INDIA in F1

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  • Marquez makes history for Honda ahead of a Ducati duel for the podium

    Marquez makes history for Honda ahead of a Ducati duel for the podium

    Reigning Champion takes the Japanese marque’s 300th premier class win, with Dovizioso vs Petrucci deciding the podium

    Marquez wins French GP on Sunday for Honda’s 300th win in the Premier Class. A MotoGP image

    Le Mans, 19 May 2019: It was a history maker of a day for reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in France. The Spaniard converted pole into a dominant win clear at the front, and in doing so he took Honda’s 300th premier class victory – as well as equalling the premier class win count of teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Behind him, it was a Ducati duel for the podium, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) just able to hold off teammate Danilo Petrucci over the line. ‘DesmoDovi’ equals the podium tally of MotoGP™ Legend Mick Doohan across all classes, Petrucci took to the rostrum for the first time for the factory Ducati Team.

    As the lights went out, poleman Marquez and second place Petrucci immediately went toe-to-toe into Turn 3, with the number 93 just getting the better of the Italian as everyone made it through the tricky left-right in one piece. It was the top three on the grid who held the top three positions in the race, and Marquez started to edge out a half-second gap on the field.

    But Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was on the move. He forced his way past fellow GP19 rider Petrucci and immediately locked his radar on the back of Marquez’ Honda. And it wasn’t long before the 0.5 gap was bridged as Miller slammed in the fastest lap of the race before chucking it up the inside of Marquez at Turn 3 on Lap 5. Two laps later Marquez went to return the favour and both riders ran slightly wide; Miller getting the cutback to lead but Marquez sweeping up the inside of the Ducati…as Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) joined the fray at the front.

    With Marquez back in the lead though, he began to get into a rhythm. A tenth here and a tenth there slowly stretched the gap out to half a second as the Spaniard posted the fastest lap of the race and it was hammer down for the Championship leader.

    The gap to Miller and Dovizioso kept on rising and as Marquez ticked Lap 14 off, it was over a second and it soon became a race for second between the three Ducatis, with Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) not completely out of the equation but back in fifth. With 11 to go Marquez was two seconds up the road as Dovi made his move past Miller, the Australian running wide at Turn 7 as Petrucci began to build up his speed and close down the podium places.

    A few laps later, the number 9 was past Miller and setting his sights on his teammate. With five laps to go, Petrucci, struck for P2 but ran wide and the duel would continue – but Dovizioso kept on getting it back. Meanwhile, Marquez had built up nearly a four-second gap as he cruised round to claim his third win of the season in dominant style, equalling teammate Jorge Lorenzo’s premier class win tally (47), which is joint fourth on the list. Although no match for Marquez on the day, Dovi took an important second for 20 more points and Petrucci returned to the rostrum for the first time since Le Mans last season.

    Miller held off Rossi by a tenth to earn a solid fourth in France, ‘The Doctor’ not quite able to keep tabs on the podium battle and coming home fifth. Just behind him, meanwhile, was a big contender for the ride of the day: the best result of the season so far for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Pol Espargaro. The Spaniard had looked strong all weekend and he proved it in the race, taking an awesome sixth place and over a second ahead of the next man up, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT).

    Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) eventually crossed the line in P8, which won’t be what he wanted from the French Grand Prix but there was plenty to write about once again. Off to a bad start and dropping outside the points in the early stages, fast Fabio unleashed some searing pace to slice back through the field to only just over a second behind his teammate. Podium potential once again, the fight rolls on to Mugello.

    Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) lost out to Quartararo in the latter stages, the British rider finishing ninth, with the top ten completed by Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins. A P19 start hampered the Spaniard’s French GP as he slips from second to third in the standings. Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) earns his best Honda result in 11th, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), home favourite Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the two Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s of Hafizh Syahrin – the Malaysian’s first points of the season – and Miguel Oliveira completing the points. Oliveira was handed a penalty that dropped him below Syahrin in the standings, but both still scored – as did all four KTMs in a good day at the office for the Austrian factory.

    Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) collided with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and they crashed out together on Lap 7, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) also crashing – riders ok. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) retired, and there was huge drama on the warm-up lap before the race had even begun. On the brink of his 200th GP start, Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s rookie Joan Mir both crashed – separately – heading into Turn 3. Mir was able to get back to the pits and get back out to join the race, but Abraham was black flagged for coming out of pitlane after the leader had crossed the line on Lap 1.

    That’s a wrap, and the rain stayed away in the end as Marquez reigned over Le Mans for the second year running. However, his lead is only eight points over Dovizioso in the Championship as we move onto the latter’s home race: Mugello. Will the tables turn there? Tune in in two weeks.

    Top-3 Resutls: MotoGP

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 41’53.647
    2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +1.984
    3 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) +2.142

  • Marquez equals Rossi with pole, Petrucci and Miller complete the front row

    Marquez equals Rossi with pole, Petrucci and Miller complete the front row

    A 55th premier class pole sees the number 93 draw equal with the ‘Doctor’, with three Ducatis lurking close behind.

    Front row L-R: Petrucci, Marquez (pole) and Miller. A MotoGP image

    Le Mans, 18 May 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has equalled Valentino Rossi’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) premier class pole position tally after mastering the damp qualifying conditions at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, taking his 55th pole despite crashing in Q2 in the MotoGP French Grand Prix here on Saturday. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and top Independent Team rider Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) join the Championship leader on the front row for Sunday’s race, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) making it three Ducatis on Marquez’ tail.

    Question marks over which tyres to go with were obvious ahead of the green light and as the riders ventured out, only three riders gambled on slick tyres: Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), teammate Maverick Viñales and fellow Yamaha man Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). But it didn’t pay off as the rain started to fall slightly heavier at Le Mans, so the M1 trio came straight back into pitlane to switch bikes.

    Meanwhile, the riders who had gone for wets were busy getting their first laptimes on the board, and it was Marquez who went to the top of the standings after Petrucci and Miller had taken turns to go P1. The Spaniard’s advantage was nearly 0.4 seconds as he set off on another hot lap but at Turn 6 it came to an abrupt halt as the Repsol Honda rider slid out, trying his best to save it but it wasn’t to be this time around. Miller would also later crash, as would a fair more more.

    Conditions were getting ever so slightly worse as the rain continued to fall, and Q1 graduate Rossi was now out on wet tyres, gradually climbing his way up the timing screens as the field struggled to improve on their personal best laps. Marquez stayed out after his crash but the Championship leader wasn’t able to find any more time, with Rossi one of the only riders to find some; the 40-year-old jumping up to fifth on his final flying lap and set to line up alongside Dovizioso.

    Closing out the second row is Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who was the last rider within a second of Marquez, ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), who heads row three despite suffering his first crash of the season. He has Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) alongside him as the number 99 had his best qualifying yet on the Honda. The six-time Le Mans winner was one who, like Rossi, was able to improve despite the worsening conditions. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was next up in P9 and that was another notable result; the Noale factory’s best of the season so far.

    Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), meanwhile, looked disappointed with P10, but it’s a impressive result for the rookie as he had to get very quickly accustomed to a MotoGP™ machine in the wet. The Frenchman will start ahead of Viñales too after a disaster for the Spaniard, who had looked immensely strong in all conditions throughout the weekend. Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crash means he’ll start 12th on the KTM after failing to set a time, although it’s a step up from last season for the Austrian marque.

    A notable name missing from the list? Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Despite good speed in a wet FP4, the Spaniard struggled in qualifying and will start the French GP down in P19. Can he pull his usual race day pace out the bag and slice back to the front? All eyes will be pointing to the skies tomorrow to see what the weather will bring but whatever the conditions, it looks set to be a French phenomenon in Le Mans. Don’t miss the premier class race at 14:00 local time (GMT+2).

    Qualifying Top-3:

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1’40.952
    2 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) +0.360
    3 – Jack Miller* (AUS – Ducati) +0.414 

    *Independent Team rider

  • Viñales fights off Marquez to go fastest in France

    Viñales fights off Marquez to go fastest in France

    Quartararo and Lorenzo get in the mix at the top, with Dovizioso next up in fifth

    Vinales fastest on Friday at Le Mans. A Movistar Yamaha image

    Le Mans, 17 May 2019: It was a high-stakes Friday in the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, with the weather fine on Day 1 but rain and worsening conditions expected on Saturday – meaning the end of FP2 became a frantic dash to ensure a provisional place in Q2. As the dust settled it was Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Viñales at the top of the pile, with the 2017 race winner fast all day and deposing reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) by 0.190 seconds. Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed the top three after topping FP1, with the Frenchman’s pace showing no sign of abating.

    The day started sunny before the Le Mans clouds loomed at the start of FP2 to serve as a reminder of the weather warnings for Saturday…not that anyone needed one. After some drama that saw Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) take a tumble and then Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller, it was Honda at the top with Marquez, followed by Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), but the timing screens were about to be painted red. With just under ten minutes to go to get that fast lap in, Repsol Honda Team’s Jorge Lorenzo bolted first and went fastest overall. It was game on.

    Then Crutchlow crashed, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro capitalised to push the British rider out the provisional top ten, and Viñales moved the goalposts again to go top. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) then seemed on to go faster still but lost time near the end of the lap, before there was more drama as Aleix Espargaro crashed, Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed for a second time and then Miller followed his lead.

    Meanwhile, Viñales was busy at the top going quicker again and that was, then, how it would stay. Marquez jumped from fifth to second across the two sessions, with Quartararo slotting into third and remaining ominous.

    Lorenzo remained fourth overall as the Spaniard found some impressive pace in the afternoon, recovering from an FP1 crash to find some top form in France – a venue where he has six wins across all classes, five of which are in MotoGP™. Dovizioso stayed safely inside the top ten and ended Friday in fifth, just ahead of teammate Petrucci after ‘Petrux’ bounced back from his crash. Pol Espargaro, despite his eventful day, is seventh overall in yet another impressive performance from the 2013 Moto2™ Champion to put KTM on course for an automatic place in Q2, likewise brother Aleix, who puts Aprilia in P8.

    Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was another with something to smile about after FP2, with the Japanese rider improving vastly upon his FP1 to end the day in ninth – just ahead of Miller. The Australian didn’t improve in FP2 but had done enough to edge out Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) by just 0.001 – something that could prove crucial.

    That’s a phrase that two men will likely be repeating and regretting after a tough first day in France, chiefly Crutchlow down in P12 and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The ‘Doctor’ is P14 overall heading into FP3 and couldn’t crack the top ten, although he was another suffering some drama on Friday as one run in FP1 was interrupted by his chain coming off. Finally, second in the Championship Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also had a tougher day. He’s down in P16 and could well face another fight through the pack on Sunday although it’s not stopped the Spaniard hitting the front yet.

    That’s it from Day 1 at Le Mans and, come rain or shine on Saturday, we look set for a thriller of a qualifying day. Will FP3 stay dry and let the field improve? Or could Q1 even prove an advantage for those who are forced to fight it out and let them check out the conditions ahead of Q2? And, if the fight for pole in France sees rain shuffle the pack, who can master the classic venue in the wet?  Find out from 9:55 (GMT +2) local time for FP3, before qualifying from 14:10.

    Top-5 fastest on Friday:

    1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 1’31.428
    2 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +0.190
    3 – Fabio Quartararo (FRA – Yamaha) +0.285
    4 – Jorge Lorenzo (SPA – Honda) +0.288
    5 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +0.308.

     

  • There are more contenders for the championship this year, says Dovi: MotoGP Press Conference

    There are more contenders for the championship this year, says Dovi: MotoGP Press Conference

    Marquez, Left, vs Dovi… The contenders at the Thursday press meet in Le Mans. A MotoGP image

    Le Mans, 16 May 2019: Ahead of MotoGP track action on Friday, the pre-event Press Conference for the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France got the event in gear as home heroes Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were joined by reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), COTA winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), third in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who was back on the podium in Spain for the first time this season. Talk centred on the season so far, home pressure and, of course, the race ahead at the classic Le Mans circuit.

    Marquez, as the Championship leader, spoke first. “Jerez was important but it was another race, another GP and the main thing is we took the 25 points, this was the key and what we are here looking for. Also in the test on Monday we were competitive, fast and consistent; what we were looking for. Now we arrive in Le Mans, which is a completely different track, more stop and go, last year was a good weekend so we start with a good mentality and optimistic, then we will see during the weekend where we are…opponents, tyres, weather…try to find the way to be fighting for the podium on Sunday.

    “Last year Dovi was very, very fast here but he made a mistake in the race. But during the weekend he was fast, and also Yamaha riders were very fast two years ago so you never know in Le Mans. We will try to concentrate, try to find the way to be fast, we have a different kind of bike this year and we will try to find the way to be fast at each circuit.”

    Next up was Rins, who took his first win at COTA and kept it rolling with a podium at Jerez. After a positive test the day after as well – and only a point off Marquez in the standings – it could be a crucial weekend. “It’s been a good initial part of the season with good results – a victory in Austin and second place in Jerez. So, after the race in Jerez we try a lot of things. We try a different swingarm, the new ‘spoon’; it was very positive the test. We found good things, not for this race, but for the middle of the season so it was quite nice.

    So does testing get better with age? Apparently it does! Especially when you’re only a point off the Championship leader. “Maybe in my first year in MotoGP I go to the test and it was boring. but when you are there, when you are fighting for the top positions, when you are motivated it’s not a problem to ride the next day!”

    Dovizioso was the next man to speak, and he started off talking about the Championship – he led into Jerez but then just missed the podium – but he says being so close to the top is key, and that he expects bigger things from France. “This situation in the Championship is good and completely open. Like I already explained, there are more of us fighting for the championship. Yes were are at the beginning and anything can happen but I expect more people fighting for it.

    “I’m happy to be here, Le Mans is a good track for me, a good weekend, last year our speed was good so I expect to be fast. Faster than Jerez, but you know this season the competitors are a bit different. The speed is different, especially in the practice, I think more riders will be at the top so it’s important to be there. And especially with the weather, Le Mans is always like this and it looks like the weather will be unstable sp anything can happen so we need to be ready. Overall I’m happy to be here and I think we can fight for the podium and victory.”

    2017 Le Mans winner Viñales is another positive rider expecting better and better results. He just beat ‘DesmoDovi’ to P3 in Spain for his first premier class podium on home turf and now he’s ironed out some early race problems it’s game on. “Honestly for us it was really important to go into Jerez and make the most of our potential. Especially the first laps, going well that was the most important for us because we lose many seconds in Qatar, Austin and Argentina so we couldn’t show our potential. So, I think, for sure, the result in Jerez was very important. We brought a lot of confidence into the team and that’s what we needed.

    “We need to keep working, we need to try understand the way to go. We improve quite a lot on the test, so I’m really pleased. Let’s see here in Le Mans – a track I really like. We can give our best and be, at least, on the podium. In think the main objective is to be on the podium and fighting for the top places. We need try to be on the front row as I think in Jerez that was really important because the other two Yamahas were really fast on Saturday.”

    Then it was time to hear from the man of the moment in many ways: Quartararo. Now the youngest ever polesitter in MotoGP™, he saw his first podium slip through his grasp in Jerez after a mechanical problem but the Jerez test saw him shave another stunning half second off the new lap record he’d set on Saturday. After that rollercoaster, how’s he feeling ahead of the French GP? He kept it short but sweet.

    “For sure as you know, Jerez has been really good for us. We didn’t expect, first of all, to get pole, and the race was really good, it’s really difficult to overtake on the MotoGP bike in Jerez so it was good to get pole. In the race the first lap I really struggled to follow Franco and Marc but in the end I found two tenths from free practice and I was really good on the bike. Yeah what happened, happened but its really positive to have seen lots of things from Marc during the race…

    “After what happened in Jerez, the fans are a little bit crazier. For sure we need to be focused on energy and of course, enjoy the home GP!”

    Finally, Zarco took to the mic. First up the Frenchman debriefed the pre-event – where he impressed the dancers of the Moulin Rouge with a back flip – before looking ahead to the race after a tougher start to the season.

    “It was a great evening at the Moulin Rouge. An amazing show, really nice girls for sure. Nice outfits, nice decoration, everything was nice,” he laughs. Then, it was back to racing talk. “The energy from the fans, even if I’ve had a hard beginning to the season, I feel a very positive energy from them here. They really support me and say, ‘you can do it and we trust in you’ and that gives me energy. After Jerez we had two days of tests. Testing is interesting because you can keep working on the rider and you have time to try a lot of things on the bike. The job of test rider is kind of difficult, you can try 20 things, but it could only be only one working. And if you have only one thing working you must be happy. That’s what we did and now I’m ready to go. As all the riders say we must see the weather conditions. I think, I cannot say an advantage, but we’ll have less disadvantage because I tested here before. I had two days here before Jerez so it will help me to be quicker and maybe closer to the top guys. From that, I hope to build a good weekend and have a good weekend for me and all the team.”

    Will the home heroes steal the show? Can the reigning Champion keep his grip on the top? Or will someone else take the throne this weekend in France…find out when the lights go out for the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT +2) on Sunday.

  • Sneha Sharma takes lead in women’s category: F4 SEA Championship

    Sneha Sharma takes lead in women’s category: F4 SEA Championship

    Sneha Sharma in Buriram on Sunday 12 May 2019. Photo: Sneha Sharma

    Buriram (Thailand), 12 May 2019: India’s top woman racer Sneha Sharma jumped into the lead in the ladies’ category after Round 3 of the highly competitive Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, here at the Chang international Circuit, Thailand.

    Sneha won the leading trophy in each of the 4 races to grab the Overall Cup for women in the Thailand round. She even clocked the best time of 1:46:6 to finish in the Top Eight against 11 of the finest racers from 10 different countries, most of them from Europe.

    The 28-old who is also an airline captain by profession, supported by Indigo Airlines and JK Tyre, raced in a Formula 4 Race car (for Team Mertius) for the first time at Buri Ram but proved to be up for it.

    She took part in all four races in the championship and clocked the best time of 1:46:6 with a best Finish of Top 8 in the overall category and top 1 in her category, making her the current leader of her class in the 2019 championship.

    The Chang Circuit is famously known for its Moto GP Racing, which has seen the likes of Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez in action. This series of Formula 4 ran alongside the Formula 3 Asia and the Blancpain GT Series, making it one of the biggest events in Asia.

    Sneha, one of the first women to break into racing circles in India, took a highly creditable Pole position in Race 2 and P2 in Race 3, giving her the chance to score good points for the overall season.

    “I am totally excited with my second international victory this year,” an exultant Sneha said. “I had fun on the track, driving the races back to back and being part of the wheel-to-wheel action all the way till the chequered flag against such competitive drivers.”

    She pointed out that a micro-chip in the car analysed her driving all the way to her turning technique, her braking and her top speed which helped her become better with each race. “The data analysis by the engineers and driver coach was amazing. It helped me stay with the pack and put up a great fight,” she explained.

    “I was hoping for a good finish in Race 2 in which I began on Pole. But I was hit by another driver and had to work hard to recover and get into the points. I must say it wasn’t easy as the car requires a lot of physical strength, apart from skill to drive.,” she said.

    The 4th round of Formula4 SEA is scheduled for June 21, again in Thailand. In all, there will be 7 more rounds through Asia, including 2 in India in July.

    “I am already looking forward to the next race weekend. I am working really hard on the simulator, on my physical fitness and mental strength as well. The aim is to dominate my class and get into Top 5 overall for India,” Sneha declared.

  • Hamilton dedicates win to `Harry’; Mercedes finish 1-2 in all five races thus far

    Hamilton dedicates win to `Harry’; Mercedes finish 1-2 in all five races thus far

    Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. An FIA image

    Barcelona, 12 May 2019: Lewis Hamilton moved back to the top of the FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship standings as he beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Mercedes finished one-two in all the five races this season. Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull Racing, ahead of the Ferrari cars of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc in the Spanish Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 21-round Formula One World Championship here on Sunday.

    Lewis Hamilton 
    It’s been an incredible day for the team. We’ve brought an upgrade here and everyone worked so hard to make that possible. I’m very proud of everyone back at the factory and thankful for all their hard work. The guys here at the track are all performing at an extremely high level as well, thank you all. When the lights went out, my initial getaway was quite good and we were very close all the way down into Turn 1. I think the Ferrari was alongside us at one point too, so it was a great battle and also a decisive moment in the race. After that I just had to keep my head down and focus on trying to deliver each lap. I want to dedicate this win to Harry, a young kid who sent me a message today. He was my inspiration out there. He could’ve chosen any other driver, so for him in the most difficult of days to send a message like that is really humbling and much appreciated. I’m sending you love, Harry.

    Five-year-old Harry Shaw was diagnosed with cancer in August 2018. His parents have set up the fundraising page to inform about his case and raise money to fight children’s cancer.

    When the lights went out at the start, it was Hamilton who made the best start and on the long run down to Turn 1 he tucked in on the inside of pole sitter Valtteri Bottas, who later complained of clutch problems on his getaway.

    Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel had also made a good start and he tried to pass both Mercedes around the outside into the first turn. It was a risky, late-braking move and attempting to keep control Vettel locked up briefly.

    As Vettel got a poor exit from the corner, Verstappen pounced, passing the Ferrari in Turn 3 to take third place behind new leader Hamilton and Bottas.

    Behind the front four Pierre Gasly in the second Red Bull was battling hard with the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and also coming under pressure from Haas’ Romain Grosjean. Gasly managed to defend well, though, and he kept P6 as the field crossed the line to start lap two.

    Vettel, hampered by a flat spot sustained in his first-lap lock up and Leclerc quickly closed the gap to his team-mate. Vettel sensibly moved aside at the start of lap 12 and let his team-mate through.

    At the end of lap 19, Vettel finally opted to shed his damaged tyres and pitted for a set of new medium tyres. Verstappen was next in and at the end of lap 20 he pitted for soft tyres.

    Vettel quickly began to close up on Leclerc, who had pitted for hard tyres. The German was clearly quicker on his medium tyres than his young team-mate racing on hard tyres and soon after the halfway point Leclerc returned Vettel’s earlier favour by backing off into Turn 4 to let the German through to fourth place.

    Vettel then attempted to close the gap to Verstappen and though the Ferrari driver cut the deficit by a few seconds, on lap 40 he again made his way to the pit lane. He took on a set of mediums at the end of the lap and was soon back up to fifth.

    Verstappen was next to make his second stop and at the end of lap 43 he took on medium tyres. He emerged behind Leclerc and quickly began to close up behind the Ferrari driver as ahead Bottas pitted for soft tyres.

    On lap 45, though, the Safety Car was brought into play when McLaren’s Lando Norris and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll collided, with both being forced to stop.

    Both Hamilton and Leclerc elected to pit while the race was neutralised, with the Ferrari driver taking on medium tyres and the Mercedes driver fitting softs. Behind the Safety Car the order was Hamilton followed by Bottas, Max, the Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc, while Gasly still held sixth.

    When the SC left the track Hamilton set blistering pace on the restart to set the fastest lap of the race and to keep Bottas at bay. Verstappen also gradually eked out a gap to Vettel.

    Fifteen laps later Hamilton crossed the line to take the 76thwin of his career with Bottas then taking the flag to continue Mercedes’s perfect start to the season.

    Verstappen too his 24thcareer podium with third placed ahead of Vettel and Leclerc while Gasly finished as he started, in sixth place. Kevin Magnussen was seventh for Haas ahead of home hero Carlos Sainz. Daniil Kvyat took two points for Toro Rosso with ninth place but despite putting enormous pressure on Romain Grosjean in the closing laps, Alex Albon couldn’t make it two Toros in the points and Haas driver Grosjean managed to cling on to tenth place at the flag.

    2019 FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Race
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 4.074
    3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 7.679
    4 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 9.167
    5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 13.361
    6 Pierre Gasly Red Bull 19.576
    7 Kevin Magnussen Haas 28.159
    8 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren 32.342
    9 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 33.056
    10 Romain Grosjean Haas 34.641
    11 Alex Albon Toro Rosso 35.445
    12 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 36.758
    13 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 39.241
    14 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 41.803
    15 Sergio Perez Racing Point 46.877
    16 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 47.691
    17 George Russell Williams 1 Lap
    18 Robert Kubica Williams 1 Lap

    DNF: Lance Stroll Racing Point, Lando Norris McLaren

  • PREMA reign in Spain as Daruvala dominates Race 2

    PREMA reign in Spain as Daruvala dominates Race 2

    Jehan Daruvala wins F3 Race 2 on 12 May 2019. An F3 image

    Barcelona, 12 May 2019: Jehan Daruvala once again created history, winning in the inaugural round of the all-new FIA Formula 3 Championship, in Barcelona, in front of a huge F1 audience. The Indian National Anthem rung out at the Spanish F1 Grand Prix event thanks to the F3 races being one of the support events to F1, along with the FIA F2 races.

    The only Indian on the grid started from second and was able to grab the lead into the run down to the first corner. With an accident involving 4 cars at the back of the grid, the safety car was deployed on lap one. At the re-start, Kari was able to benefit from Jehan’s slipstream during the restart, and Jehan had to defend hard to keep the lead. Over the next 2 laps, Jehan quickly opened up a gap of over 1.5 seconds so as to prevent Kari from deploying DRS (Drag Reduction System).

    The safety car was deployed a second time negating the advantage of a 2 second gap which Jehan had built up.  During the restart, Jehan was much better prepared and was able to open up a gap of over 1.5 seconds in less than 2 laps. He thereafter controlled the race well and also bagged the fastest lap of the race. Later, Jehan cruised to take the chequered flag 2.121 seconds ahead of Estonian racer Juri Vips, who by then had managed to move up to second.

    “During the race I was, let’s say, in control, except for the first restart when I didn’t surprise the guy behind, enough, so I had to defend. After that, I was just managing the pace. I have to thank everyone at Prema Racing for giving me a fantastic car. I did not overdrive it, although if I needed more I could have pushed in the final couple of laps.” said the former multiple International Karting Champion.

    The new FIA F3 Championship was created by merging the erstwhile GP3 Championship and FIA F3 European Championship, resulting in an ultra-competitive 30 car grid. The championship will be the perfect training ground for the world’s best upcoming talents, to race at F1 events and the opportunity to prove themselves to all the F1 teams.

    The 20-year-old Jehan began his career in Karting at the age of 10. Since then he has won the Indian National Karting Championship, the Malaysian Junior Yamaha Karting Championship, the FIA CIK Asia Pacific KF3 Championship, and the British Superone National Karting Championship. Jehan remains the only Indian on the podium of any FIA World Championship when he was second runner up of the FIA CIK World Karting Championship. Jehan also remains the only Indian to win a Grand Prix, when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix and later went on to become the only Indian to win a race in the erstwhile FIA F3 European Championship, which used slower cars. Earlier this year Jehan was selected by Prema Racing, one of the world’s most successful Junior Racing teams’ to drive for them in this year’s new, FIA F3 Championship.

     Jehan’s next race will be along with the French Grand Prix from 21 to 23 June.

     Race Report:

    Jehan Daruvala made it back-to-back wins for PREMA Racing in Spain, after an eventful FIA Formula 3 Race 2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, finishing on top after a dominant drive ahead of Hitech Grand Prix’s Jüri Vips and Niko Kari of Trident.

    Daruvala, the Indian racer, who finished 7th in the first race started on part as Reverse Grid for the first 8 was followed for Race 2 and jumped into the lead as the lights went out with a good start.
    The temperature was a mild 17 degrees, but things quickly heated up following a dramatic Lap 1 that saw Daruvala start well from the front row to take P1 from Kari off the grid as Vips dropped from third to fifth behind Marcus Armstrong and Max Fewtrell. Therefore drama further back at Turn 1 with Ye Yifei and Artem Petrov making contact. Raoul Hyman and Jake Hughes had nowhere to go and the ensuing collision sent all four drivers into the gravel and out of the race.
    The safety car was deployed while the cars were recovered. Five laps later Kari looked to pressure Daruvala for P1 from the restart, but the PREMA ace calmly held position before building up a healthy lead.
    Lap 9 saw more drama as the MP Motorsport machine of Simo Laaksonen was sent spinning into the wall by Campos Racing’s Alex Peroni. The Australian had been forced off the track and tried to defend position as he rejoined, only to cut back across the Finn. Laaksonen was forced to retire, Peroni handed a 10 second stop go penalty, and the safety car saw its second outing of the afternoon.
    That meant that Daruvala’s lead over Kari, by this point 7.4 seconds, was reduced to nothing as the racing pack was bunched together. It didn’t seem to bother the Indian though, and following the restart he picked up just where he’d left off and began rebuilding a gap.
    Further behind there was plenty of jockeying for position as yesterday’s winner Robert Shwartzman lunged past Christian Lundgaard for P6, and the Danish man immediately had to defend from ART Grand Prix teammate David Beckmann.
    With 7 laps to go Vips began a charge from P5 that saw him reel Armstrong and then Fewtrell to burst into the top 3, with Shwartzman closely following the Estonian to take P4. Fewtrell was more than 2 seconds off the pace and fell further back into P7 after teammate Lundgaard passed him.
    Vips continued to push, closing on Kari and taking P2 on Lap 21, but Daruvala looked supreme out in front with an unassailable lead to take the chequered flag ahead of the Hitech man in second, Kari in P3, with Shwartzman, Armstrong, Lundgaard, Beckmann and Fewtrell completing the point scoring positions.
    The result sees Shwartzman become the early leader in the Drivers’ Championship after Round 1 with 37 points. Lundgaard is second with 24, and Daruvala third by just one point with 23. Armstrong and Vips follow with 21 and 20 points respectively. PREMA Racing leap to an early lead in the Team’s Championship, taking 81 points from the first event of the season, 32 points ahead of ART Grand Prix in second with 49, with Hitech Grand Prix occupying third place with 20 points.
    France will host Round 2 of the FIA Formula 3 in June 21-23.
    2019 FIA Formula 3 Round 1 – Race 2 classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    2
    Jüri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    3
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    4
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    5
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    6
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    7
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    8
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    9
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    10
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    11
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    12
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    13
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    14
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    15
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    16
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    17
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    18
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    19
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    20
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    21
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    22
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    23
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    24
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    Artem Petrov
    Jenzer Motorsport
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    Ye Yifei
    Hitech Grand Prix
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Jehan Daruvala – PREMA Racing – 1:34.711 – Lap 7
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Jehan Daruvala – PREMA Racing

  • Latifi seals Feature Race win, extends lead; Mahaveer 16th: F2

    Barcelona, 11 May 2019: Nicholas Latifi finished first and gained further ground on his Championship rivals as a carefully plotted attack came to fruition in the final laps of the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race in Barcelona, Spain. The DAMS driver saved his rubber to steal a potential win from the clutches of UNI-Virtuosi rookie Guanyu Zhou at the end, who finished in third behind Campos Racing’s Jack Aitken, who also passed him late on.
    Zhou’s teammate Luca Ghiotto had dominated the weekend up until the race but was forced to claw his way to fourth place from last with a momentous drive, following a sorry start to a race that he had begun on pole position.
    The Italian made a poor getaway from P1 and was instantly overtaken by his teammate after the lights went out. The Chinese driver flew through the middle of the front row, overtaking both Ghiotto and Latifi on his way to the race lead.
    Ghiotto lost another position to Nyck De Vries and his afternoon was worsened by the side of Dorian Boccolacci’s Campos when the Frenchman made an attempt down the inside of those behind the Italian driver, but instead collided with the front-wing of the Ghiotto’s car. This forced the UNI-Virtuosi man back to the pits and saw him plummet to last.
    The safety car had clocked up significant mileage last time out in Baku, but would enjoy it’s only outing early on in the race when Giuliano Alesi spun off track and beached himself on the gravel. Zhou held his nerve at the restart and retained the lead, albeit with a slender gap of just 0.7s.
    With the majority of the drivers heading into the pits for Prime tyres, Jordan King was on an alternate strategy and took advantage of an emptying track to slide past Sean Gelael for P4, while Ralph Boschung was handed the lead as Jack Aitken pitted to take on the soft tyre.
    After their mandatory pit stop, Zhou, Latifi and De Vries were beginning to close in on the top six, who were all on the alternate strategy and yet to change. Mahaveer Raghunathan was first to make way as Zhou eased passed the MP Motorsport rookie down the main straight, with Latifi following suit a lap later.
    Further up the field, Anthoine Hubert – on the Prime/Option strategy – was closing in on Boschung in the chase for P1 and would eventually blister past the Trident man down the lengthy main straight. King would claim second a lap later with a near identical move on the Swiss driver.
    While Zhou was being forced to fight off the experience of Latifi in behind, his teammate was laying the groundwork for a points finish, having already risen to 11th, while also setting the fastest lap so far.
    Latifi had already eyed up a move on the Chinese driver in third, with Hubert and King still yet to pit, before the DAMS racer was told over team radio that he would be fighting with Zhou for the win. With this, the battle intensified and he took a tow from the Renault driver before sling-shotting around him down the main straight.
    With this, Hubert and King finally pitted, awarding Latifi the race lead for the first time, and immediately started to build a gap between himself and Zhou, who was then under siege from Aitken. The British driver failed to take the rookie at the first attempt, but would make his move stick on the next lap of the course to seal P2.
    While one UNI-Virtuosi machine had lost a positon, the other was fast gaining and Ghiotto had somehow made it up to fourth place from last, despite having to pit twice. It would finish like this, with Latifi sealing victory, followed by early-season Championship rival Aitken.  Zhou would complete the podium, in-front of Ghiotto, De Vries, Hubert and King who started from P15 and P16 respectively while Callum Ilott secured reverse grid pole and his first points of the season in eighth place. Gelael and Boschung pocketed the remaining available points with ninth and tenth.
    Ilott will look to make a statement of his own in tomorrow’s Sprint Race, while Aitken and Ghiotto will endeavour to close the gap between themselves and Latifi, when the sprint race begins tomorrow at 11.30am local time.
    2019 FIA Formula 2 Round 3 – Feature Race Classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    2
    Jack Aitken
    Campos Racing
    3
    Guanyu Zhou
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    4
    Luca Ghiotto
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    5
    Nyck De Vries
    ART Grand Prix
    6
    Anthoine Hubert
    BWT Arden
    7
    Jordan King
    MP Motorsport
    8
    Callum Ilott
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    9
    Sean Gelael
    PREMA Racing
    10
    Ralph Boschung
    Trident
    11
    Nobuharu Matsushita
    Carlin
    12
    Louis Delétraz
    Carlin
    13
    Tatiana Calderon
    BWT Arden
    14
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Campos Racing
    15
    Mick Schumacher
    PREMA Racing
    16
    Mahaveer Raghunathan
    MP Motorsport
    17
    Nikita Mazepin
    ART Grand Prix
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Sérgio Sette Câmara
    DAMS
    Juan Manuel Correa
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Jordan King (MP Motorsport) – 1:32.266 on Lap 35
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Jordan King (MP Motorsport)
  • Bottas pips Hamilton for Spanish GP pole; Vettel P3

    Bottas pips Hamilton for Spanish GP pole; Vettel P3

    Valtteri Bottas takes pole in the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday. LAT Images/Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport

    Barcelona, 11 May 2019: Formula 1 World Championship leader Valtteri Bottas beat Mercedes team-mate and defending champion Lewis Hamilton by more than six-tenths of a second at to claim pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, his third in a row so far this season. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third quickest in the session ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

    In the opening session, Vettel and Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc set the early pace before Verstappen moved to the top of the order with a time of 1:17.244.

    Bottas then moved to the top of the order with a lap of 1:17.175 to hold top spot ahead of Verstappen until the chequered flag, with Hamilton third ahead of Leclerc and Vettel.

    In danger, as the final runs began was Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi in P16, followed by team-mate Kimi Räikkönen and the Williams cars of George Russell and Robert Kubica. Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg had not set a time after an early off at Turn 4 that damaged his front wing and which kept him out of action until the final runs.

    Even when he did manage to get in a lap, Hulkenberg failed to find the pace necessary to make it through to Q2. To compound his disappointment, he was edged out of the session by team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with the gap between the Renault drivers standing at just 0.019s. Eliminated behind Hulkenberg were 17th-placed Lance Stroll of Racing Point, Giovinazzi, Russell and Kubica.

    In Q2 it was Hamilton who initially stretched away from the chasing pack, with the Mercedes driver posting a lap of 1:16.038. That put him a little over two-tenths of a second ahead of Bottas, with Vettel third.

    Verstappen slotted into fourth place with a time of 1:16.726, just 0.059s behind Vettel, while the Dutchman’s Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly put in a good opener of 1:17.275 to claim the fifth spot ahead of Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

    In advance of the final runs, the drop zone candidates were Toro Rosso’s Alexander Albon, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, McLaren’s Lando Norris, the second Toro of Daniil Kvyat and Alfa Romeo’s Räikkönen.

    Only Kvyat was able to find enough to escape elimination, with the Russian posting a good lap of 1:17.243 to climb to P8 in front of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Renault’s Ricciardo.

    Kvyat’s rise meant a drop-zone spot opened up and it was filled by local hero Carlos Sainz. The McLaren driver exited in P13 behind Norris and Albon and but ahead of Räikkönen and Perez.

    At the top in Q2, Bottas was in imperious form, with the Finn edging past Hamilton’s lap with a time of 1:15.924. The defending champion was second ahead of the Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc with Verstappen in P5 ahead of Galsy.

    And Bottas was able to extract even more from his car in the final session. Hamilton was first across the line but the defending champion’s lap was a scruffy on and he stopped the clock at 1:16.040. Bottas, though, was flying and he crossed the line a massive six-tenths of a second clear of Hamilton, with Vettel third ahead of Verstappen and Gasly.

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was forced to sit out the first runs as his team worked on the floor of his car. It might have been expected that the Monegasque driver would find his way into the top four, but Leclerc wasn’t able to find the pace and despite two attempts he was unable to beat Verstappen’s time.

    The Ferrari driver’s 1:16.588 was good enough to split the Red Bulls, however, and Gasly ended the session in P6. He will line up ahead of Grosjean, with Magnussen eighth ahead of Kvyat and Ricciardo.

    2019 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes F1 W10 EQ Power+ Mercedes 1:15.406
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.040 0.634
    3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:16.272 0.866
    4 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:16.357 0.951
    5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.588 1.182
    6 Pierre Gasly Red Bull 1:16.708 1.302
    7 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:16.911 1.505
    8 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:16.922 1.516
    9 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:17.573 2.167
    10 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:18.106 2.700
    11 Lando Norris McLaren 1:17.338 1.932
    12 Alex Albon Toro Rosso 1:17.445 2.039
    13 Carlos Sainz McLaren 1:17.599 2.193
    14 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 1:17.788 2.382
    15 Sergio Perez Racing Point 1:17.886 2.480
    16 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:18.404 2.998
    17 Lance Stroll Racing Point 1:18.471 3.065
    18 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1:18.664 3.258
    19 George Russell Williams 1:19.072 3.666
    20 Robert Kubica Williams 1:20.254 4.848.

     

  • Jonathan Rea returns to the top step of the podium in Race 1

    Imola, 11 May 2019: It was a welcome return to the top step of the podium for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who put in an exhibition during Race 1 of the Pirelli Italian Round on Saturday. Off the line, it was a bright start for Rea, but he couldn’t get the better of Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) down into Tamburello. However, on the run to Acque Minerale, Davies suffered a problem and was forced to retire, handing Rea the lead whilst Davies’ teammate Bautista had second.

    At the end of the opening lap, Rea and Bautista had the leading positions, whilst Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) occupied third and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was riding well from eighth on the grid to be in fourth. Completing the top five, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) whilst Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Team) slipped to sixth. One of the biggest movers and shakers on the opening lap was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing), who was up four positions into seventh!

    As the race settled down, Rea built a comfortable lead and was extending his advantage over Bautista by around 0.7s per lap. Bautista in turn was escaping the attention of Sykes but the main battle through the race was for fourth, with van der Mark leading Lowes, whilst Razgatlioglu was now in sixth, ahead of Haslam.

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) was a rider making great progress too, all the way up into the top ten by the mid-point of the race from 17th on the grid. The Italian was putting in a fantastic performance for his and Ducati’s home fans. Fellow Italian and Independent rider Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) was also on the charge through the field.

    British rider Alex Lowes began to slip back, having been ill all weekend. Soon, a tradition ‘Marco Melandri block-pass’ at the final corner by the Italian pushed Lowes back into eighth. However, he would soon be promoted as a disaster for Tom Sykes occurred, with the BMW S 1000 RR suffering more mechanical gremlins, robbing the 2013 WorldSBK champ of a certain podium.

    Sykes’ demise promoted a huge battle between van der Mark and Razgatlioglu for the final podium position. The Turkish star made his move in the closing stages and got ahead of van der Mark. Then, a grandstand finish between the two, swapping paint and trading blows on the penultimate lap, colliding twice and bringing Leon Haslam back into the mix. Imola was once more providing thrilling action.

    Meanwhile, in a league of his own, Jonathan Rea blitzed the opposition in a vintage fashion, taking his first win of the season to end the run of victories by Alvaro Bautista. The Spaniard maintains a healthy championship lead with a second-place finish and then, in the battle for third, Toprak held on for his third WorldSBK podium! Michael van der Mark and Leon Haslam completed the top five!

    Inside the top six from a poor Tissot Superpole, Marco Melandri was ahead of Alex Lowes, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi eighth after his antics earlier on in the day. Lorenzo Zanetti (Motocorsa Racing) was an impressive ninth as his wildcard weekend unfolded. Completing the top ten, the sole-surviving BMW of Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

    Outside of the top ten was Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) who had a disappointing ride, whilst a phenomenal performance for super-sub Tommy Bridewell (Team Goeleven) saw the British rider come home in 12th. Hector Barbera (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Ryuichi Kiyonari (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) and Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team) completed the points. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) had a fast crash at Acque Minerale in the closing stages.

    It is Jonathan Rea’s eighth win at Imola and his 72nd career victory in WorldSBK, ending his longest winless run since 2013. It is the 128th win for Kawasaki in WorldSBK too.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “I am so happy that I finally got my first win this season, especially here in Imola where the fans are always incredible, the atmosphere is good, and I love the circuit. My team gave me a great bike, and since Assen I’ve been hard training, trying to visualize winning this race here, so I am glad I did it because I put a lot of pressure on myself. Now we can relax a little bit and enjoy this moment, but wake up tomorrow with the same target. Thanks to my team for never losing hope and continuing to push the bike. I am really satisfied with that victory ”.   

    P2 – Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – DUCATI)
    “It was amazing to race here in front of all the Ducati fans. They made this moment special! It was not easy for me since it was my first time racing here. We all had a strong pace, and we even set a new lap time record which means that the level is high. I had been struggling here more than in other race track, but still, I am pleased. Today Jonathan was really strong, his pace was incredible, but I am happy I finished second on the podium in front of all our fans”.

    P3 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
    “I am so happy to be back on the podium! My goal is to battle for it more often this season. Last year we didn’t make a good result here in Imola, so I am really pleased that we were able to make such a big step forward and even get to the podium”

    #ITAWorldSBK at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Imola: Race 1
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    1. Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +7.832
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) +19.968