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MotoGP: 539 days later, Rins puts Honda back on top
Rins wins, Pecco crashes, Marini takes a debut podium and Quartararo returns to parc ferme after another shake-up on Sunday.
Austin, Monday, 17 April 2023: 539 days and 24 Grands Prix have passed since Honda were last on top, and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) has brought that long wait to an end with a truly-impressive ride to glory at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
The number 42 was pressuring Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) at the front of the field until the number 1 slid out, and from there on out Rins was on a mission to just keep. that. gap. And that he did, getting the hammer down once Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) had made it past Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and taking the flag with time in hand to celebrate. That brings Honda’s longest winless streak since they returned to the premier class in 1982 to an end, it’s the first LCR victory since 2018 and the team’s 100th podium in the Grand Prix paddock. It also means Rins has won a staggering 50% of the last six MotoGP™ races… and on two different bikes. How’s that for a one-man stat pack?
Behind Rins’ headline-grabber, Marini made his own as he held station in second once he was past Quartararo, and the Italian takes his first Grand Prix podium to follow up a first Tissot Sprint podium last weekend. For Quartararo, meanwhile, it’s a return to the rostrum for the first time since Malaysia last year as he turned the page following a tougher opening stint to 2023.
As the lights went out, it was the perfect start for Pecco as the Italian took the holeshot, with Rins in hot pursuit. There was drama on Lap 1 for others though as the Ducatis of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) crashed out, the latter losing the front and then collecting a hapless number 73. Then more drama as Aprilia Captain Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) also fell victim to an issue, reportedly after an issue with his holeshot device.
In the meantime, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has come flying through the field to put himself in third place from 10th on the grid. Quartararo was hot on the tail of the Aussie too as Marini sat just inside the top five.
Bagnaia was putting on pressure early on as he attempted to stretch out the field, but Rins wasn’t having any of it as the Spaniard latched himself onto the back of the factory Ducati. Rins, in return, piled the pressure on the number 1… and Bagnaia did, indeed, slide out of the lead. Now Rins was in a race against himself and the couple of seconds he had in hand, with some history on the line just waiting to be made.
Meanwhile, with 14 laps to go Miller had crashed out, rider ok, and that put fast-starting Quartararo up into second once Rins was the lone star in the lead. Marini was shadowing Quartararo’s every move though, and with 3.5s to the battle for 4th behind, the duo was putting the hammer down in hopes of catching the LCR Honda man out front.
With the laps ticking away and the gap not coming down, Marini decided it was time to make a move on the flying Frenchman and got past, then able to stay ahead and solely start to edge away.. With five to go, the Italian had just under a second in his back pocket and that second place was his barring any drama.
He couldn’t catch Rins, however, and the LCR rider had time to celebrate over the line as he took yet another impressive win. He doesn’t always win – although lately, he has done half of the time – but when he does, it’s usually a highly notable day at the office and deserves a chapeau, this time cowboy-styled.
Marini brought home his Ducati for second and a first Grand Prix podium in the MotoGP™ class, with Quartararo snatching his first podium of 2023 in third as his focus switched to fending off fourth in the latter stages.
That fight was won by Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) as he stretched away from Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) despite plummeting down the order at the start, with Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) taking sixth. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed out of that fight, rider ok and rejoined but took three points at the back.
Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) were next up, with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) completing the top ten and taking his first rookie top ten in the process.
The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas did not disappoint as MotoGP™ leaves the USA after another shuffle, but it remains Bezzecchi in the points lead and Bagnaia second. Now get ready for more action at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España in two weeks!
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Bagnaia outruns Rins, Martin duels Aleix Espargaro as Quartararo slides out at COTA
Rins on the podium, surprise errors at the front, some serious charges through the field, and a single point in it at the top of the standings: Saturday sent it with another shuffle.
Austin, Sunday, 16 April 2023: There was adrenaline from the moment the lights went out for the Tissot Sprint at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) lined up on pole position for the first time in 2023, and it was game on as the chasing pack was eager to get the better of the number 1. Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) tried it early but was shaken off as Bagnaia sprinted free to take victory, but the number 42 battled back into second for a first taste of Prosecco with Honda. It was a duel to decide the final place on the podium, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) storming up from 12th on the grid to fend off Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) for third on the final lap.
Rins got the perfect launch as he took the holeshot into Turn 1, but the Honda then ran wide and allowed Bagnaia back through. It only took a few corners before Rins threw it back up the inside of the Ducati again, but the Italian bit back and used his Borgo Panigale power to blast past the Spaniard on the back straight. Meanwhile, Aleix Espargaro and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) had also made impressive starts, shooting up into third and fourth, respectively.
With one lap down, Rins was still all over the rear wheel of the factory Ducati, but then the LCR rider out-braked himself at Turn 12, allowing Espargaro through. It almost let Quartararo through the door as well, but despite a little contact, Rins was able to fend the Frenchman off. A lap later and it was Martin next on the scene to duel Quartararo, and the number 89 made shortish work of it, blasting past up into fourth.
Quartararo did his best to find off the Ducati rocketships, but next, it was Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). On the brakes, the 2021 World Champion then overshot Turn 12, allowing Alex Marquez through. Half a lap later it all came tumbling down as Quartararo’s Yamaha slid out at Turn 1, with the Frenchman rejoining but well down the order.
Back at the front, Bagnaia began to stretch out the field as he put down some lightning-fast pace. Aleix Espargaro and Rins were holding station in second and third, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. With four laps to go Rins muscled his way past the Aprilia, but as the battle for P2 came to the end of the back straight once again, Rins barrelled into the braking zone ever so slightly over the limit of his LCR Honda. That sucked in Aleix Espargaro, who followed Rins into the corner and ran wide. Alex Marquez was also caught out, the number 73 then down and out of the Tissot Sprint.
Meanwhile, Rins was able to make it stick and make his escape, with Aleix Espargaro left to duel Martin. The Prima Pramac rider had made an attack stick, but onto the final lap, Espargaro was almost riding pillion through the slalom section, desperate to find a way past. The Spaniard wanted to get through on his compatriot before the Ducati could stretch its legs on the back straight, but it wasn’t to be. The final sector arrived and there was only one thing for it: a lunge. Espargaro dived up the inside at the penultimate corner, but he ran wide and the Pramac cut back up the inside, giving Martin his second Tissot Sprint podium of the season.
Whilst the riders out front scrapped it out, the battle for the top five was hotting up too. It was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who led the group, with Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and teammate Luca Marini in hot pursuit. In the end, the South African was able to fend off the Mooney VR46 Racing riders and bring home fifth from 11th on the grid. Bezzecchi, however, retains the points lead overall by one single point.
Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) got the better of Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to bring his Aprilia home in P8, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) rounding out the top 10 after a tough start for Top Gun.
That’s a wrap! A Bagnaia win, a first for Rins, and a return for Martin… following an action-packed start to the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, we now have a chance to catch our breath before it all starts again on Sunday. If Saturday is anything to go by, you do not want to miss any of the action as the Grand Prix race gets underway at 14:00 local time (GMT- 5)!PECCO BAGNAIA: “It was one of the best days I’ve had in MotoGP considering the performance we had all day. We’ve worked so well since yesterday morning and my feeling with my bike is growing on this track for the first time, I’m feeling great. So we worked well. This morning with used tyres I was feeling OK so I was already understanding where to improve. But today for the Sprint it was quite difficult because the conditions were quite hot and it was difficult to stop the bike. I was having a lot of locking and sincerely it was a bit of a problem at the start of the race, but then I got used to it and I was managing it. But I think tomorrow will be another story about the conditions.
How are you feeling and who do you see as potential threats over 20 laps?
“First of all 20 laps are a lot, even today with 10 laps it was quite long. We have to remain calm, I think you can push from the start like today. I had to wait a bit and the first part of the race was a bit slower for sure. Then we will see if I can improve the pace a bit and if I have the pace to open up a gap like today. In any case, we have to keep calm and see like today what will be the conditions that will change for sure. I just saw that maybe it will be colder so it will be easier to be competitive. Let’s see…”ALEX RINS: “We had a really great day today, qualifying and the Sprint. I gave my maximum, I tried to overtake Pecco as soon as possible because I knew he had a good pace and I tried to ride on my own but he overtook me and then I went straight at T12, with the hot temperatures it was difficult to not lock the font and to stop the bike. But we did a great race, let’s see tomorrow, for sure this bike isn’t the same as the bike I was riding last year, and what I can say is I need more strength in my body to be fast through the chicanes to be fast, but let’s see tomorrow.
“We have a good bike, a lot of information, today honestly the hot temperatures we didn’t expect and didn’t ride with them before so for us, or for me, the electronics weren’t at 100%, so let’s see if tomorrow it’s warmer like this but we have information. As Pecco says, the race today was fast so we’ll need to take more care of the tyres to arrive with better performance at the end of the Grand Prix race.”
JORGE MARTIN: “Today I was struggling a lot in qualifying. In FP I felt super confident, I had a really good pace, was really close to the top guys, and I was feeling great. I think the antibiotics did their work and in the race, I was struggling a lot with my physical condition. But anyway the team did an amazing job preparing both bikes to be ready to race. Finally, we chose a bike that I thought was the good one even though we had some issues in the race. Coming through from 12th to 3rd position is not easy but I gave my 100%. Yesterday I was feeling worse so I feel like tomorrow I will maybe be better and have more strength to battle a bit better also.”
Talk us through the battle with Aleix!
“As soon as I overtook him I felt so weak, so I just waited for his overtake. I was just going slow and braking hard, and finally, I could use that to beat him. You know, I was super slow but I was just taking my time to understand how to manage the battle. It wasn’t easy but I was cleverer than him today and I hope tomorrow I feel better. I will try to rest today a lot and to gain a lot of energy tomorrow!” -
Bagnaia bags pole, Rins gives chase as the mind games heat up in Texas
Lap record pace? A little cat and mouse? A grid guaranteed to create some stunning racing? Check. Check. Check. Here’s how the riders line up in Austin.
Qualifying quickly came around at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, and as ever the premier class did not fail to entertain. The mind games were in full swing in Q2, but the number 1 plated Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) held strong to set a new lap record and take pole with a stunning 2:01.892. Second place went to a magical lap from Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) as he flew the flag for Honda and secured the middle spot on the front row, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) lining up alongside in P3.
You could cut the tension with a knife in Q1 as several big hitters sat in their garages ready to compete for promotion to Q2. Only two could go through as perennial frontrunners Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) all got ready to race.
Bezzecchi and Oliveira took initial control of the session and put themselves 1st and 2nd, but fast laps came in from Morbidelli and Zarco, the latter of whom bumped Oliveira out of contention. The riders then returned to the pits before the final fight for Q2 glory, which Bezzecchi started strongly on his first flyer, setting the fastest first sector, before pulling out the lap half way round. The Italian didn’t therefore manage to improve on his 2:05.253, but it was no bother as his earlier flyer proved enough to secure him a Q2 spot.
Mir put in the first punch of run 2, and with just two-thousandths of a second in it, the Repsol Honda rider snatched the provisional second spot. But it still wasn’t done. Hot laps were once again coming in, and Zarco was able to snatch first from Bezzecchi, putting the Championship leader under pressure.
No once else could improve though, putting Zarco and Bezzecchi through as Mir, Morbidelli and Oliveira just missed the cut.
Q2
As the first banker laps came in, it was Bagnaia who went top, but it was nothing to shout about for the Italian as a 2:02.576 was three-tenths shy of the fastest lap from Friday. There would surely be more to come, and there was.Just a lap later, the red sectors began to light up the timing screens, and it was Bagnaia who moved the goalposts once again – although with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) matched his lap time of a 2:02.242 just seconds after. With two-tenths to find to reach Jorge Martin‘s (Prima Pramac Racing) pole record from 2022, The Martinator himself then crashed out of the session, meaning it would likely be someone else trying to beat that lap.
Then came the pitlane cat and mouse. Bagnaia went to head out on the circuit first but pulled to the side of the pitlane after seeing Alex Marquez and Marini shadowing him. Despite the trying to shake him off, Marquez latched onto the number 1 machine in hope of finding the perfect tow for a chance at pole, and the psychological warfare continued on the out lap too, with the number 73 remaining close company.
Time was ticking, however, and it was time to put the hammer down. At first though, Bagnaia set a slow couple of sectors before then making a big mistake on his first flyer, forced to regroup for his final chance with one minute left on the clock.
In the meantime, Rins had the bit between his teeth and was focussed on the job at hand. The Spaniard nailed the final sector to set the new fastest lap of the session and knock Bagnaia down to P2, making a serious statement in the process and throwing down the gauntlet.
Bagnaia was back in the groove though, and the reigning World Champion made a little history on the way to stealing back that pole position with the first-ever 2:01 lap of the Circuit of the Americas. Marini shadowed the factory Ducati rider to continue his dream weekend and bag himself the final spot on the front row, with Rins forced to settle for second but splitting the two Borgo Panigale machines.
Martin went back out on the circuit hoping to sprinkle some of his one-lap magic but went down once again, losing the front at Turn 2. Alex Marquez also went down and out of the session, but luckily for the Gresini rider he had done enough to end the session fourth fastest to head the second row ahead of Bezzecchi and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).
The third row will also be one to keep an eye on as the lights go out, as 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) is set to start from seventh, just ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Zarco.
The depth of field in MotoGP™ is as hot as ever, and with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Jack Miller and Brad Binder fronting the fourth row of the grid, the squad in orange cannot be underestimated. Miller will be looking to fight his way through the field, and Binder’s Argentina Tissot Sprint proves exactly why there’s still plenty on the table. With two crashes in Q2, Martin will also be looking to use his strong pace to battle through the pack from P12.
There’s plenty to look forward to as the attention now turns to the racing action in MotoGP™. Make sure to tune in as the first story unfolds in the Tissot Sprint at 15:00 local time (GMT -5)!
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MRF Tyres mourns the death of Craig Breen, the 33-year Irish driver
Croatia, 13 April 2023: Popular and beloved Irish Rally driver Craig Breen died on 13 April 2023 at the age of 33 after a crash driving his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 rally car in a testing session for the 2023 Croatia Rally.
The front left wheel of his car collided with a pole on a road between Stari Golubovec and Lobour at 4.10 pm IST (12.40 pm local time) fatally injuring Breen. Breen’s co-driver James Fulton was uninjured.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem: “On behalf of the FIA, I wish to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Craig Breen following his passing during a private testing accident in Croatia. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and the entire Rally community at this difficult time.”
MRF Tyres Motorsports handle, with motorsports head Madhusudhan Rheinus, said: “MRF Tyres will always remember the start you gave us to our ERC journey. Rest in peace Craig (Breen), you will be missed.”
Craig Breen and Paul Nagle take 2nd place on Saturday in Liepaja rally. An MRF image file photo of 3July2022 “The crash is being investigated by the team and the Croatian authorities, with the police confirming a fatal accident on that stretch of road at 12.40 pm local time,” said a dirtfish.com post.
INDIAinF1.com received a statement from Hyundai team as it prepared for the next week’s Croatia rally. It offered condolences to the family.
Statement from Hyundai Motorsport
April 13, 2023 – Hyundai Motorsport is deeply saddened to confirm that driver Craig Breen today lost his life following an accident during the pre-event test for Croatia Rally.
Co-driver James Fulton was unharmed in the incident that occurred just after midday local time.
Hyundai Motorsport sends its sincerest condolences to Craig’s family, friends and his many fans.
Hyundai Motorsport will make no further comment at this time.MRF and Craig Breen
MRF and Craig Breen are associated for last year’s ERC campaign where MRF won the Overall Championship. You can watch Craig Breen here.
(Hear from Team #MRFTyres driver (late) Craig Breen after he took three stage wins in December 2022, a superb Sunday action of Rajd Polski at Rally Poland. It was the first FIA ERC gravel stage win for MRF Tyres. MRF also took second in Leg 2, proving the pace of the Indian-based company’s tyres.
MRF sends condolences to the family and friends of Craig Breen. We are shocked and deeply disturbed by the incident, said an MRF official. May his soul Rest In Peace (RIP), the official added.
A group of rally enthusiasts tweeted:
“Can’t believe it! This just isn’t right – you were a legend of a human being and a driver. The sport is poorer without you. RIP Craig and my wishes are with all your family at this devastating time,” said Hayden Paddon, the Kiwin who recently won the Otago Rally for the 10th time, on Facebook.
Daniel Raissar, a rally fan, raised serious questions: “Basically no one is talking about the safety of the cars, it didn’t look like an unsurvivable shunt. The plastic body and plexy glass don’t offer enough protection around the safety shell. There are very strong materials used in IndyCar windshields and metal does bend but doesn’t get penetrated so easily on impact. One can only speculate why saving weight decisions were taken at the top, WRC2 cars beating rally1 would not have been good marketing,” he said.
“It is a very sad, sad loss for the whole rally community. Time for FIA to look seriously in the mirror,” he concluded.
Rest in peace Craig.
Condolences to the family and friends.
Carlos Sainz: “Very sad to hear about Craig’s death. All my condolences to his family and friends. Today’s a sad day for the rally family.”
About Craig Breen
Craig was the son of Ray Breen, a national champion in Irish rallying. He bega Karting in 1999 in Ireland. He began rallying in 2007, combining it with karting commitments in Europe in 2008.
In 2009 he made the full-time switch to rallying, competing in the Irish, British and International Fiesta Sporting Trophies, winning all three championships. He also went on to win the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout and was award a twelve-month contract with M-Sport. For his achievements, Breen has crowned Young Irish Rally Driver of the Year and received the Billy Coleman Award.
In 2010 he debuted the Ford Fiesta $2000 in both British Rally Championship and the Irish Tarmac Championship. He took his first BRC victory on the 2010 Ulster Rally and went on to finish 2nd overall in the ITC. He also finished 17th overall in the car at the 2010 Rally Finland and 12th overall at Wales Rally GB.
In 2011, Breen competed in the WRC Academy driving a Ford Fiesta R2. He won his first WRC event at the Rallye Deutschland and his win at Wales Rally GB made him the inaugural WRC Academy Cup champion. Breen at the 2012 Rally Finland.
For 2012, Breen progressed to the S-WRC championship driving a Ford Fiesta S2000. He won the opening round at Monte Carlo and led the championship after the second round in Sweden.
In June 2012, Breen’s co-driver Gareth Roberts was killed in an accident during the Targa Florio Rally, the fifth round of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
In Rally de Catalunya, in November, he won the Super 2000 world championship. At the end of the rally, a very emotional Breen declared “I’m a kid, I can’t believe I’ve done this.”
In 2013, Breen and Co-driver Paul Nagle were signed by Peugeot to lead their ERC campaign called ‘Peugeot Rally Academy’. Breen was successful, achieving five podium places during the season, and eventually finishing 3rd overall, missing out on the runner-up spot by only four points. Midway through the season, Nagle left the team to help out Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelson in the WRC from the Rajd Polski onwards, Belgian Lara Vanneste became Breen’s co-driver.
Breen won his first ERC rally at the 2014 Acropolis Rally in Greece, driving a Peugeot 208 T16.
Breen and co-driver Scott Martin won the 2015 Circuit of Ireland Rally which had been a long-time ambition of Craig’s especially as this would be the 20th anniversary of his Rally Idol’s Tarmac Championship Win, that being Frank Meagher.
He did a part-time campaign with the Citroen Total World Rally Team in 2016, achieving his maiden Special Stage win and an emotional first podium finish with third place at the 2016 Rally Finland. He improved the result in 2018 by finishing second at the 2018 Rally Sweden.
In October 2021, it was announced that Breen would join M-Sport World Rally Team as their lead driver for the 2022 season. He joined Adrien Fourmax Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith in completing all 13 rounds.
Before the 2022 Rally Catalunya, James Fulton became Breen’s new co-driver after his long-time co-driver Paul Nagle announced his retirement. With Breen’s move from M-Sport to Hyundai Shell Mobis Mobis WRT is confirmed for the 2023 World Rally Championship… –Source Wikipedia
We stand with the family of Craig Breen, TEAM MRF TYRES and all the Rally Family in this hour of grief.
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“Why not a win?”: Thursday talking points in Texas
Austin, Thursday, 13 April 2023: From Termas we’ve landed in Texas and boy howdy is it great to be back! Two press conferences kicked us off on Thursday, the first comprising Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), and the second Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP).
Here are some key quotes:
MARCO BEZZECCHI
How special is it leading the championship for the first time?
MARCO BEZZECCHI: “Yeah, it was a particular week for me at home. It was a very nice feeling to come back and to see all the love from my family, friends, and all fans at home. It was something that I didn’t expect honestly but it was fantastic. I feel good, and I feel happy but I also know it’s already time to race again so I also feel concentrated.”
How many times did you watch that Termas race?
“Many. I think more than 20. As soon as I had some time I put it on the TV, and when I ate whenever I was at home. It was fantastic!”
What’s the message from the camp right now?
Marco Bezzecchi at the Thursday MotoGP Press Conference. MotoGP image “Well, definitely to keep my feet on the ground because Matt, my dad, and everyone in the team is saying this to me, but it’s also what I think. We were already in this same way of thinking. To think about the championship, honestly, it’s very early so I’m not thinking about the championship I’m just enjoying the victory and in the end I arrive here how I arrived in Argentina, just being myself and trying to be fast.”
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA
We saw how frustrated you were in Termas after losing the lead and 20 points, but what did you learn?
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “I understood that in the wet everything slips more than in the dry. We were looking with the team about what could have caused the crash and the truth is that there is no explanation. It’s difficult to explain, but in any case, we have to think about this weekend and focus on what we have to do.
“This is not the time to think about the championship. It’s good not to take too many risks, but at that moment I was second and it was the first time I felt so competitive in the wet. I wasn’t thinking about staying calm or waiting, I just wanted to open a gap to Alex Marquez who was behind, but without taking too many risks. I didn’t do anything different, but I crashed.
“Now we move on. We are in Austin, I love this circuit and I love this country. It’s one of the most demanding circuits, but we are ready.”
Where can the strengths of the Ducati help you at COTA?
Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati at the Thursday MotoGP press meet. Photo MotoGP “I think in the first sector, well, in the first two sectors we can be more competitive because the engine is more agile and it helps to line up better in sectors one and two. Last year I had problems, I was losing time under braking and that is something I will have to improve, but I think this year’s bike will help us.”
What do you like most about Austin and the United States?
“I love the atmosphere in America, it’s more relaxed. I love being here, going out, having a hamburger… I love walking around here. I’ve met a lot of people from the paddock around Austin, I think we all love it here.”
Could Marco Bezzecchi be a title contender?
“I think we all recognise Marco’s talent and speed, but it’s too early to be a title contender now. We are only in the third race, I don’t want to put my name on it either… we have to keep calm. There is plenty of time, but for sure Bezzecchi will be very competitive for the whole season and if I have to choose a rival I prefer it to be from Valentino’s Academy.”
On the absence of Marc and Enea:
“Honestly, Marc was one of the guys to beat here this year and Enea too, but it’s difficult to know because the level of the Honda’s is not the same as it was years ago and we have all moved on and grown. For Marc, it might have been more complicated to be competitive, but for sure he would have been there to fight, his way of interpreting this circuit is incredible. So is Enea. We have two fewer contenders, but the level of the other riders is very high.”
JOHANN ZARCO
How do you assess your start to 2023?
JOHANN ZARCO: “I’m pretty happy overall with the two races. For me, the sprint race is good to prepare for Sunday, and I’ve always been well prepared for the Sunday and the big result came twice. I’m happy about it. Clearly, the conditions in Termas were almost my conditions to perform easier compared to the dry. I expected to win but Marco was too fast at the beginning and in the end, I had to recover the time that I lost. But being third at the beginning of the third weekend is a pleasure, and it’s a sign that many things are possible. I’m happy, and as Marco said everything is so early so we need to get focused on the weekend and try to get a good feeling. It’s a tough track here. I was fast last year but not very consistent. If I can find a good pace I can wish for good things.”
Have you got any ideas on how to be more competitive in the opening laps?
“It’s a way to ride the bike. It seems the way I ride it at the end of the race when the others have less grip, I’ve got an advantage, but when the tyres are pretty fresh I miss a few tenths. But when everybody is fast around you, it’s also very tough to fight. The starts have been much better than last year and this is useful even if I could not fight very well at the beginning of the race I didn’t lose time at the start and at the first corners. It’s small things, we cannot say that we have to change anything. We are always talking about feeling and trying to get his pure feeling that will help me to do whatever I want when I want.”
ALEX MARQUEZ
ALEX MARQUEZ: “I’m so happy with the level we’re showing, it’s much better than what I imagined before starting the season with Ducati and Gresini but we also need to be realistic, we’re not on the level of the best Ducati riders in the dry so we need to keep working, we are in constant progression going up and that’s good, but we need to be realistic and go step-by-step. Starting like this is really good for the team and also for me because I’m coming from two difficult years, especially the last one, so to start like this for my confidence and motivation is really good. We’re not on the level of the best Ducat riders but we need to do as we have until now, try to get points, and try to be there for the Championship. We have a lot of races and Sprints ahead, so we need to focus on those points and not take any 0s. To be there will be important this year. Every weekend it’ll be important for us to take steps forward.”
The Marquez name is no stranger to the top step… could this be a chance to win?
Alex Marquez, at the MotoGP press conference. A MotoGP image “If Marc comes to Austin, you know you only had half a chance to win. Without Marc here, maybe it becomes 85%! I don’t know, it’s a new track with this bike for me. I don’t know how it’ll come to us. We have quite clear ideas of what we need to improve, so we’ll try to do our best again and have a solid weekend. Why not win? But it’s not our objective at the moment, we need to be realistic. Our position is between 4th and 7th more or less, but if we have the chance to take a podium or try and win, for sure we’ll try, but realistic for the moment it’s 4th to 8th.”
JACK MILLER
It feels like this has the making of a first big result here for you with KTM, do you get that vibe?
JACK MILLER: “Yeah for sure, I love coming back here to COTA. It’s definitely one of the Grand Prix that I look forward to most on the calendar, probably one of my favourites. The track is so different from everywhere else that we race. It has its positive points and its different points which are nice. I’m looking forward to it, I think with this KTM I’m excited to see what we can do around this track because the points that I’m finding myself strong on the bike generally play into the parts of this track. We’ll see what we can do this weekend, hopefully, we can get a decent crowd for both Saturday and Sunday and put on a decent show.”
Is your front-end confidence with the KTM going to help at COTA, and where?
“Yeah, I think we’ve managed to improve the braking performance of the bike, the decelerating performance. I think going into this Grand Prix this is one of the key factors you need with corners like corner 1, and whatever it is before the back straight, and then after the back straight, and the last corner as well. I think having a decent bike that’s performing well on the brakes is going to be key, also the way the bike changes direction is really precise and it’s giving me good feedback through the handlebars in terms of wanting the change direction so I think sectors 1 and 2 will definitely be pretty nice on this thing.”
FABIO QUARTARARO
Your position at the moment doesn’t feel like a true reflection of your potential or speed this season, is that how you see it?
FABIO QUARTARARO: “Our potential in the wet in Argentina was great, the pace in the Sprint wasn’t the best but we’re not so far. Qualifying is the point we need to work on, and it’ll be key this weekend to have a great qualifying.”
What’s missing in the M1 this year so far to make it feel like your bike?
“It’s not so much, but everything is so tight that if you’re not 100% confident on the bike it’s still difficult. Portugal wasn’t too bad, but we had a test just before. We had to figure out in Argentina the conditions, every time we were going on track we were changing something and it was getting better and better. So hopefully we can find our base on this track, and especially in qualifying make a step forward.”
On Toprak: “That’s not my thing… of course, it was a great opportunity for him to try the bike for two days, but I’ve never really talked to him about this test. Then the future of Yamaha, it’s not in my hands, we’ll see who my teammate is next year, it could be Franco or someone else.”Can you explain to us about your injury and recovery?
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA: “Yeah well, the injury was just a tendon that was a little bit damaged, a couple of tendons in the hip. So basically the problem was that I couldn’t open my leg and swing my leg over the bike without pain so the traveling to Argentina was very long. I was in a lot of pain for three days, it was pretty tough but I had to take the decision to rest. It’s a shame that the first couple of races were back-to-back otherwise I think I could’ve raced the following weekend as we are doing now. From everything that happened Sunday, I’m very grateful for not having any major injuries out of that.”
Your pace in Portimao should give you confidence with the Aprilia for the rest of the season.
“Yes, Portimao was indeed a track that maybe was better suited to my style and not the areas that I was struggling with the Aprilia which was straight braking. Here in Texas, I think I will struggle a bit more to adapt to this area where I’m not really comfortable yet, but I think we have the opportunity from tomorrow to start working on this and being able to get more comfortable with the bike. We have time, it’s a long season and I just want to restart my season here again and hopefully score points in both races which will be important.”
What are your expectations and hopes for the weekend?
“Well, I think I have to see you tomorrow. I need to discover the track with this bike. I don’t see any specific reason why the Aprilias cannot be competitive here so we just need to start and make progress through the practices and the weekend as time goes on and we get more time with the bike to be fast which is the main target.”
eom/david/14apr23
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Ruhaan makes a strong debut in GB4 with two P7 finishes in points
Oulton Park (UK), 8 April 2023: Indian racing star Ruhaan Alva made a strong debut, a Baptism by fire, in the British GB4 Championship finishing in the top 10 twice as he returns to racing in the European circuits at Cheshire’s Oulton Park where the Round 1 concluded on Sunday.
He did suffer an unfortunate mechanical issue that pulled him down in Race 2 but is confident to come back stronger. “I am eagerly looking forward to getting back in the car,” Ruhaan, who is sponsored by JK Tyre and backed by Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation, said.
A grid of 15 aspiring single-seater stars of the future assembled at Oulton Park for the start of the new GB4 season last weekend. Three different winners from the season opener suggest another wide-open season is in store, and you can watch all the action again here. Ruhaan Alva did a commendable job and showed enough pace which is expected to improve further as works with his engineers on the car set-up ahead of Round 2 in May. You can watch the Round 1 races here.
Ruhaan Alva The Bengaluru teenager started from P9 in his Tatuus F4 T014 #27 car and managed a creditable seventh in the first race after showing admirable pace in his very first race on debut in the GB4 series. Later, due to some issues he logged a DNF after his anti-fog seal broke and filled up his visor leading to a blind drive behind the safety car that caused contact with a car in front of him, and his race ended abruptly. However, the 16-year-old came back strongly in Race 3 on Sunday for another point finish in the top 10, taking seventh place again in the 15-car grid, 14 of them new for the season like Ruhaan. The Indian will take part in all 21 races over 7 weekends and will use this as a platform to get into bigger things like FIA Formula 3.
“It was a great experience with a lot of learning for me,” said Ruhaan after the race weekend. After initial hiccups in qualifying, he saw that despite an issue with the floor which was dragging on the ground, Ruhaan managed a decent lap to get a P9 position. In Race 1, he did launch nicely off the line and after a comfortable race, he was left with a bit of defending which he did admirably to keep the drivers behind him in check and took a creditable seventh among many racers who had a better saddle time and experience on the circuit.
Race 2, did not go according to expectations. It was raining heavily and most of the race ran behind the Safety Car. The anti-fog seal of Ruhaan’s helmet broke leading to the visor getting filled up with water which caused complete fogging. “I was driving blind under the safety car. The car in front of me braked hard, and I couldn’t see him,” revealed Ruhaan about the conditions that forced him to make a contact. It did damage his front wing and the Master Cylinder that holds the brake fluid resulting in an unfortunate DNF in Race 2.
Ruhaan Alva is in a relaxed mood at Oulton Park ahead of Round 1. The talented Indian karting champion, who graduated from Formula Cars, won the IRL league recently for his team. In Race 3, he was pretty confident and had fun racing, with a lot of battles on a drying track. The pace was decent but he got stuck behind a slower car in the initial stages which caused him to drop back a bit. Once he was able to pass the slower car, Ruhaan was able to climb up the order making two passes on the last lap and once again took a decent P7. “We had a few issues with the engine throughout the weekend and the team is working on it for the next round in the first week of May. I am confident to come back better equipped,” was the parting shot of Ruhaan, son of former Indian rally star Umakanth Alva.
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Sheena and Trupti, felicitated for exploits at Rally Jameel, Saudi Arabia
Chennai, 11 April 2023: It was a surprise, but a pleasant welcome when Sheena Sabharwal and co-pilot Trupti Gupta got a call from fmsci that they were selected to take part in the Rally Jameel, an all-woman TSD rally in the desert sands of Saudi Arabia. Thus began the exploits of IndiGals, one of the two teams from India that took part in Rally Jameel in March.
Sheena and Trupti were honoured at the fmsci Annual Awards Ceremony and were handed over their trophies here on Tuesday.
A homemaker from Pune with two teenage daughters, Trupti began her motorsport sojourn with the Times Women’s Drive from Pune to Goa in 2017 and the next year she met her driver Sheena Sabharwal, an architect, at the Malwa TSD car rally in Indore, their first rally together. And Rally Jameel is the first international debut for the Pune pair. “Learning and growing with each rally and pushing boundaries every time, our aim was to get higher with every step,” said Sheena.
The rally was organised by Bakhashab Motorsports Development and the two Indians were sponsored by the official partners, Abdul Latif Jameel, an Automotive Company, which provided a rally-prepared new 4×4 Toyota Fortuner.
Sheena Sabharwal, left, and Tripti Gupta, right, with fmsci President Akbar Ebrahim, 2nd from right, and Vice-President Gautham Shanthappa at the Annual Awards Ceremony at Trident Hotel, Chennai on Tuesday, 11 April 2023. Photo: Trupti Overwhelming Op to make their international debut
“We were overwhelmed with the opportunity. I never thought of doing an International car rally that too in Saudi Arabia. I had never heard of places like Alu La or Hail. I only had a sketchy idea of what was going to come our way. With determination and trust we took the leap,” said Trupti. “We were nervous but willing to learn. But sharing the stage with professional women including some who had Dakar titles under their belt was an exciting experience,” felt Sheena. “Representing our country is always an honour and pride and it gives us a sense of responsibility. We enjoyed the experience thoroughly,” echoed both of them in tandem.
For the record, the Indians finished Rally Jameel in 7th place in their category and 11th Overall. “It was three days of racing over 1600 km. About 550 km is the timed speed stage. Navigating and locating approximately 200 waypoints is a stunning experience as we did not have any saddle time or experience of navigating this kind of rally,” added Trupti. They began with a few hiccups ending the first leg on Day 1 in 26th position and improving to 14th on Day 2. They switched up gears and picked up the tempo for a creditable 7th on Day 3 as they ended the third leg, and went on to finish with a bang taking a creditable podium place (Leg 4) on the fourth and final day with a second position.
“Navigation was amazing. It was tough with new instruments and a new set of apps to understand and roll out. The whole point system was completely different from the TSD formats in India. I had to figure out our key abilities and then use them to score in places that made our positions better. The rally began as an unknown world to me as I never sailed in the desert before. I was happy and pleased with the positive ratings that helped me push my pilot Sheena to the finish line. In the end, finishing all the Specials without a puncture was satisfying,” Trupti narrated.
Sheena, left and Trupti speak after they were honoured by the fmsci at the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday in Chennai. With a lot of variation in terrain that consisted of rocks, sand patches, different speed controls in stages, and very different road regulations and speed limits in the liaison section, it was a challenging event. The vehicles with left-hand drive added to the challenge forcing a major change in orientation for the Indian drivers. That brought out the focus and concentration of the navigator, who had to keep a constant vigil on the driver to provide timely alerts to be on the track. “By habit, I am more of a shift-stick driver. An automatic car was comparatively easier on the road but the whole dynamics with it work differently on off-road sections. We needed some time and understanding of the vehicle on the Special Stages. Getting to know the 4×4 shifts as per the requirement and delivering was a new and enjoyable experience,” said Sheena.
The duo was careful with the air pressures, constantly deflating and inflating as per the change in terrain. Monitoring any tyre damage in the timed stages and keeping track of major losses in time with a new navigation system was too much to handle. But co-driver Trupti adapted as fast as she could with Sheena handling the vehicle admirably.
Winning debut at TSD Nationals
The lady drivers from Pune made a winning debut in the fmsci Nationals in 2021 clinching the Ladies’ title after a slew of privately- organised TSD rallies. They qualified for the 2022 finals in Siliguri for the Himalayan Drive, where they did well topping the round but finishing runners-up in the Nationals. Nevertheless, they managed to get the call from the Federation in February for the Jameel Rally. Another ladies’ team of Jessie and Jyothi, which did well in 2021, was nominated as the second team.
Background of Rally Jameel
After a call by King Salman Al Saud to recognize women’s right to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, in September 2017 as per Vision 2030, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors and Abdullah Bathashab Est., the leading motorsports developers in Saudi Arabi, started the Rally Jameel.
And today dozens of Saudi women participate in the rallies and several women from around the world completed the second edition of Rally Jameel successfully. “If you love what you do, success will follow you,” was how Trupti ended the interview with INDIAinF1.com.
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fmsci honours 2022 Indian National champions
Chennai, 11 April 2023: After successful conduct of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship earlier this year in Hyderabad, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India is hopeful that the FIM MotoGP World Championship will be held as scheduled at the Buddh International Circuit in September.
List of all the awardees honoured by fmsci is here!
Delivering the keynote address during the Annual Awards function of the FMSCI, here on Tuesday, when it honoured 118 National champions of the 2022 season across various formats of the sport, president Akbar Ebrahim said: “Last year, we had announced that MotoGP will be coming to India and I am informed by the Indian promoters and FIM that work is in progress, and all are hopeful that event will be held as planned.”
INRC double overall champion Karna Kadur, left, along with fmsci Commission chairman Farooq Commissariat and experienced co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai after receiving the Indian National Rally Championship Overall winners award at Trident hotel in Chennai on Tuesday. fmsci councillor and former INRC driver Vicky Chandhok (left) applauds the 11-time National champion (including3 fissme Cup titles) after presenting him the award for 2022 Indian Touring Cars National title. All photos by Anand Philar The FMSCI, besides felicitating the 2022 season National champions, presented special awards to Bengaluru’s Pragathi Gowda who won the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific final round in Chennai, and Shriya Lohia (Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh) who represented India and finished fifth overall at the FIA Girls On Track event in Paris, France.
Ebrahim, recounting various milestones of the FMSCI which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee, revealed that Hyderabad produced India’s first FIA Grade 2 and FIA Formula E street Circuit.
He also announced plans to promote the sport at grassroots level. “We want to take the sport to the masses. We will also be conducting training programmes for Stewards and Marshals to ensure events are run adhering to all safety requirements. Only the accredited officials will supervise all motorsport events in India. At the moment, there are 2,500 FMSCI license holders and we would like to increase the number to 20,000.”
“It is the 50th year of the FMSCI and we owe it to the five founders. We overcame all the challenges because of the passion and dedication of all stakeholders involved in the sport. The FIA and FIM now take India seriously and our country is spoken of highly in various international forums.”
Ebrahim congratulated MRF Tyres for winning the prestigious European Rally Championship (ERC) title. “Indian drivers are now participating in various international events from Karting to Rallying to racing and fighting for podium positions,” he concluded.
The FMSCI Council Members, various Commission heads, promoters and sponsors were also present at the function.
About the FMSCI
The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) was founded in the year 1971 and was registered as a Private Limited Non-Profit Company in 1973. It became affiliated to Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in 1979 and to the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) in 1986. Fifteen years after its inception, the FMSCI was recognised by the Government of India as the sole authority to control and conduct Motor Sport events in India. It is also recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS). The FMSCI is the affiliated National Sporting Authority (ASN) of the International federations for 4-wheeler and National Motorcycle Federations (FMN) of the 2-wheeler motorsports viz. the FIA, headquartered at Paris, and the FIM, headquartered at Switzerland. It is also a part of the FIA Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK or CIK-FIA) which is the primary international sanctioning body for Karting. The FMSCI has a wide, pan-India base of affiliated member clubs totalling 48 currently.
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JK Tyre, Vamcy Merla to sponsor Ruhaan’s GB4 campaign in the UK
Bengaluru, 6 April, 2023: Ruhaan Alva, the young 16-year-old racing prodigy’s next big international outing will be the 2023 GB4 Championship, which gets underway this kon Friday at Oulton Park in the UK.
Ruhaan, who had a dream run in his racing career with four National titles and multiple club titles, for a total of seven titles under his belt, will take part in the GB4 Championship, an extremely-competitive single-seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. Indian rising star, Ruhaan Alva will race with renowned Fortec Motorsport team in the upcoming season.
Ruhaan Alva said: “I’m really excited to be racing in the GB4 Championship this year with such a fantastic team as Fortec Motorsport. The aim is to use this as a springboard and to be as successful in single seaters as I have been throughout karting. I’m grateful to the support JK Tyre has extended to me throughout my racing career. I also thank Mr. Vamcy Merla for his belief in me and my talent. I look forward to represent our country and our Indian motorsport fraternity.”
In 2021, he won four Championships in India at a very young age of 15 years. The driver from Bengaluru, has already represented the country on several international platforms like the Rotax Grand Finals in Bahrain in 2021, Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific selection programme and the World Motorsport Games in F4 in 2022.
JK Tyre Motorsport known for nurturing motorsport talent from India for over four decades inducted Ruhaan in their scholarship program last year.
The talented Bangalore boy, graduates to full-time single-seater Formula cars after an impressive karting and racing career, including winning the Indian X30 title and front-running appearances at both the IAME International Final and Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Now, Ruhaan will contest the seven-event, 21-race GB4 calendar alongside Fortec’s other driver, Colin Queen. The third driver slot is yet to be announced.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre, said: “Ruhaan has been a trailblazer in Indian racing circuit and now it is time that he proves his mettle on international soil. Nothing gives us more happiness than supporting our racers who proudly represent our Tri-colour. We wish Ruhaan the very best and hope that this experience will propel him closer to his dream.”
In a recent announcement by Fortec Motorsport, Team Principal Oliver Dutton said: “We’re really looking forward to working with Ruhaan. His is a name that has been cropping up on a few people’s radars recently, and we definitely think he has a lot of potential. GB4 is a really tough championship, as we found out last year, but with the right development and some experience, he can be a force to be reckoned with, and his addition to the team puts us in even stronger shape heading to Oulton Park this weekend.”
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.
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