rutuparna Vivek, who won the INAC1 Open. But Ruthuparna Vivek of Snap Racing clinched three big victories as he claimed all three INAC1 categories. However, Aniruddha bagged the INAC3 Open too, and clocked the fastest time beginning 2023 on a grand note.

    Another INRC lady driver Shivani Parmar displayed enough skills in this shorter format which calls for precise movements and car control and won the INAC2 upto 1650cc class beating both Ruthuparna Vivek and Aniruddha Rangnekar to hoist the Women in Motorsports (WIM) flag. Nikeeta Takkale, who scored points in the APRC Asia Cup round earlier in Chennai, was the other woman who notched up four podiums. Competing with men and beating them is a huge achievement for these women behind the wheel.

    Munjal Savla and Umesh Rane were the other National Category winners while another veteran Mazdayar Vatcha, a yesteryears star from Hyderabad, showed glimpses of his talent, with a podium in INAC3. Zahan Commissariat, another racing talent, and a regular podium finisher at Madras International Circuit took second in the INAC 4×4 Class. Amey Desai, a former champ who represented India in Gymkhana Asian competitions, and 2019 National Champion, Sanjay Lall and Altaf Hussain were the others who took podium spots.

    The next Regional qualifier round will be held in Goa on April 29 and 30.

    Provisional Results: West Zone Qualifier for INAC final 2023: Round 1:

    INAC1 Open: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:15.555; 2. Aditya Kousgi 1;15.780; 3. Nikeeta Takkale 1:15.995.

    INAC1 Upto 1650cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:16.175; 2. Nikeeta Takkale 1:17.600; 3. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:17.710.

    INAC1 Upto 2400cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:16.105; 2. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:17.440; 3. Nikeeta Takkale 1:18.120;

    INAC2 Open: 1. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:15.265; 2. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:15.880; 3. Nikeeta Takkale 1:16.950;

    INAC2 Upto 1400cc: 1. Munjal Savla 1:22.430; 2. Altaf Hussain 1:36.735;

    INAC2 Upto 1650cc: 1. Shivani Parmar 1:16.200; 2.  Ruthuparna Vivek 1:16.750; 3. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:17.835;

    INAC3 Open: 1. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:19.255; 2. Amey Desai 1:20.630; 3. Mazdayar Vatcha 1:21.615;

    INAC 4×4 Open: 1. Umesh Rane 1:19.210; 2. Zahan Commissariat 1:20.100; 3. Sanjay Lall 1:21.695;

  • Slideways Industries team dominates INAC Round 1 & Time Attack at Pune

    Slideways Industries team dominates INAC Round 1 & Time Attack at Pune

    Pune, 21 April 2023: Experienced rally driver from Team Slideways Industries, Maharashtra, Aniruddha Rangnekar won the Overall honours taking home the coveted “Fastest Driver” award in the first round of the 8-round fmsci* Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) here on April 1 and 2.

    At the Nanoli Speedway round in Pune, Slideways Industries, one of the largest teams in Maharashtra and one of the oldest teams in India, bagged 15 trophies and is the West Zone qualifier including in the Time Attack. All the zonal qualifiers will compete for the National Champion tag at the Grand Finale to be held in December. The finals are likely to be in Bengaluru once again but the venue is yet to be confirmed. The 15 trophies include the victories in the Support event.

    Sponsored by Pune-based Pinnacle Group, Slideways, a household name in Indian Motorsport, won multiple National championships over the years. Supported by JK Tyre and Gaurav Gill Advanced Driving Academy (GGADA) in their preparations, the team put on a stellar show at the event. And Aniruddha Rangnekar, one of the founding members of the team, and currently the co-driver for Gaurav Gill in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), the longer version of rallying, taking the top honours is a bonus. Just like INRC, INAC is one of the dozen National Championships of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) the governing body for the sport in India.

    While the team has been a regular over at INRC, they are now also exploring other forms of motorsport. Trained and mentored by Arjun Awardee, the three-time Asia Pacific and seven-time National rally champion, Gaurav Gill, the team is growing from strength to strength. Since its inception in 2010, the Slideways Industries rally cars have been built by Coimbatore-based Chettinad Sporting, one of the leading Motorsport tuning houses in India led by Thiagarajan and Roshan, the driver-navigator pair in late nineties. The rally cars run on a 1.6-litre engine that has been upgraded according to the Sporting Regulations of the championship. Running on specially-designed 15-inch JK Rally tyres, the drivers acclaim the excellent grip on varied surfaces.

    Shivani Parmar, one of the few female drivers in the National championship also had a good outing, winning in one category against experienced drivers and bagged a couple of other podiums in different classes. The biggest surprise of the weekend came in the form of rookies, Priyanandana Varma and Aditya Vikram Bose, who are fresh graduates from GGADA, bagging a class win and a couple of podiums over the weekend.

    “Winning is a great feeling, but doing so on home turf is even more special,” said Aniruddha, who set the fastest time in the INAC, won as many as three categories and bagged multiple other podiums in Round 1. “It’s sad that we don’t have a round of INRC in Maharashtra anymore, but this is the closest we can get and we are glad to have taken home so many trophies from the weekend” added Shivani. Nashik used to be a regular round of the INRC for many years, until the clubs ran out of tracks where closed-road time Special Stages can be held.

    “Being a rookie and entering the first event is always nerve-racking but the support from Slideways and GGADA made this event much easier for us,” said Bose, who bagged two podium finishes. “Training with Gaurav Gill and his team of experienced coaches has transformed my driving. It has not only made me a faster driver but safer and smarter too,” said a delighted Priyanandana Varma who won a class, apart from two other top-3 finishes.

    *fmsci took a decision to write its short form in small letters a few years back.

  • Outspoken ahead of Assen: WorldSBK

    Outspoken ahead of Assen: WorldSBK

    The 2023 season has just started but even at the first European round of the year, 2024 is coming onto the radar!

    The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is BACK in action and the Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands is shaping up to be a belter. There’s plenty of hype coming into this round; it’s our first chance to catch up with one rider who has been testing MotoGP™ machinery, an opportunity to speak to a home hero, the Championship leader and Assen’s most successful rider. This week’s outspoken certainly touches all bases as we look ahead to racing.

    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “It’s all young riders’ dream to ride a MotoGP™ bike”

    “For the MotoGP™ test, I can say I enjoyed it and finally, I rode in good weather, as last year I only did 28 laps due to the weather. Thanks to Yamaha for the opportunity. It’s still a dream but we will see it in the future. This is just testing, for me to understand the bike and for Yamaha to see the potential. It’s all young riders’ dream to one day, ride a MotoGP™ bike. I’ve done it and enjoyed it but now I come back and doing my job again, because, for me, WorldSBK is important this season, to fight again for the Championship. This break was a lot, I was really bored and now I am fighting again. For me, the last two years at Assen, it hasn’t been a good race weekend, especially Race 2. This year, I was thinking of not riding in Race 2, because I always end up crashing! I’ll try again this year, for the podium or the win. Jonny is always very strong at this track. Every year, this race weekend is different and I’ll try to do my best.”

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “Toprak’s an incredible talent, he could do a great job”

    “I’m excited about Assen. I have a pretty good track record here, it’s a track I enjoy. I rode for a team based just up the road for many years of my career. I don’t know why I work so well here, it’s also a combination with the bike. I know Kawasaki is very strong here as well. While one eye’s on performance, you have to keep an eye on what the weather’s doing. Tough’s a great word. Although we have to try and start from zero and reset, and the results have been pretty poor, we can also draw positives from some of the races we’ve had; steps forward we’ve made with the bike. We haven’t put it all together. We’ve had two tests at Aragon and Barcelona to try a different direction with the bike and to focus on our weaknesses. This season, it’s been overstressing the front and the front tyre, especially in the latter stages of races. We showed some good speed in Australia and Indonesia. The speed’s not in doubt, it’s about the longevity of the race. I think here at Assen should suit us, especially with cooler conditions. It’s a hard situation to be in. All I know is that Toprak’s an incredible talent and given the right opportunity to go to MotoGP™, with the right people around him, he could do a great job.”

    Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I don’t have a clear idea about my future… in the case, I don’t want to stay, they have to know”

    “I look forward to this weekend as I started the year so well. The feeling at the Barcelona test was incredible, I’m very happy. I have good memories at this track as I won with Ducati three times and last year, we were competitive, fighting with Toprak and Jonathan. I haven’t thought about my future because right now, we have only had two races; maybe after this round, I start to think about what I want to do. I am not old, but I have a lot of experience in motorcycle racing. At the moment, it’s not my first worry, I just want to be focused on this weekend. I don’t have a clear idea about my future. I will decide very soon, not just for me but for my team. In case I don’t want to stay, they have to know as soon as possible and also for my side. We’ll see, but at the moment, I don’t have an idea. About Toprak, for sure he wants to go to MotoGP™, at least what I heard. It’s a different Championship, different bikes, different tyres… I know he’s doing some tests with Yamaha, but he has to understand if he has the potential to go there and do well. Otherwise, he has a big name in WorldSBK and he’s an important rider here, so he has to choose, but it’s not an easy decision. Every rider wants to try MotoGP™ at least once, but it’s not easy, now that the category is so close with a gap of almost nothing between first and last. He has to understand if he can also be fast there.”

    Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “It’ll be something special if I can get the first win here”

    “We are at Assen, it’s a special track for me as I have good memories from the first year in WorldSBK in 2021, so we’ll see what happens this weekend. We hope for good weather, but we’re ready to fight. It’ll be something special if I can get the first win here at Assen; it’ll be hard but for sure, we’ll try. Why not? We’re here after a really good start to the Championship; we’ll try to be fast and fight for the podium. For me, it’s difficult to say about Toprak because I don’t know but maybe for him, it’s interesting to go to MotoGP in the future. In my opinion, it doesn’t change anything; we’ll continue to work on my side, together, to be fast and to finish this season in a good way.”

    Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “I think we can fight for top positions” 

    “I started training and I don’t have any pain; I’ve been training with the practice bike and I don’t feel pain, so this is positive. I am here, ready to fight again. Honestly, I am very happy with the direction; I think we did a very good step with the race distance, this is the area we’ve improved a lot because last year, we struggled with the tyre performance as it was dropping a lot in the last laps. In almost every race, we lost this potential to fight for the podium or good results. I am really happy, also the team and Japan have done a very good step so then, the reality is that if the tyre life makes it to the end with a good performance or not, we are happy. I spoke with my crew chief Pete this morning and we said that I’m very excited, so I need to be calmer; last year, I went fast with the old bike and got a podium. So, if you put this into 2023 when in Australia, with the improved tyre performance, we overtook Jonny in the last two laps, and the fact it’s a new season, testing went well and I’m excited, I know the package was amazing, so we need to see day by day. I think I am ready; I think we can fight for top positions.” 

    Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “I want to stay with BMW”

    “I’m really happy to be back racing again, especially at Assen. I’m always looking forward to being here. Unfortunately, it’s only once a year but it’s nice to be back here at Assen! It was nice to ride again at the test after Indonesia. We had a lot of things to test and, for us, it was to see what direction we have to go for the future. Nothing really decided about what to use here but we had some swingarms. It was all to confirm the direction for the future. I want to stay with BMW for sure. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the results yet like we wanted for different reasons. One reason was my injury which cost us a whole year. I want to improve this project, to start winning with this project, hopefully, we can stay together.”

  • ‘F1 race’ in the oceans: It is not F1 H2O

    ‘F1 race’ in the oceans: It is not F1 H2O

    Ronnie Kuriakose tracks in The New Indian Express, Indian aquaman Commander Abhilash Tomy’s cruise in the Golden Globe Race, considered one of the world’s toughest yacht races!

    KOCHI:  The morning of April 15 saw the who’s who of the Indian Navy poring over reports of the wind pattern and weather system over the North Atlantic. They were plotting the position of Bayanat and its skipper, Commander (retd) Abhilash Tomy.

    A former naval aviator, Abhilash is contesting the Golden Globe Race (GGR), considered one of the world’s toughest yacht races. In its final leg, just when he was gaining ground, Abhilash had made a manoeuvre that surprised many.

    While his fellow competitor and race leader Kirsten Neuschäfer of South Africa navigated east towards their final stop at Les Sables d’Olonne (LSO) on the French coast, Abhilash continued to climb north.
    Various theories were floated, but they all had a common denominator: Abhilash knew what he was doing. “There have been numerous instances in the race where he demonstrated just how good a sailor he is. Abhilash always has a plan,” says Sandra Shipp, his team manager.

    Indeed! On April 17, Abhilash’s “risky” move paid rich dividends. Nearing the Azores islands, Bayanat had the wind on its stern and was picking up speed. “Boldness and panache were Abhilash’s signature this weekend,” read the race report on Monday.

    On Wednesday, the 43-year-old had eked out a 25-nautical mile lead over Kristen for the first time in months. With less than 1,000 nautical miles to go, it promises a thrilling finale, uncommon for a yacht race. “This is an F1 race right in the middle of the ocean,” remarks Captain D K Sharma (retd), a former Navy spokesperson.

    Meanwhile, the sheer brilliance of Abhilash’s manoeuvre is only sinking in. “He is one hell of a mariner,” says his friend Ramesh Menon. “Even after months of hardships on the sea, to have the sharpness of mind and the gut instinct to know where he must go to get the wind is simply stellar.” 
    Unlike other sailing competitions, GGR does not permit the use of modern navigational instruments.

    Only what was available to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the inaugural race of 1968. So, no GPS, electric autopilot, chart plotters, or electronic compasses. The sailors must rely on celestial navigation, the sextant, and the barometer.

    According to Don McIntyre, the race’s founder and chairman, this retro experience is in homage to the ‘Golden Age’ of sailing, when the marriage of traditional seamanship and the sailor’s ingenuity and passion decided the outcome of races.

    The race
    The nearly 30,000 nautical mile-long, solo, non-stop circumnavigation around the world is no easy task. Only a handful of people have done it. The GGR, however, is a different game altogether. It imposes further limitations on the sailor beyond what the elements unfailingly do.

    “It is like going to outer space. You have to be 200% ready,” says Commander Vijay K Vadhera (retd), former skipper of INSV Samudra, which completed the Navy’s maiden round-the-world voyage in 1988.

    Instruments from 1968 mean that sailors have to manually adjust their boat’s course at regular intervals while also tending to a slew of tasks onboard. “That’s perhaps the defining feature of GGR: to man the entire boat single-handedly with limited technological assistance,” says Vice Admiral I C Rao (retd).
    According to the veteran, what saps most sailors undertaking this odyssey is lack of good sleep. In the case of Abhilash, it is worse. 

    The two knockdowns that Bayanat endured early on in the race rendered its electrical system and the wind pilot useless. This means Abhilash has had to steer the boat on rough seas manually. So, not many winks. Besides, the fuel lines that powered his boat’s engine were fouled, the main sail tore, and the wind generators, the halyards, and the wind vane were damaged in a storm.

    Amid all these, Abhilash’s resourcefulness and humour shone through. On one occasion, he tweeted: “I need a toilet door. Not used to such lack of privacy,” — a reference to how he had to chop up his toilet door to rebuild the damaged wind vane. “Though the other entrants are all fantastic sailors, not many were able to tackle the problems with such great ease,” notes Vice Admiral Rao.

    Of the 16 sailors, only three contestants remain. Two participants were moved to the GGR’s ‘Chichester’ class after they made a stopover for repair works.

    Sailing: inherited and earned
    Unlike the other participants, Abhilash does not hail from a country wherein sailing is popular. Yet, he is the race’s strongest contender. “The training that Abhilash received from the Navy has certainly played a major role. It has taught him how to take challenges in his stride,” Commodore Srikant B Kesnur (retd), navy historian and director of the Maritime Warfare Centre.

    “The specialist training he underwent as a naval aviator gave him key insights into how to read the weather, wind, waves, barometric pressure, and other technical aspects. We saw Abhilash putting this technical prowess to good use this weekend.”  Equally influential was his childhood. “A deep affinity for the sea and sailing was fostered from a very young age,” says his father, Lt Commander V C Tomy (retd).

    “Once, in Mumbai, we found Abhilash punting through the backwaters on a makeshift raft made out of thermocol. We didn’t scold him. There was no need to.”  The 72-year-old does not believe in holding children hostage to lofty ambitions or caging them with rules. “They should be left free to be who they are, follow their passions,” he says.

    This silent consent meant there was one less burden on Abhilash’s shoulders as he went about realising his desire — to take part in the GGR. “It is the next natural stop for any adventurer, and Abhilash is no different,” says Captain Sharma.

    Second chance
    The 2022 GGR was Abhilash’s second shot at the race. He participated in the 2018 edition, which marked the 50th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s voyage. However, the race didn’t go as intended. 

    On September 21, 2018, a little over two months into the race and when Abhilash was cruising in the third position, a storm, with winds reaching 70 knots and waves as high as 14 metres, battered his boat in the remote southern Indian Ocean. His boat Thuriya capsized, leaving the sailor with a debilitating back injury, immobilised and adrift, at the mercy of the fickle sea.

    Abhilash’s rescue was one of the most dramatic moments in the race’s history, highlighting the dangers and challenges that sailors face in this iconic event. Abhilash’s resilience, and unwavering spirit enthralled many.

    With titanium rods in his spine and five vertebrae fused into one, Abhilash “had to learn to walk again” following the 2018 injury. Yet, his eyes were set on the far horizon. When he announced his interest in competing again, the sailing community rejoiced.

    Commander H S Rawat, the last commanding officer of INS Vikrant, who had followed the 2018 race closely, calls Abhilash’s return “a miracle” and adds Urmimala’s  (Abhilash’s wife) backing is equally admirable. 

    “Hats off to her for being an absolute champion of Abhilash,” he says. It was not an easy decision for Urmimala to let her husband race again. “We arrived at it over time. I realised that it was his eagerness to race again that eased the mental trauma of 2018,” she says. 

    In the latest edition of the race, Abhilash seems to have set his course for victory, and Urmimala is his loudest cheerleader. “The toughest parts of the sea are over. What’s ahead is the home run,” assures Cmde Srikant. Several veterans echo the same confidence. 

    But Urmimala is wary of such predictions. After all, the wind, sea currents, and weather are all unyielding elements. Nobody can predict them. There’s also the sailor’s physical and mental weariness and the boat’s condition to consider. 

    “But, I have complete faith in Abhilash,” says Urmimala.

    Indian king of oceans

    • Commander Abhilash Tomy is a retired Indian naval aviator and yachtsman
    • Commissioned into the Navy in 2000.
    • Completed his flying training in 2002, qualifying as a maritime reconnaissance pilot.
    • On November 1, 2012, Abhilash departed on the Mhadei from the Gateway of India in Mumbai to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world.
    • First Indian, second Asian, and 79th person in the world to accomplish this feat. 
    • Kirti Chakra – 2013 (Second Navy officer to receive the medal)
    • Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award — 2013
  • Pragathi Gowda all set for FIA Rally Star Women’s Final

    Pragathi Gowda all set for FIA Rally Star Women’s Final

    Bengaluru, 19 April 2023: Indian rally star athlete Pragathi Gowda is eagerly waiting for the World Women’s Final which is now scheduled to take place in Italy in the first week of May to take a shot at the FIA Rally Star Training Season, which is rapidly taking shape with confirmation of the Training Camp and event schedule. The World Finals, originally slated to be held in South America, is put off twice.

    Exciting motorsports talent Gowda from Bengaluru is expected to be among some of the most promising young rally drivers representing Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas who will gather in Sardinia for intensive training and evaluation sessions from May 21 to June 1. However, while a few of them already qualified, Pragathi Gowda needs to do well at the Women’s final. Considering that all the five other continental champions are professional drivers with a lot of saddle time, the Indian will be a rookie as we don’t even have similar cross-cars in India. Pragathi’s only seat time on the car was for the final contest of the Asia Pacific selection trials where she did drive the new vehicle about four or five times in three days and beat the best male drivers and a tough lady driver from New Zealand.

    ‘Matter of pride to fly the Indian flag’

    “I will put my heart into it and have fun. A lot of hard work and dedication went into reaching this stage and I have respect and love for my sport and my country. I am not going to compete against each other but I will compete with myself. It is not so much about performance but it is basically going to be a learning trip. Representing Asia Pacific at World Finals is always a matter of great pride and flying the Indian flag is an honour,” said Pragathi Gowda, speaking exclusively to INDIAinF1.com.

    They are the winners of the five FIA Rally Star Continental Finals, and Pragathi Gowda, the winner of the FIA Rally Star Asia Pacific Women’s Final which was held in Chennai in October 2022 will join the other Continental winners to try to get into the bigger Training Season group. In the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final with 26 drivers from seven ASNs (National Federations for 7 countries) vying for honours, Pragathi Gowda came out triumphant in the three-step test and topped among the four lady drivers on the deciding day of action at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai, India. The event was hosted successfully by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC).

    Once selected, between June and November, the six aspiring future FIA World Rally Championship winners will contest six national or regional-level events on both gravel and tarmac in identical Ford Fiesta Rally3s prepared by M-Sport Poland and running on Pirelli tyres. To enter this group, Pragathi is making all-out efforts to top the Women’s Final. “They have better technology and they have those karts to practice. But I don’t have a kart so it’s a big challenge,” said the Bengaluru lass, who wanted to taste the kart (cross-car) but went on to win at the Asia Pacific finals, as she gives her best whenever she gets back on the steering wheel.

    At the completion of the FIA Star Training Season, the four best-performing drivers will secure a dream opportunity by contesting the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024.

    Earlier, the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals were supposed to be held in South America. After being postponed twice the event is now switched to Italy from May 1 to 4, followed by the Sardinian training camp.

    Relocated from Peru to Uruguay, the switch to Italy and the Maggiora Offroad Arena in Piemont, northeast of the city of Turin, is the result of logistical issues.

    While every effort was made to maintain the Polideportivo Motor Maldonado off-road motorsport complex in Uruguay as the venue for the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals, moving to Italy makes for a more accessible location for the Women’s Final and will ensure that there will be no delay to the start of the FIA Rally Star Training Season.

    The FIA Rally Star American Final – featuring participants from South and North America – had been due to take place from April 30-May 2 with the Women’s Final following on May 3. The FIA Rally Star American Final will now run from May 1-3 ahead of the Women’s Final on May 4.

    On top of the #RallyAtHome Challenges winners, eight ASNs from South and North America (Argentina, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay) will send contestants to the FIA Rally Star American Final with a total of 42 drivers expected to take part. The FIA will cover their travel costs.

    What’s on the agenda during the FIA Rally Star Training Camp 

    The FIA Rally Star Training Camp consists of theoretical sessions covering event reconnaissance, rally car engineering, regulations, and team organisation. 

    There will be practical activities including testing on gravel and tarmac, physical and mental training, recce practice, media training, and team observation through spending time with mechanics.

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season members will then take part in the reconnaissance for Rally Italia Sardegna at the same time as the drivers contesting round six of the FIA World Rally Championship (June 1-4).

    Media activities in and around the Rally Italia Sardegna Service Park will be the focus on the final day of the FIA Rally Star Training Camp on June 1 and will include taking part in a press conference and being interviewed by accredited media.

    Prior to arriving in Sardinia, the six FIA Rally Star Training Season participants will take part in a series of webinars aimed at getting them fully prepared for the Training Camp.

    All costs are covered by the FIA with the best four drivers at the completion of the FIA Rally Star Training Season securing a fully funded season in the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024.

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season events have been specifically chosen to equip the drivers with experience in a wide variety of conditions and circumstances. 

    Robert Reid, FIA Deputy President for Sport said: “Firstly, I would like to express our gratitude to Ivan Dibos Mier, President of the Touring Automóvil Club del Perú, and to Jorge Tomasi, President of the Automobile Club del Uruguay, for all their efforts to bring the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals to their countries. The enthusiasm and passion from the Peruvian and Uruguayan teams would have made for a fantastic event in both countries, had it not been for reasons beyond their control requiring a change of venue.

    “We now look forward to eight ASNs being represented in Maggiora by some promising young drivers and we thank the Maggiora Off Road Arena and the Automobile Club d’Italia for their assistance in the organisation of the event.

    “Beyond these final decider rounds, we are excited to announce details of the FIA Rally Star Training Camp and the six events the winners of the Continental Finals and Women’s Final will contest during the upcoming FIA Rally Star Training Season. The team has worked hard to develop what will be a comprehensive FIA Rally Star Training Camp itinerary. The six events have been chosen to give the drivers the opportunity to sample a variety of conditions that are likely to be encountered in the Junior WRC Championship.

    “We are grateful for the support of our partners and, specifically, Automobile Club d’Italia and our colleagues at Rally Italia Sardegna for all their assistance. We also extend our thanks to the organisers of the six rallies who will welcome us from June to November.”

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season event schedule confirmed

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season will feature six events, four on gravel and two on Tarmac. The six FIA Rally Star Training Season participants will compete in identical Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3s run by M-Sport Poland. The event calendar is as follows:

    •    Rally San Marino, Italy (gravel), June 16-17

    •    Rallye Weiz, Austria (Tarmac), July 13-15

    •    Rally Nova Gorica, Slovenia (Tarmac), September 22-24

    •    Rally Saarema, Estonia (Gravel), October 6-7

    •    RallyRACC, Spain (Gravel), October 20-21

    •    Lausitz Rallye, Germany (Gravel), November 9-11

    A test will take place ahead of each event along with an extensive post-rally debrief following afterward. 

  • Jaden Pariat to test Tatuus T421 tomorrow ahead of British F4 full season

    Jaden Pariat to test Tatuus T421 tomorrow ahead of British F4 full season

    Leicestershire/Shillong, 19 April 2023: Talented young Indian racer Jaden Pariat is raring to get into his Formula car, the Tatuus T421 for team Phinsys by Argenti, ahead of the opening round of the 2023 FIA British ROKiT F4 championship at Donington Park on Thursday.

    The 16-year talent, who took part in the final two rounds last year, caught the eye of the teams at the famous Silverstone circuit in 2022 scoring a Rookie podium on his debut.

    “I’m excited to start racing as we prepared well over the winter. We want to have a strong start but the aim is to progress over the year and keep on improving as a driver. It is 10 race week-ends and 30 races. If we focus on that, hopefully the wins and podiums will follow. With only two weekends’ of saddle time under my belt, my target is to be consistent,” Jaden exuded confidence today.

    The Shillong-born teenager, who made Bengaluru his second home, honed his skills in Chennai and Coimbatore before shifting base to the United Kingdom. And he took part in two rounds of the Winter Series. The former Indian National Karting Junior Vice-Champion was also offered to be an ambassador for Lyca Radio, one of the leading South Asian stations, where he would offer a special VIP prize to a lucky winner to join him behind the scenes. “It will be good fun to show the Lyca winner what motorsport is like for the first two rounds. I’m looking forward to welcoming them to taste motorsports,” said Pariat, who is eligible for Rookie class this year too.

    After an unofficial test on Thursday, the Indian will take part in the qualifying on Saturday followed by the first race. On Sunday, April 23, Jaden will have another two races. Race 3 will be live on ITV4 in the United Kingdom.

    Jaden Pariat is an aggressive driver, a family skill he acquired from his father Atikur Rehman, an Indian Rally Champion of yesteryears. But Jaden, an avid footballer, decided to take up a different variant of motorsport discipline.

    The ROKiT F4 British Championship is the first step for aspiring young drivers making the transition from karting into single seaters to follow the footsteps of Lando Norris. The second-generation Tatuus T-421 chassis features halo safety cage and has Abarth engines. The championship is certified by the FIA, and 12 Super Licence points will be awarded to the overall champion.

  • Bumper grid For ROKiT British F4 2023 Season Opener: Jaden Pariat

    Bumper grid For ROKiT British F4 2023 Season Opener: Jaden Pariat

    Donington Park (Leicestershire, UK), 19 April 2023: Changes for British F4 2023 include a complete grid reversal for race two which should ensure plenty of overtaking action. Also new is that the fastest time set in qualifying sets the pole position for race three. The weekend’s first race order is determined by the second-fastest time set in qualifying. 

    Who are the ones to watch? Jack Sherwood (Chris Dittmann Racing), Isaac Barashi and Jaden Pariat (Phinsys by Argenti), and James Higgins (Fortec Motorsport) return after their tasters at the end of 2022, with winter testing to help them prepare for their full 2023 campaigns. Rodin Carlin’s Louis Sharp has every chance of being a front-runner; the New Zealander finished fourth overall last year, with 12 podiums including two wins, despite being too young to compete in the first event of the year. Daniel Guinchard performed well in the Rookie class at Donington and has a year of experience and a race win under his belt before moving to CDR for 2023.

    New for 2023 includes Deagen Fairclough, ROKiT Racing Star esports winner. As 2022 British Kart champion and double World Finals winner, Gabriel Stilp arrives at Hitech Pulse-Eight with a strong pedigree. Fellow Hitech Pulse-Eight team-mate Will Macintyre is used to success, graduating to British F4 as Ginetta Junior Rookie Champion. Virtuosi’s Kai Daryanani chose yet another route to British F4, moving from karts to a UAE winter campaign in preparation. The full entry list will be revealed on Thursday.

    Donington Park’s National circuit layout is the drivers’ first chance to make their mark with the fantastic atmosphere of the TOCA paddock and crowds to spur them on. Among others, the Rookie Cup was won in 2015 by Dan Ticktum, now an NIO 33 Formula E driver, and Dennis Hauger (2018) who clinched his first Formula 2 win in Australia this month. Five rookies are set to compete for 2023 honours: Rodin Carlin’s Josh Irfan, Gustav Jonsson (CDR), Isaac Barashi (Argenti), Douwe Dedecker (Virtuosi), and Gabriel Stilp.

    It’s about more than drivers – teams compete too. Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Alex Dunne sealed the 2022 Drivers’ title, but it was Carlin that took the Teams’ Championship. Seven teams are battling for Teams Championship honours in 2023, all seasoned single-seater teams involved in pathways into or from British Formula 4. The highest two scoring entries per team count towards the Teams’ Championship points.

  • Loeb and Al Attiyah head to Sonora Rally, Mexico, to resume W2RC duels: Rally Raid

    Loeb and Al Attiyah head to Sonora Rally, Mexico, to resume W2RC duels: Rally Raid

    Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah resume their fascinating duel for supremacy in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) at this weekend’s Sonora Rally, a new event in the FIA cross-country calendar that runs over varied terrain through northern México from April 22-28..

    Loeb and his Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin currently lead the Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ Championships by 16 points from the Qatari and his Andorra-based team-mate Mathieu Baumel, although both crews encountered problems at the recent Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. That enabled Czech rival Martin Prokop and round two winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi to close the gap at the top of the points’ standings.

    Al-Rajhi’s maiden win in Abu Dhabi means that Toyota Gazoo Racing holds a 41-point cushion over Bahrain Raid Xtreme in the Manufacturers’ standings, with the Baic ORV operation in third and the X-raid Mini JCW Rally Team two points further adrift in fourth.

    Organised by Aventura Events with the support of Mexican ASN OMDAI and series-promoting A.S.O., the Sonora Rally has attracted 27 FIA entries, including 12 in the FIA T1+ category. Italy’s Eugenio Amos and Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini join Al-Rajhi at the wheel of Overdrive Racing Toyotas, while Loeb’s Prodrive Hunter BRX is joined by Guerlain Chicherit at the wheel of a GCK Motorsport Hunter and a pair of X Rally Motorsport Hunters for the Brazilian duo of Cristian and Marcos Baumgart.

    China’s Guoyu Zhang and Yunliang Zi represent the BAIC ORV team in a pair of BJ40s. Sebastien Halpern currently holds seventh in the Drivers’ Championship in his Mini John Cooper Works Plus and the Argentine is joined by Denis Krotov in a two-car X-raid Mini JCW Team that rounds off the T1+ entries.

    American trio top T3 field in México

    Eleven crews will line up in the FIA T3 series-production cross-country vehicles in a competitive section that is being dominated by three American drivers after two rounds. Third overall and maximum T3 points in Abu Dhabi have given Seth Quintero a five-point category lead over his Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team USA team-mate Austin Jones, both at the wheel of South-Racing-built Can-Ams. Quintero’s co-driver Dennis Zenz leads Jones’s navigator Gustavo Gugelmin by five points in the T3 Co-drivers’ Championship.

    Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch have persevered with the prototype MCE-5 T3M this season and are a distant third in the points’ standings.

    Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing’s Francisco Lopez and Cristina Gutierrez hold fourth and fifth in the rankings and are entered in their Maverick X3s.

    Competition comes from four South Racing Can-Am Team Mavericks in the hands of Sweden’s Mattias Ekström, Chilean driver Hernan Garces and the Argentine duo of David Zille and Diego Martinez.

    The X-raid Team has entered a prototype Yamaha YXZ 1000 R for the Portuguese duo of João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro and French veteran Claude Fournier drives a BRR-run Can-Am to round off the FIA entries

    Rokas Baciuška heads FIA T4 category

    Only four FIA T4 crews have made the trip to the Sonora Rally. Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing’s Rokas Baciuška won the category in Abu Dhabi and finished second at the Dakar Rally and leads the series by 48 points after two rounds.

    The Lithuanian again teams up with Spaniard Oriol Vidal and faces competition from an Xtreme Plus Polaris in the hands of Japan’s Shinsuke Umeda, Spaniard Eduardo Pons in a South Racing Can-Am and Italy’s Rebecca Busi, who teams up with Frenchman Sébastien Delaunay to drive an FN Speed Team Can-Am.

    The new addition to the FIA cross-country calendar is also the first event of its kind to be staged in México that is sanctioned by the sport’s governing body. Formerly a round of just the FIM series, the event has been revised to adhere to FIA regulations and is the brand child of American racer Darren Skilton and his team.

    Action will be fought out over five legs and a provisional 1,249 competitive kilometres in a route of 2,091km between the bustling city of Hermasillo, the fishing and resort city of Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) on the Gulf of California and the Arizona-México border town of San Luis Rio Colorado in northern México.

    The demanding off-road event will pass through the state of Sonora en route towards the Sea of Cortez and across the cactus deserts of historical Caborca before reaching the famous dunes of the Altar Desert and on to the ceremonial finish in San Luis Rio Colorado’s El Bosque park

  • Jehan Daruvala to test Mahindra Car for the first time in Berlin: Formula E

    Jehan Daruvala to test Mahindra Car for the first time in Berlin: Formula E

    London (UK), Tuesday, 18 April 2023: Indian racing star Jehan Daruvala is scheduled to test a Formula E car for the first time at the Berlin round from April 22 to 23.

    Daruvala is a Mahindra Racing reserve driver. The 24-year-old is fulfilling his Mahindra duties alongside a fourth full season in the Formula 2 Championship.

    ”ROOKIE TEST: @DaruvalaJehan will drive for us at the @FIAFormulaE Official Rookie Test after the Berlin E-Prix, making his debut outing in a Formula E race car,” Mahindra Racing tweeted.

    Mahindra Racing is the only Indian outfit competing in Formula E though Tata-owned Jaguar is also part of the electric racing series. The Indian team will have two drivers taking part in the test.

    Formula E Press Release

    Formula E and the FIA today revealed the full line-up of the 23 drivers confirmed to participate in the first rookie test for the GEN3 race car next Monday (24 April) following Rounds 7 and 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Tempelhof Airport circuit in Berlin.

    The test is exclusively for drivers with no previous experience driving a Formula E car on-track and who hold a minimum International Grade B license. The test day is designed to encourage new and emerging talent in the premier electric racing series with the chance to showcase their skills in the driving seat of the GEN3 race car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful, and most-efficient electric race car ever built.

    Since the last rookie test in 2020, several drivers have made the step up to a full-time race seat. Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing), teammates Sacha Fenestraz and Norman Nato (Nissan Formula E Team), Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team), and Sérgio Sette Câmara (NIO 333 Racing) all participated in the last rookie test held in Marrakesh.

    Following the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix double-header of races on Saturday 22 April and Sunday 23 April, rookie drivers representing all 11 teams in the championship will get the opportunity to shine in two three-hour sessions on Monday 24 April. Tackling the high-grip and energy-sapping concrete slabs initially designed for aircraft – not cutting-edge electric race cars – means the Hankook tyres will be pushed to their limits on the abrasive surface.

    Alberto Longo, Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer, Formula E, said:

    “Formula E is leading the way in motorsport for technological progress and innovation, so we are excited to capture that same dynamic spirit and give the next generation of racing talent the chance to show what they can do in the GEN3 race car.”

    “The roster of drivers set to take part is a ‘who’s who’ list of the most exciting and ambitious talent in all of the motorsport with some huge accomplishments among them. We cannot wait to see what they will do behind the wheel of the GEN3, a race car at the leading edge of performance and innovation.”

    Pablo Martino, Head of Sporting Matters, FIA, said:

    “Nurturing the next generation and developing the stars of the future is a cornerstone of our focus in Formula E. We are working hand-in-hand with the championship to maximise opportunities for up-and-coming talents. A key aim of the test day in Berlin and the FP0 session in Rome is to offer promising young drivers an insight into the championship and allow them to familiarise themselves with the ground-breaking GEN3 car – another significant step towards our longer-term goal of integrating rookies even more tightly into the heart and the fabric of Formula E race weekends.”

    Formula E is increasingly seen as a proving ground for the most talented drivers. After winning the 2019 FIA Formula 2 title, Nyck De Vries joined Formula E where he immediately showed his world-class racing ability to become the 2020 FIA Formula E World Champion. De Vries races for F1 team Scuderia AlphaTauri this season.

    Current Formula E world champion Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) combines his electric racing career with F1. As well as defending his Formula E title this season, Vandoorne is a reserve driver for the Aston Martin team in F1. Vandoorne moved to Formula E following success in his early career and has earned a place on the McLaren Young Driver Programme.

    Building upon the Berlin test, in Rome just under three months later, a 30-minute Free Practice session will be held prior to Rounds 13 and 14 of the Rome Hankook E- Prix (Saturday 15 July and Sunday 16 July), for competitors aged 18 and over who have never previously raced in Formula E. All teams are obliged to run at least one driver in this session.

    Drivers to watch:

    Victor Martins, Nissan Formula E Team: Current reigning champion of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, Victor Martins will be testing with the Nissan Formula E Team. Martins has been a member of the Alpine F1 Academy since his 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup Championship win. Following his success to date, he has made the step up to the FIA Formula 2 Championship where he is currently competing for the 2023 season.

    Felipe Drugovich, Maserati MSG Racing: 2022 Formula 2 Champion and reserve driver for Aston Martin and McLaren F1 teams will test for Maserati MSG Racing. He was the first member to be announced in the AMF1 Driver Development Programme, two days after winning the F2 Championship. He had his first go behind an F1 car in November 2022 when testing at Silverstone. This opportunity allowed him to obtain his FIA Super License and to drive in Free Practice at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Alongside Formula E’s Stoffel Vandoorne, Drugovich was added to the list of reserve drivers for Aston Martin for the first 15 races of the 2023 season.

    Sheldon van der Linde, Jaguar TCS Racing: Reigning 2022 DTM champion, Sheldon van der Linde will get his first opportunity in Formula E with Jaguar TCS Racing. He currently competes in the DTM Championship alongside Formula E’s Rene Rast. As a BMW Factory Works driver, he is also competing in the GT World Challenge Europe Championship and IMSA SportsCars Championship, where he took P2 in class in the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring. His older brother Kelvin van der Linde, two-time ADAC GT Masters champion also debuted in Formula E earlier this season as a replacement for the injured Robin Frijns in Diriyah, Hyderabad, and Cape Town.

    Jack Aitken, Envision Racing: Current competitor in the IMSA SportsCars and DTM Championships, Jack Aitken makes his debut in Formula E for Envision Racing. Racing in the new Cadillac V-LMDh, he won IMSA’s 2023 12 Hours of Sebring following an incident that saw the GTP cars in front of him crash into each other in the final minutes of the race. He is a former reserve driver for the F1 team Williams Racing where he raced for the team at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing George Russell. His previous experience includes ADAC GT Masters, European Le Mans as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    Linus Lundqvist, Avalanche Andretti Formula E: Reigning Indy Lights champion and 2020 Formula Regional Americas Champion, Linus Lundqvist will test for Avalanche Andretti in the rookie test. No stranger to single-seater racing from his F3 days where he was named the BRDC British Formula 3 Champion, he has also raced the infamous 24-Hours of Daytona in 2019 and 2022.

    Daniil Kvyat, NIO 333 Racing: Former Red Bull and AlphaTauri Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat will make his debut in Formula E for the NIO 333 team. He currently competes in LMP2 in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and next year will race for Lamborghini Squadra Corse as a Factory Works Driver. He has also driven at the infamous brickyard in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Indianapolis Road Course race and is scheduled to make three more appearances later this year.

  • WRC Round 4 resumes in Croatia on a sombre note: Craig Breen remembered

    WRC Round 4 resumes in Croatia on a sombre note: Craig Breen remembered

    It’s a return to Tarmac and Croatia for round four of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship for what will be a sombre occasion following the passing of Craig Breen in a team testing accident last week (Thursday).

    Zagreb, 17 April 2023: While the 33-year-old’s death has left the entire WRC community in a state of shock, Croatia Rally’s third appearance in the world championship presents an opportunity for his peers to honour his memory.

    Croatia follows on from Rally México where a second victory of 2023 for Sébastien Ogier has put the eight-time WRC champion on top of the provisional standings, albeit with a slender three-point advantage over Thierry Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä, the defending champion, is just one point further back. Rally Sweden winner Ott Tänak is fourth for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, nine points adrift of Ogier, with Elfyn Evans 12 behind his Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate.

    Taking place from April 20-23, Croatia Rally first hosted the WRC in 2021 when Ogier overtook and beat Evans by 0.6s in a thrilling final-stage battle. The top two positions were also reversed on the deciding stage last season, as Rovanperä defeated Tänak.

    As well as counting for overall FIA WRC2, FIA WRC2 Challenger, FIA WRC3 and FIA WRC Masters, Croatia Rally forms round two of the FIA Junior WRC Championship, which is currently led by William Creighton following his victory in Sweden.

    THE ROUTE IN SHORT

    Croatia Rally organisers have elected to follow a tried and tested route, albeit with some minor adjustments.

    The Stojdraga – Gornja Vas stage on leg one now runs through to the village of Hartje, a move that has increased its length from 20.77 to 25.67 kilometres and the rally’s timed distance to 301.26 kilometres. Replacing Jaškovo – Mali Modruš Potok, the Ravna Gora – Skrad stage, meanwhile, is new for 2023 and takes place on leg two.

    Getting underway on Thursday, April 20 on the 3.65-kilometre Shakedown stage near Okić, an ancient town with records dating back to 1193, the National University Library and Zagreb Fountains is home to the Ceremonial Start from 18h30.

    The Samoborsko Gorje, Žumberak and Karlovac hills west and southwest of host city Zagreb on Friday, April 21 provide the setting for four repeated stages run either side of service at the Zagreb Fair exhibition site.

    Four more double-use stages west of Zagreb and split by service in the capital offer the challenge on Saturday, April 22 with leg two’s Platak stage including a section in view of the Adriatic Sea.

    The deciding leg on Sunday, April 23 is formed of two stages that run twice and start with Trakošćan – Vrbno, the rally’s northernmost stage. The day also features the 14.09-kilometre Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec Power Stage from 13h15 CET with the INA building located adjacent to the service park providing the backdrop for the podium finish from 15h30.

    CROATIA RALLY DATA

    Stage distance: 301.26 km

    Total distance: 1650.68 km

    Number of stages: 20

    SUPPORTING CATEGORIES

    Twenty crews are entered for the WRC2 category with the three class winners of 2023 – Yohan Rossel (PH Sport Citroën C3 Rally2) plus Toksport Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 pair Oliver Solberg and Gus Greensmith – all in action. Nikolay Gryazin will also contest the country’s WRC round along with a number of others, including Sami Pajari, Czech driver Erik Cais and Adrien Fourmaux, who is representing M-Sport.

    Croatian brother and sister Martin and Dora Ravenščak are among the WRC3 crews getting a taste of the world championship competition, while eight fellow rising talents are in contention for the Junior WRC victory. They include the Junior ERC champion from 2022, Laurent Pellier and Belgian Tom Rensonnet, who is supported by the RACB National Team initiative from his national ASN.

    WHAT’S NEW IN THE WRC FOR 2023?

    – WRC2 Junior becomes WRC2 Challenger as the criteria switch to focus on competitor experience rather than age

    – WRC2 Masters for drivers 50 or over in Rally2 cars expands to also allow Rally3, Rally4, Rally5 and RGT cars. The name has changed to WRC Masters as a result

    – Central European Rally featuring stages in Austria, Czech Republic and Germany joins the WRC schedule for the first time in October

    – To further promote sustainability, testing away from nominated test venues for Rally1 manufacturers is cut from 28 to 21 days

    – In the interests of reducing the hours that volunteer officials must be in duty, morning service on gravel events is removed from the itinerary