INDIA in F1

Tag: Aditya Patel

  • 10-car pile-up stops MRF F1600 races; Double for Arjun Balu, Rithvik Thomas

    10-car pile-up stops MRF F1600 races; Double for Arjun Balu, Rithvik Thomas

    Arjun Balu (centre), winner of Race-3 in ITC category, flanked by second-placed Aditya Patel (left) and Dhruv Shivaji Mohite. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 18 August 2019: On a day which began in heavy showers and ended in bright sunshine, Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) completed a grand double in the Indian Touring Cars class to head the leaderboard as the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT, here today. Also achieving a double was Bengaluru’s Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) in the Super Stock category.

    Overshadowing the day’s proceedings was the 10-car pile-up in the MRF F1600 race that started in heavy showers and lasted barely 300 metres. as pole-sitter Yash Aradhya spun when he put wheels into a puddle, thus losing grip. The cars behind him, with nowhere to go, crashed into one another resulting in the abandonment of the race. None of the drivers suffered injuries barring cuts and bruises, but with 10 cars badly damaged, it was decided to cancel today’s scheduled three races and run them in the next round in September.


    Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh (No.5) in action while winning Race-2 in VW Ameo Class.

    “The next round in September, will thus have seven races in MRF F1600 category. It was an unfortunate incident with Yash running into a puddle and spinning. With so many cars badly damaged, we decided to put off today’s three races and have them in the next round,” said Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok.

    In Race-1 of the ITC category, that was declared “wet”, Balu and Patel were locked in a thrilling fight at the head of the field. Starting from pole, Balu maintained his position with Patel in close attendance. Three laps from the finish, Patel moved past Balu, but slipped back to second in the next lap when he ran wide at the last corner. Balu moved to the front and went on to win.

    In Race-2, run in fair weather and reverse grid, the three VW Ventos of Patel, Dhruv Shivaji Mohite and Ishaan Dodhiwala, switched to slicks, while Balu, starting eighth, remained on wet tyres. It was not long before the four moved to the front with Mohite pulling off a fine win ahead of Patel and Balu. The third race in this category, was a virtual procession with Balu, starting from pole, winning comfortably and unchallenged, followed by Patel and Dodhiwala. His two wins this weekend, took Balu’s tally to 148, way ahead of Mohite (119).


    Arjun Balu (No.39), who won a double in action .

    Spearheading a podium sweep for Race Concepts team, Sudanand Daniel, an airline pilot based in Singapore, won a dramatic wet first race in the Super Stock category for his maiden success of the season, with Rithvik Thomas and R Rajashekar in tow. RP Rajaran (Performance Racing) took the honours in Race-2 ahead of Rithvik Thomas and Daniel. In the next outing, Thomas survived a close fight with Daniel for his second win of the weekend. Rajarajan completed the podium.

    Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) and Pune’s Prateek Sonawane won a race apiece in the Volkswagen Ameo Class category. After eight races over three rounds this season, Mumbai’s Saurav Bandyopadhyay (305 points), winner of the first race yesterday, leads the championship in this category followed by Sidharth Mehdiratta (298) from Lucknow and Sonawane (294).

    The results (Provisional):

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 6 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (12mins, 49.794secs); 2. Aditya Patel (Rayo Racing) (12:50.491); 3. Dhruv Shivaji Mohite (Rayo Racing) (12:58.907).

    Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Dhruv Shivaji Mohite (Rayo Racing) (21:19.565); 2. Aditya Patel (Rayo Racing) (21:20.682); 3. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (21:28.378).

    Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (15:11.978); 2. Aditya Patel (15:17.508); 3. Ishaan Dodhiwala (Team Rayo Racing) (15:28.324).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 6 laps): 1. Sudanand Daniel (Race Concepts) (14:15.475); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (14:15.787); 3. R Rajashekar (Race Concepts) (14:45.952).

    Race 2 (10 laps): 1. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (22:15.115); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (22:27.432); 3. Sudanand Daniel (Race Concepts) (22:28.759).

    Race 3 (8 laps): 1. Rithvik Thomas (16:15.162); 2. Sudanand Daniel (16:15.951); 3. RP Rajarajan (16:40.747).

    Volkswagen Ameo Class (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) (20:09.577); 2. Aiman Sadat (Bangladesh) (20:12.811); 3. Siddharth Mehdiratta (Lucknow) (20:13.363).

    Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Prateek Sonawane (Pune) (16:00.024); 2. Sidharth Mehdiratta (Lucknow) (16:01.383); 3. Shobhomoy Ball (Bengaluru) (16:06.481).

  • Audi India’s Aditya Patel aims to fight back in Thailand at 2018 Blancpain GT Series

    Audi India’s Aditya Patel aims to fight back in Thailand at 2018 Blancpain GT Series

    Aditya Patel (left) and Mitch Gilbert set for Thai challenge.

    Buriram (Thailand), 10 May 2018: Audi India’s race talent, Aditya Patel along with Malaysian Audi Sport driver Mitch Gilbert aim to fight back this weekend in Buriram, Thailand, after their 2018 Blancpain GT Series campaign got off to a rough start in Sepang last month.

    The outcome was not what the team was hoping for. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 had the pace but a mechanical issue cost the team what could have been a podium finish in Race 1. Higher temperatures in Race 2 proved too harsh, causing both Aditya Patel and Mitch Gilbert to drive more cautiously to stay in the race.

    Piloting their Audi R8 LMS GT3, the duo had a less than the ideal weekend at Round 1 in Sepang where a broken radiator hose while running in a fine 3rd place in the first race cost them a podium and some valuable points. The second race also proved to be tough for the team as they found it hard to extract the potential from the car in the blistering heat of Sepang, scoring only a single point from the weekend.

    Buriram is known for its extremely hot conditions during this time of year and with 30 cars on the grid, it is expected to provide some intense racing. Once again, the grid is represented by automotive brands including Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, McLaren etc.

    “Sepang was quite a mixed weekend for us. Qualifying didn’t exactly go our way, but the car felt really good in the cooler conditions in the race 1. Unfortunately, I had to retire from 3rd place due to a mechanical failure. The race 2 proved to be an extremely tough as the track temperatures went up by nearly 30 degrees compared to race 1 which made it tough to fight.

    “This weekend, we aim to bounce back and hopefully bring our championship fight back on track,” said Aditya who is also sponsored by 2go activewear and Jubilant Motorworks.

    With a few changes to the car, the team is confident of a good fight back and aims to get back on the podium and back in championship contention this weekend. Race 1 will be at 1pm IST on Saturday and Race 2 will be at 11.30 am on Sunday.

  • Audi India racing talent Aditya Patel returns to Blancpain GT Series Asia with OD Racing

    Audi India racing talent Aditya Patel returns to Blancpain GT Series Asia with OD Racing

    File photo by Aditya Patel’s team.

    Mumbai, March 29: Indian racer and Audi India race talent Aditya Patel will be driving for OD Racing again this year, a team announcement said on Thursday.

    Patel said that he will join forces with Mitch Gilbert and OD Racing in their Audi R8 LMS GT3 once again to fight for the title of the Blancpain GT Series Asia, which the duo missed out on by a single point last year.

    This year, however, the car will be serviced by Team WRT. WRT is known for their exploits in GT Racing worldwide, having won titles such as the Nurburgring 24hr, Spa 24hr, Dubai 24 hr, Bathurst 12hr, Blancpain GT Series and the TCR International Series to name a few.

    Aditya Patel, backed by Audi India, Jubilant Motorworks, and 2Go Activewear, along with teammate Mitch Gilbert put in a string of fine results in 2017, grabbing more podiums than anyone else on the grid, only to fall short of the title by a single point. Talking about the association, Aditya Patel said,“It’s a pleasure to be back again this year with OD Racing and Mitch. We may have missed out on the title last year but we are sure we have a strong package this year, with the support from WRT, to be able to fight for the title again. WRT is considered to be one of the best GT3 teams in the world with an impeccable track record and I’m really looking forward to working with them this year! Once again, I must thank Audi India for their continued support over the years!”

    The Blancpain GT Series is known to be one of the most challenging championships in the world made an entry into Asia in 2017 and did not disappoint. With nearly 25 GT3 cars on the grid, the series instantly grew in popularity by attracting some of the best drivers from around the world.

    This year the series will visit Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China over six race weekends and will witness multiples manufacturers such as Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Mclaren etc, vying for top honours.

    “Mitch and Aditya proved last year that they are one of the strongest driver pairs in Asia and we now have the opportunity to partner with the renowned race team, WRT, a team that Audi Sport have entrusted to run their factory cars in Europe. Like us, WRT may not have been around for very long but their impressive successes and solid experience with Audi in the European races is sure to be an advantage for us moving forward.”, said ODRacing team boss Cornelius Ee.

    This season’s six-round, 12-race Blancpain GT Series Asia campaign begins at Sepang in Malaysia on April 14/15. The second race will be at Buriram, Thailand on 12, 13 May 2018.

    Audi Media info

  • Aditya Patel finishes the season with a bang, helps team with a double win: Blancpain GT Asia Series

    Aditya Patel finishes the season with a bang, helps team with a double win: Blancpain GT Asia Series

    Zhejiang: Twenty-nine year old Chennai racer Aditya Patel finished the seasonn with a bang with a double victory in along with teammate Gilbert in the 12th and final race of the Blancpain GT Series Asia Championship. The duo, piloting the Audi R8 LMS GT3, missed out on the overall championship title by a single point in the inaugural edition.

    Indian GT ace Aditya Patel and Malaysian teammate Mitch Gilbert won both the races at the final round of the Inaugural Blancpain GT Series in Asia which helped them claw back vital championship points, finishing only one point behind the final winner, Hunter Abbott.

    “What a weekend! I’ve had a fantastic year with OD Racing and the support from my sponsors Audi India, Jubilant Motorworks and 2GO Activewear has b

    Aditya-Patel-and-Gilbert-after-a-double-win-in-the-season-finale-on Sunday. Photo courtesy Aditya Patel

    een amazing! I can’t wait to see what next year has in store,” said an ecstatic Aditya to www.INDIAinF1.com through an email after the weekend.

    The OD Racing pair came into the final round 28 points behind the championship leading pair of Marchy Lee and Shaun Thong. With 50 points up for grabs, Patel and Gilbert came into the weekend with an outside chance of winning the title.

    Patel put in a lap which was good enough for second place on the grid for race 1 while Gilbert set a blinding laptime in qualifying 2 which put them on pole position for race 2.

    Starting 2nd for the first race, Aditya was quick to take the lead in wet conditions and began to open a gap between himself and 2nd place Aidan Read. The Indian then handed the car over to Gilbert who found himself in the lead even after serving a five second pitstop penalty. From there on Gilbert opened up a gap and finished comfortable with a win in race 1.

    Race 2 was held in treacherous conditions after it rained through the night and continued to rain as the day progressed. Gilbert took the start but lost a place to Martin Rump on turn one, and kept his head down through his stint, and then handed it over to Patel who served his 10-second penalty for winning Race 1 and came out in 2nd place behind Rump’s teammate Rick Yoon. However, as conditions got worse, Yoon spun and handed the lead back to Patel who cruised to the 2nd victory of the weekend. Although he roped in a maximum-points haul, the pair still missed out on the overall championship by just a single point.

    “What a weekend! We came in 28 points behind the leaders with an outside chance of winning and now we’ve finished 2nd only one point behind. We did everything we could this weekend and had a perfect weekend but in the end it wasn’t enough.

    eom/with inputs from Aditya Patel

  • Aditya Patel takes lights-to-flag victory in spectacular fashion at Shanghai

    Aditya Patel wins the Audi R8 LMS cup in Shangai on Sunday. An Audi team image
    Aditya Patel wins the Audi R8 LMS cup in Shangai on Sunday. An Audi team image

    Shanghai, 1 Nov 2015: Audi India race talent, Aditya Patel, racing in the Audi R8 LMS Cup, took a lights to flag victory in spectacular fashion in Shanghai on Sunday.

    Round 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup played host to 2 races and ran as a support race to the World Endurance Championship in Shanghai. Aditya went into the final race sixth in the driver’s standings and still had a slim chance of clinching the title.

    Race one however, did not go as plan for the driver backed by Audi India, JK Tyres and Jubilant Motorworks. After having engine trouble in practice, the mechanics worked extremely hard to change the car’s engine in no more than two hours. Patel then went out and qualified second, alongside Alex Yoong.

    However, his joy was short lived. The stewards took a decision to penalize Aditya for a minor technical infringement, thereby putting him 17th on the grid for the first race of the weekend. Patel remained undeterred and put in a stellar performance to move up to 9th place and set the fastest lap of the race which put him on pole position for race two.

    Being a standing start, Patel shot off and never looked back. The Indian quickly built a comfortable gap over championship rivals Alex Yoong, Franky Cheng and Marchy Lee. From there on, Patel kept his calm and crossed the chequered flag in spectacular fashion to win the final race of the season ahead of Marchy Lee and Franky Cheng. Former Formula one driver, Alex Yoong was crowned Champion of the Audi R8 LMS Cup. Aditya Patel ended the championship fourth overall.

    “It’s been a crazy year and there’s no better way than to top it off with a pole to flag victory in the final race! The team did a fantastic job to get the car ready for qualifying. The penalty after qualifying meant a change in strategy, and it turned out to be perfect! I’d like to thank Audi China for giving me the opportunity to race in the cup as well as my sponsors, Audi India, JK Tyres and Jubilant Motorworks for their support through the years,” said an ecstatic Aditya after the race.

    eom/Audi press release