INDIA in F1

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  • Advait returns to NASCAR Whelen Euro Round 5

    Mumbai, 13 Sept. 2018: Indian racer Advait Deodhar will make his return in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series after three successful rounds earlier this year, where he also became the first Indian in history to win in a NASCAR event in Europe.

    The 28-year-old from Mumbaikar based in London made his return to competitive racing earlier after a gap of three years winning a scholarship to race in the America’s popular stock car racing’s European arm.

    Advait started his season in the Elite Club which he leads by four points from Marcelo Silva. He then made his debut in the Elite 2 class in Round 3. He now returns to compete in both the categories this weekend at Hockenheimring, Germany, the circuit which hosted this year’s Formula 1 race.

    The Indian will drive the Ford Mustang for Speedhouse in the Elite Club category to start the weekend and then switch to Dexwet DF1 Racing for the Elite 2 run in the Ford Mustang. Advait will have the backing of London’s Superyacht brokerage, TJB SUPERYACHTS LTD on his cars.

    “It is good to be back,” says Advait. “In the Elite Club in the last round, I finished second by the closest of margins. Now I am going for a win to extend my championship lead over Marcelo.

    “It was a learning debut weekend at Brands Hatch for me in the Elite 2 category. I showed some promising signs but then I made some big errors that resulted in retirements and a penalty. I was over aggressive,” he admitted.

    “The break gave me some time to rethink the strategy and this weekend I’m going in with a calmer mind and not try to win the race on Lap 1 itself. It’s a long race and I need to concentrate and drive smart. With good practice, I aim for a Top-10 result.”

    Ever since moving to the United Kingdom, Advait has been looking to make a switch from single-seater to sportscar/touring car racing. In 2016, the Mumbaikar came close to secure a drive in Porsche Carrera Cup GB, but budgetary limitations hampered his return.

    The Indian then earned his Elite Club drive after a test run in January at Circuit Fontenay-Le-Comte, France when he was watched on by the NASCAR organisation. Advait became only the first Indian to win a NASCAR event and second Indian to drive in the European championship after a brief run by Sailesh Bolisetti in the 2013 season. India’s first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan has also raced in NASCAR, but he competed in the NASCAR Truck division in America.

  • Formula 1 is a really exciting place, feels Chloe Targett-Adams

    Following the unveiling of Formula 1’s draft 2019 schedule, F1’s Director of Promoters and Business Relations, Chloe Targett- Adams, look back on the key deals that have kept classics on the calendar, looks ahead to F1’s 1000th grand prix and explains why she believes F1 “is a really exciting place right now”
    Excerpts from an Interview:
    Are you happy with the shape of the 2019 schedule and what F1 has achieved, especially with regards to recent developments that ensure continuity for some of F1’s classic races?
    It’s always a really positive outcome when we renew long-standing promoter arrangements, such as with Belgium, and most recently with Japan and Germany. Having 21 races again is a big achievement for us and these races are important for all fans of Formula 1.
    It’s always a challenge when you are looking at the calendar. There are so many different factors that come into play. We’re working with each promoter on what’s going on in their region, in their city and their major events calendar, whether there are logistical, weather challenges etc. There are always going to be some unfortunate clashes, but we do the best we can to create the most viable calendar possible, a schedule that we hope keeps fans happy from March right through to the beginning of December.
    Last year the football World Cup complicated the scheduling of races, leading to the triple-header. Were there particular scheduling hurdles to overcome this time?
    The triple-header was a unique situation and it’s not one we are looking to repeat, because obviously it imposes incredible challenges on personnel and teams.
    When we look at scheduling our F1 calendar, we’re always aware that there are other sporting events happening – the Wimbledon men’s final around the time of Silverstone, NASCAR races around the time of the US Grand Prix and so on. There’s also the Rugby World Cup in Japan next year, at the same as the race in Suzuka, and there are other motorsport events across the year that we need to consider.
    We also look at what’s going on in the region, in the city. There can be religious festivals we try to navigate around, such as the Qingming festival in China in early April. It’s complex, so we have to work out what is achievable to create the best outcome for Formula 1, the teams, our race promoters, our partners and our fans.
    Are you pleased to be able to once again include the German Grand Prix on the schedule? Was it important to maintain its presence?
    Very much so. An incredible amount of work went on behind the scenes to ensure that we achieved a positive outcome in Germany.
    Following the previous German Grand Prix in 2016 there wasn’t much optimism about the future of the race, but this year’s event, which attracted a large and passionate crowd, proved that Germany still has an appetite for F1. Was that upswing a factor in getting a deal done?
    I think when we last raced in Germany in 2016 it was a very different place. It is hard really to understand how different when you have a year without an event. In not having a German Grand Prix in 2017 it probably meant that excitement about the race was something that needed to be seen first-hand, understood, and believed once more. So I think this year’s race did have a positive impact and we are looking at recreating that in 2019 and onwards, hopefully.
    Also, it is a big achievement to have Mercedes’ support in promoting and marketing the event within Germany. We’re extremely pleased that Mercedes has come on board. Hockenheim circuit was also incredibly proactive. I think they definitely saw a change in the F1 environment since their last race and that created a great platform on which to reach a good outcome to renew.
    How important is it for F1 to retain what you might call ‘heartland’ events such as Germany?
    It’s very important and if you look at what we’ve achieved this year in renewing with Belgium, Germany – not to mention Suzuka, which is a core part of the calendar and which celebrates its 30th grand prix this year – we are really determined to preserve the sport’s heritage as much as possible.
    It’s not just those events, though; it’s about maintaining continuity across the schedule. We were successful in renewing with Singapore and China last year as well. Asia is a very important market for us. It just shows it’s a really positive future for our race promotion business going forward.
    There are a couple of small changes from what might be called the ‘traditional schedule’, with Austin and Mexico swapping places and Singapore being back-to-back with Sochi. What were the reasons behind those moves?
    Mexico’s event has normally fallen around the Day of the Dead festival, which is a huge celebration in Mexico and which the promoter builds into their event spectacle. It was important for them to maintain that connection and build up to that event with the Formula 1 race scheduled on the October 27th date. It was a collaborative process with each of our race promoters and again I think we arrived at the right solution given what’s happening in the region at the time.
    With Russia, Singapore and Japan, ultimately it’s not easy to do any of those races back-to-back. It’s an incredible logistical feat. For the Sochi-Suzuka leg this year, we have six Jumbos going in and out and a very tight timeframe in Japan. So we were looking at how to make those races work in the most efficient manner for teams, mindful of all those factors. Talking with our internal teams and the race promoters, it seemed to come about that Singapore to Sochi and then rest for a week and before going to Japan, was the best outcome that we could reach with all those factors taken into consideration.
    In terms of the timing, you are gaining time by going from Singapore to Sochi, so there is value in that and we also look to keep the continuity in broadcast times between Singapore and Sochi to engage with the widest audience, which is important.
    Next year, of course, will see Formula 1 stage its 1000th grand prix, which is taking place in China. Do you have any plans in place for that event yet?
    Firstly, I’d say let’s not forget that Australia and Bahrain come before China and each is as important as any other race. Each is a massive celebration, though of course we will also be building up to that 1000th grand prix. Reaching our 1000th race is an incredible achievement for Formula 1. There are some plans in place and a lot more being considered as we look for ways to really excite all the fans around such a milestone. I can’t give too much away now, but watch this space.
    We’ve had a sequence of renewals, a solid draft calendar and plenty of enthusiasm about the future of races that might a few years ago have been the source of speculation. Can you point to a cause for that kind of optimism?
    We are now proactive and working with our race promoters collaboratively to see how we can deliver that year round value they are looking for in partnering with Formula 1, meeting their objectives and also engaging as many fans in their race locations with the race and also our many new initiatives from F1 Experiences to E-sports.
    Ultimately, I think Formula 1 is an incredibly exciting place right now. We’ve got a great calendar in place for 2019 and I am already working on 2020!
  • 10 things you need to know before the Nolan Portuguese Round: WorldSBK  

    10 things you need to know before the Nolan Portuguese Round: WorldSBK  

    #PortimaoWorldSBK
    Check out the top ten stats as WorldSBK is back

    Image courtesy WorldSBK

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) comes from four wins in a row, secured at Laguna Seca and Misano. His only string of five was set last year, with two doubles at Phillip Island and Buriram, followed up with Aragon Race 1.

    2. Round numbers for Kawasaki: they recorded their 120th win at Misano Race 2 with Jonathan Rea, which was also their 370th podium finish. They have others at hand as well: they currently hold 79 pole positions and 259 front row starts in qualifying.

    3. Rea won his 49th race for Kawasaki at Misano. In WorldSBK history only two riders so far have won 50 or more races with a single manufacturer: Carl Fogarty for Ducati (55) and Troy Bayliss, also for Ducati (52).

    4. There are nine different winners out of 18 races held in the Algarve. The only rider who has won more than twice is Jonathan Rea with five. His closest rivals with two wins are: Troy Bayliss, Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri, Eugene Laverty and Tom Sykes.

    5. Rea’s podium tally is stunning in Portugal: on 12 occasions out of 18 he finished in the top three. This is more than the double of his best competitor, Sylvain Guintoli with five.

    6. Only the current pair of KRT riders have recorded more than one pole in qualifying here: Tom Sykes with three and Jonathan Rea with two. So far there have been six different polesitters out of the nine qualifying sessions held in Portugal.

    7. The double win has been recorded by only three riders here: Troy Bayliss in 2008; Max Biaggi in 2010 and Jonathan Rea in 2015 and 2017. They were all crowned champions the same season which saw them record the double in Portugal.

    8. Seven different manufacturers have been able to record at least one podium placement in Portugal: Ducati, Honda, Aprilia, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW.

    9. Great Britain is the most successful country in Portugal, as it has obtained seven wins here with the current Kawasaki duo of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea. The couple won the last six races run here.

    10. Only one third of the races run at Portimao were won from pole position: six out of 18. In the last four weekends here, only two of them came from pole: Tom Sykes in Race 1, 2014 and Jonathan Rea last year in Race 1.

  • Master craftsman: Dovizioso plays it to perfection at Misano

    Master craftsman: Dovizioso plays it to perfection at Misano

    The Italian makes it three in a row for Ducati and three Italian winners on race day with his first Misano win

    All 3 classes: Three Italian winners in one day! from left: Bagnaia, Dovizioso and Dalla Porta. A MotoGP image

    Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took an expertly-crafted victory in the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, picking his way into the lead and unleashing incredible pace to secure only the second ever win for Ducati at the venue. His win also makes it three in a row for the Borgo Panigale factory, having won at Brno and teammate Jorge Lorenzo following that up with victory in Austria. Lorenzo was the man on the chase at Misano, too, but there was late drama as the five-time World Champion slid out on the penultimate lap after dueling Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Marquez took second at the flag, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) putting in an impressive ride to take third and come home as top Independent Team rider.

    It was polesitter Lorenzo who shot out ahead and got the holeshot – as the number 99 is oft to do – but Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) kept second from second on the grid as the Aussie got a good start. Marquez was the biggest winner off the line, moving up from fifth after a crash in qualifying to slot into third, but he wasn’t there long…

    Dovizioso struck quickly against the reigning Champion before picking off Miller, pushing hard to tag on to the back of his teammate as Marquez then sliced past the Aussie too – intent on keeping tabs on the Ducati duo at the front. Unfortunately, disaster struck a lap later for Miller as he slid out at Turn 14.

    Back at the front, ‘DesmoDovi’ was honing in on Lorenzo and looking to make a move. With 22 laps to go the Italian did just that, slicing past at Turn 7. He then began to pull away as Marquez tagged on to Lorenzo in the battle for second, before the number 93 then shot past with 14 to go as the number 99 headed a little wide. The gap? 1.4 seconds to the Ducati ahead.

    Marquez, however, wasn’t able to cut down the gap – and a number of laps later, he was under attack. Lorenzo made it through at Turn 8 and lit the touch paper on a few spectacular exchanges between the two, but to no avail and he settled back into third to prepare another attack. Trying again a lap later but not making it through, the ‘Spartan’ then switched tactics and went for it at Turn 12.

    He’d prepared the move with a couple of feints beforehand, but this time he made it stick. From there it was time to put the hammer down and Lorenzo set about cutting the gap to his teammate. Tenth by tenth, the Spaniard was reeling him in – and the gap went back down to 1.3 seconds. Dovizioso began to respond, but drama suddenly hit the front on the penultimate lap. Pushing and pushing, Lorenzo suddenly slid out of second.

    That left ‘DesmoDovi’ in free air at the front to take his first ever win at the venue, having managed the race to perfection. Marquez took second and extended his Championship lead, with Crutchlow’s impressive pace and race rewarded by a podium after the late drama.

    Crutchlow had pulled free of a squabble and sliced past Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) to get into the position to try and close in on the then-leading trio, and more than made amends for a late crash in qualifying. Rins, meanwhile, impressed on the softer compound rear tyre to get well in the initial fight and then hold great pace to the flag, not able to stay ahead of Crutchlow but nevertheless holding station in the top five until Lorenzo’s late crash saw him take fourth.

    Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took fifth after dropping back slightly from a front row start and suffering a more difficult race, holding off some steady pressure from Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who took sixth.

    For Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), it was a difficult Sunday at home. Missing the race through injury last season – as his special edition ‘Back to Misano’ helmet attests – the ‘Doctor’ had higher hopes for the race that takes place so close to his home town of Tavullia. He took P7, retaining his qualifying position by the flag. Compatriot Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also had a tough weekend, and came home eighth.

    Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) continued his good run of recent form and took P9, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completing the top ten ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing). Petrucci had a difficult race day and was also given a 1.1 second penalty for cutting a corner early on.

    Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) beat Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) to the honour of top rookie and P12, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) taking points for Noale factory Aprilia on home turf in P14, just ahead of Ducati Test Team wildcard Michele Pirro.

    Behind them? Lorenzo had remounted and dueled Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to the line, but the Brit was just able to stay ahead by a tenth.

    That’s it from a dramatic weekend at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Next we return to MotorLand Aragon and home turf for Marquez, Lorenzo and Viñales, leaving Dovizioso and Rossi behind enemy lines. After three Italian wins over the three classes at Misano, can the Spaniards fight back? Find out in a fortnight.

    MotoGP™ Race Results
    1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI 42’05.426
    2 – Marc Marquez (SPA) HONDA +2.822
    –
    First Independent Team Rider
    3 – Cal Crutchlow (GBR) HONDA +7.269

  • Raghul Rangasamy clinches MRF F1600 National championship; Ashish Ramaswamy wins ITC title

    Raghul Rangasamy clinches MRF F1600 National championship; Ashish Ramaswamy wins ITC title

    Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy who was crowned National Champion in the Indian Touring Cars category on Sunday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 9 Sept 2018: Raghul Rangasamy, hailing from the nearby temple town of Mamallapuram, emerged champion in the coveted MRF Formula 1600 category as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2018 concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday. The title earned Rangasamy a ticket to this year’s Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States, a dream that the 25-year old pursued through the season.

    With three podium finishes this weekend, Rangasamy, who led Goutham Parekh (Chennai) by 11 points at the start of the final round, did just enough to clinch the championship. Rangasamy’s final tally was 182 points (two wins, seven podiums) to Parekh’s 174 (two wins, six podiums). Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee completed a double, winning Race 1 and 3, while 16-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru Yash Aradhya topped in Race 2, his second success in his debut season in this category.

    Bengaluru’s 27-year old Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports), with his seventh consecutive podium finish of the season, annexed the championship in the premium Indian Touring Cars class with a tally of 167 points, edging out Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) by just six points. For Balu, who missed the first round of the season, it was so near yet so far as he finished second in the championship despite scoring a double in the final round this weekend and winning five races from seven starts.

    Last year’s winner, Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), who was black-flagged for taking “external assistance” (taking assistance of the marshals to push his car) after a spin following a collision with Balu at Turn-2 in the very first lap today, ended up fourth in the championship behind his team-mate Nikanth Ram.


    Raghul Rangasamy, winner of the MRF F1600 Championship on Sunday.

    Rangasamy, who thrives on speed which induced him to take to racing rather late at 19, was delighted with his championship title, but said he would have loved to end the season with a win. “I feel great to win the championship and look forward to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout. I wanted to finish the season with a win, but happy that I took the title at this level considering that I started racing only when I was 19. I love speed and I gave up my medical studies after three years to pursue racing which I do just for my pleasure since at 25, I can’t think of a career in racing,” he said.

    Ashish Ramaswamy, who had started the season with a double in the first round, said: “It has been a long wait for me to win my first-ever National Championship title. I had started the season well with a double in the first round, but two DNFs (Did Not Finish) thereafter, put me under pressure as I had to finish on podium in all the remaining races. I am absolutely thrilled and I thank my team Arka Motorsports and the mechs for the brilliant work they did these past months.”

    The results (Provisional, all 8 laps):

    MRF Formula 1600 (Race-2): 1. Yash Aradhya (Bengaluru) (16mins, 54.672secs); 2.Goutham Parekh (Chennai) 16:55.296); 3. Raghul Rangaswamy (Mamallapuram) (16:55.543). Race -3: 1. Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai) (13:35.208); 2. Parekh (13:35.776); 3. Rangasamy (13:36.359). Champion: Raghul Rangasamy (182 points).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concept) (15:22.974); 2. Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsport)(15:37.888); 3.D Vidya Prakash (Prime Racing) (15:38.145). Champion: Ashish Ramaswamy (167 points). Turbo cars: 1. Karthick Tharani (VW Motorsport) (15:26.077); 2. Rayomand Banajee (VW Motorsport) (15:40.141); 3. Ishaan Dodhiwala (VW Motorsport) (15:49.744).

  • MotoGP Sunday guide

    MotoGP
    Jorge Lorenzo has qualified on pole position for the third time this season and the 68th in his Grand Prix career. This is Lorenzo’s first back-to-back pole position since joining Ducati in 2017 and his first overall since the final race of 2015 and the opening race of 2016.

    This is the first back-to-back pole position for Ducati since the final race of 2009 and the opening race of 2010, both with Casey Stoner.
    This is the third pole position from a Ducati rider in the MotoGP™ class at Misano, along with Casey Stoner in both 2007 and 2008. On Jorge Lorenzo’s last three pole positions at Misano in the premier class, he finished on the podium twice with a second place in 2014 and a third in 2016.
    Dani Pedrosa, in 2010, is the last rider to win the MotoGP™ race at the San Marino GP after qualifying in pole position.
    Jack Miller starts from second on the grid as the top Independent Team rider, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole in Argentina earlier this year and his second front-row start on what is his 60th Grand Prix race in the premier class.
    With Jorge Lorenzo and Jack Miller, this is the fifth Ducati 1–2 in the MotoGP™ class and the first in back-to-back Grand Prix events.

    The highest-placed Yamaha rider on the grid is Maverick Viñales in third place. This is his best qualifying result since he was also third at Mugello earlier this year.

    Heading the second row on the grid is Andrea Dovizioso, who crossed the line in third place last year at the San Marino GP.
    Marc Márquez has qualified in fifth place on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result at Misano since he stepped up to the MotoGP™ class in 2013.
    This is the sixth time this year he failed to qualify on the front row, equalling his highest tally from 2016. He won the race last year at the San Marino GP in wet-weather conditions, taking the lead on the final lap.

    Cal Crutchlow completes the second row on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result since he was the seventh-fastest qualifier in Germany earlier this year.

    Heading the third row is Valentino Rossi, who is back at Misano after missing the race last year due to a leg injury. This is Rossi’s worst qualifying at his home track since 2011 when he was 11th on the grid riding a Ducati.

    Danilo Petrucci, who fought for the win until the final lap last year at Misano from eighth on the grid, has also qualified eighth this year.

    Third Yamaha rider on the grid, Johann Zarco starts from ninth. He scored one point last year at Misano after pushing his bike across the line to finish in 15th place.
    The highest-placed Suzuki rider is Álex Rins, 10th on the grid for the third successive time. Rins won twice in the Moto3™ at the San Marino GP, in 2013 and 2014.
    After passing through Q1 for the fifth time this year, Dani Pedrosa, who won in both 2010 and 2016 at Misano, has qualified in 11th place on the grid.
    Franco Morbidelli, who starts from 12th on the grid, is the second of the five rookies this year – along with Takaaki Nakagami – to have joined Q2 more than once.
    Moto2

    Francesco Bagnaia has qualified on pole position for the fifth time this year. On his four previous pole positions, he went on to win the race three times; his fourth pole position was at Silverstone two weeks ago but the race was cancelled.

    Marcel Schrötter starts from second on the grid, which is his sixth front-row start on what is his 105th Grand Prix race in the Moto2™ class. This is Schrötter’s best qualifying result since he was second in Assen earlier this season.
    Mattia Pasini, who won the 125cc race at Misano in 2007 and was on pole at the venue last year, has qualified in third place, which is his best qualifying result since he was third at Brno earlier this year.
    Heading the second row on the grid is Fabio Quartararo, which is his best qualifying since he was third in Austria this year and the best from a Speed Up rider in the Moto2™ class at Misano.
    Brad Binder, who won the Moto3™ race at Misano two years ago, is the highest-placed KTM rider on the gird in fifth place. This is his best qualifying result since he was also fifth in Barcelona earlier this season.
    Jorge Navarro completes the second row on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was fourth in Austria.
    Second in the Championship, Miguel Oliveira has qualified in 9th on the grid, which is the fifth time this year he has qualified within the first three rows on the grid.
    Moto3

    Jorge Martín has qualified on pole position for the eighth time this year and the 17thtime overall in his Grand Prix career. This is also his 11th front-row start of the season – one less than the whole 2017 season; his worst qualifying result being ninth in Argentina earlier this year. He crashed out of the race at Misano last year while fighting for third place.

    This is the 11th pole position for Honda so far this season. Only three riders have won from pole position at the San Marino GP in the Moto3™ class: Sandro Cortese (2012), Enea Bastianini (2015) and Brad Binder (2016).
    Gabriel Rodrigo, who has failed to score any points over his four visits at Misano, starts from second on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was also second at Phillip Island last year. This is his third front row start this season so far.
    Arón Canet completes the front row on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was second in Austin earlier this year. He crashed out of the race last year at Misano on Lap 21 while sitting in fourth place.
    Heading the second row is Fabio Di Giannantonio, who crossed the line in third place last year at the San Marino GP. This is Di Giannantonio’s best qualifying result since he was the third-fastest qualifier in Jerez earlier this year.
    Enea Bastianini, who took the first of his three Grand Prix victories at Misano back in 2015, is the only rider in the current field to have won at this track in the Moto3™ class. He starts from fifth, which is his best qualifying result since he was third at the Sachsenring this season.
    Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi has qualified in sixth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole position in Austria. He crashed out of the race last year at the San Marino GP.
    Niccolò Antonelli, who crossed the line in third in 2015 at Misano, has qualified in 15th place on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 19th in Germany earlier this year.

  • Lorenzo takes Misano pole again; sets record

    Five-time World Champion sets a new record to make it four Misano poles in five years as Marquez amps up the drama with a crash
    Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) broke his own 2016 pole lap record at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in an adrenaline-fuelled qualifying on the Adriatic, searing around the venue in a 1:31.629 to lower his own fastest laptime and secure Ducati’s first pole at the venue since 2008. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) put in a stunner at his team’s home race to take second and qualify as top Independent Team rider, with Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) locking out the front row after a last lunge for the front.

    One key name missing from that trio? Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), top qualifier this season so far, did not make it onto the front row – he crashed. Lorenzo’s ominous form was certainly a key headline but the drama for the Championship leader lit up the session. Crashing on his second run in a relatively fast lowside, the number 93 was straight to his feet without pause for thought and sprinting to get a lift back to the pits. Once back in the paddock on the back of a scooter, he hit the ground running again to run through his Repsol Honda garage from front to back, straight back on his other machine and heading back out. Could he do another ‘Texas 2015’ style pole dash?

    The first sector looked like it might it be possible as it lit up red, but the reigning Champion then lost some time and it wasn’t to be. So he’ll line up fifth – his worst qualifying in the premier class at the venue – and he’ll have some serious company in the form of Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), who’s just alongside him in fourth.

    Behind Dovizioso and Marquez, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was sixth and completes the second row, suffering a low-drama crash near the end of the session. And the Brit broke some local hearts, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) pushed down to head up the third row.

    Rossi has had a weekend of ups and downs so far at his home venue, just making it into that all-important top ten on Friday and continuing to work hard on Saturday to get race ready. In qualifying the rider from Tavullia was hovering around the second row, before just losing out in that last minute shuffle. Row 3 is completed by last year’s podium finisher Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) and fellow Independent Team rider Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).

    Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was tenth fastest and top Hamamatsu machine after teammate Andrea Iannone just failed to make it through to Q2 – he starts P13 – with two-time Misano winner Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) in P11. Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completes the top 12.

    Behind Iannone, wildcard compatriot Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team) took P14 after a crash hampered his chances in Q1, and Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) completed the top 15.

    So that’s it for the premier class on Saturday. A three-time winner on pole, a dark horse with nothing to lose alongside him and a man who hasn’t won for a year make for an incredible front row – with everything to play for. Marquez and Dovizioso lurk close behind too, and the ‘Doctor’ can never be counted out on race day – especially considering his incredible support around Misano. Who will emerge from the melee ahead? The lights go out at 14:00 (GMT +2).
    MotoGP™ Qualifying Results
    1 – Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) DUCATI 1’31.629
    –
    First Independent Team Rider:
    2 – Jack Miller (AUS) DUCATI +0.287
    –
    3 – Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA +0.321
    NEWS: in-season test dates confirmed

    The MotoGP™ class will test on the 6th May at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto after the Spanish GP, and the second test will be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after the Grand Prix there, on the 17th June. The final official test for the premier class in 2019 will be held at the Automotodrom Brno, on the 5th August.

    The Moto3™ and Moto2™ classes, meanwhile, will test in Jerez and Barcelona on the Tuesdays after the premier class have tested, and they will test at the Red Bull Ring on the 12th August after the Austrian GP.

    A two-day Official Test for the premier class is also forecast for the 28th and 29th August. If the Kymiring is confirmed on the 2020 MotoGP™ calendar, that will be held in Finland. If not, this test will be at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
  • Srinivas Teja, Raghul Rangasamy seal respective championship title

    Srinivas Teja, Raghul Rangasamy seal respective championship title

    • Two wins for Deepak Ravikumar
    • Pole for Nayan Chatterjee in MRF F1600

    Chennai, September 7: Srinivas Teja from Chennai and Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy, both from Performance Racing team, sealed the titles in their respective categories with a race to spare in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Deepak Ravikumar (25) on way to winning the Formula LGB 1300 race on 7 Sept 2018. Photos by Anand Philar

    A second-place finish behind Deepak Ravikumar (Infinite Piston) ensured the title for 25-year old Teja in the Super Stock class of saloon cars category as he took his tally to an unbeatable 106. Ravkumar moved to second position in the championship with 76.5 points, ahead of Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar (Race Concepts, 75) and the duo will be fighting it out in the second race tomorrow. Anekar, who enjoyed a huge lead, in today’s race, retired when the throttle cable snapped in the sixth lap.

    Srinivas Teja (left) and Raghul Rangasamy who won the National championship in the Super Stock and Esteem Cup categories

    “Today, my focus was on complete the race without any mishap as I needed to finish second or third to pick up enough points to seal the championship. This is my first season in the Super Stock category and I am very happy that I was able to win the title,” said Teja.

    Rangasamy, a versatile racer though just 25, capped another fine season by sealing the title in the Esteem Cup, taking an insurmountable lead after scoring his seventh win in 10 starts this season. Rangasamy had won the Super Stock and Formula LGB 1300 titles in 2016 besides finishing second runner-up in the MRF F1600.

    With Teja and Rangasamy annexing the championship, Ravikumar’s “double” of winning the Super Stock and the Formula LGB 1300 races was somewhat overshadowed. However, the title fight in the LGB 1300 class is between Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports, 136 points) and Sohil Shah (M Sport, 135) who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, going into tomorrow’s Race 2.

    POLE FOR NAYAN CHATTERJEE

    Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee qualified for pole position in the MRF F1600 category with a hot lap of 01minute, 39.432seconds, ahead of Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram) and Chennai’s Goutham Parekh. The winner of the championship which concludes on Sunday earns a ticket to the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout in the United States later this year.

    Meanwhile, Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) snatched the pole position in the premier Indian Touring Cars class, driving a car that went through a few subtle aero changes since the previous round . His arch-rival Arjun Narendran, also from Coimbatore, and Arka Motorsports team-mate Ashish Ramaswamy, the championship leader from Bengaluru, qualified second and third respectively for tomorrow’s race that promises another close contest.

    “We made a few aero changes to the car and it reflected in our lap timings. I could have gone a bit more quicker, but got caught up in traffic during a flying lap,” said Balu, who has returned to racing after a gap of five years.

    THREE INDIAN ENTRIES FOR CATERHAM RACES

    Meanwhile, veteran racers Vicky Chandhok (Chennai), who scored two podiums during last week in the Caterham 7 Asia Zonal Championship, and B Vijayakumar (Coimbatore), besides Salem’s Kasha Sai are the three Indian entries in this weekend’s double-header. In today’s Free Practice session, Sri Lankan Sheran Fernando was the quickest, followed by Vijayakumar, Chandhok, Andew Jude Choksy (Sri Lanka) and Kasha Sai.

    The fourth round of the Formula 4 South-East Asia championship also got underway with a free practice session that leader Alessandro Ghritetti (France) topped.

    The results (Provisional, all 8 laps unless mentioned):

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (15mins, 42.479secs); 2. A Balaprasath (Coimbatore) (15:43.087); 3. Sai Sanjay (Salem) (15:48.496).

    Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Infinite Piston) (16:41.287); 2. Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing) (17:02.783); 3. Kasha Sai (Arka Motorsports) (17:05.700).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Chrys D’Souza (Unimek Racing) (17:11.446); 2. Prabhu AS (Arka Motorsports) (17:27.207); 3. Nikunj Vagh (Team N1) (17:54.575).

    Esteem Cup (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (16:42.575); 2. Lea Daran (Performance Racing) (18:00.485).

    Qualifying – MRF F1600: 1. Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai) (01:39.432); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram) (01:39.523); 3. Goutham Parekh (Chennai) (01:39.623).

    Indian Touring Cars : 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (01:52.311); 2. Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) (01:52.668); 3. Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports) (01:53.922). Turbo: 1. Karthik Tharani (Chennai) (01:54.179); 2. Rayomand Banajee (Mumbai) (01:55.560); 3. Ishaan Dodhiwala (Hyderabad) (01:56.312).

  • Final round of National Racing Championship (4W) set for a grand finale; F4 cars add colour

    Final round of National Racing Championship (4W) set for a grand finale; F4 cars add colour

    File photo of MRF 1600 cars in action by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 5 Sept 2018: The MRF Indian National Racing Championship 2018 organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), is set for a grand and thrilling finale as the fifth and final round of the National Racing Championship for four-wheelers commences at the Madras Motorsports Race Track (MMRT) under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) here on Friday.

    With titles up for grabs in all categories, the busy weekend will also see races in Formula 4 South-East Asia Championship and the Caterham 7 Asian Zonal Championship with drivers from Europe and Asia on the show.

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “It has been a long season, starting in February this year. We are pleased that the number of entries has shown a significant upward trend, especially in MRF Formula 1600, Super Stock and the Formula LGB 1300. We are indebted to MRF Tyres who have added muscle in more ways than one to our efforts to attract more youngsters to racing.

    “This is the biggest positive for us at the MMSC apart from the appreciation we have received from competitors and spectators alike for the upgrades we carried out at the MMRT over the past one year. We plan to build on this to provide better and safer racing environment as we go along.”

    Of special interest, this weekend would be the triple-header in the MRF Formula 1600 class where four drivers – Raghul Rangasamy (134 points), Goutham Parekh (123), Sandeep Kumar (115) and Ashwin Datta (110) – are in contention for the championship with a maximum of 75 points on offer.

    The Championship winner will earn the right to contest in the Mazda Road To Indy shootout as part of MMSC’s initiative to provide Indians an international platform to further their racing careers. The shootout, whose winner is eligible for a scholarship of USD 200,000, will be held in the United States later this year.

    The race for titles is as tight in the premier Indian Touring Cars class where a maximum of 50 points is up for grabs over two races. Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy of Arka Motorsports (131 points) and veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore (111) are the front-runners.

    Not far behind them are two others from Coimbatore and Arka Motorsports team-mates Nikanth Ram (98) and defending champion Arjun Narendran (93) who missed the first two rounds, but covered a lot of ground by winning three races from four starts, besides a second-place finish.

    The three other saloon car categories which have two races apiece with 50 points at stake, are also poised for a close finish. Chennai’s Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing) heads the Super Stock class with 97 points, ahead of Varun Anekar (75) of Race Concepts, Bengaluru, with Chennai’s Deepak Ravikumar (64) of Infinite Pistons and RP Rajarajan (63.5) of Performance Racing in tow.

    Raghul Rangasamy (93, Performance Racing) of Mammallapuram and Erode’s Vinod Subramaniam (82.5, Team N1) top the Esteem Cup while it is a straight fight between Namakkal’s Prabhu AS (82, Arka Motorsports) and Goa’s Chrys D’Souza (75.5, Unimek Racing) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars class.

    Only nine points separate the top three of Sohil Shah (126, MSport) from Bengaluru, and Chennai lads Ashwin Datta (123, Momentum Motorsports) and Nabil Hussain (117, MSport) in the popular Formula LGB 1300 category that has attracted the most number of entries this season.

  • Hamilton stuns Vettel with a fantastic drive in Ferrari’s home race: Italian GP

    Monza, 2 Sept 2018: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took a sensational 68th career win at Monza, beating Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen after starting third in the Heinekan Italian GP of the Formula One World Championship on Sunday.

    Räikkönen was forced to settle for second place ahead of the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas after being passed by Hamilton nine laps from the flag. Vettel finished fourth after dropping to the back of the field following a coming together with title rival Hamilton on the opening lap of the race.

    At the start, pole position man Kimi Räikkonen held his advantage to take the lead through the opening two turns. Behind him, though, Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who started from P2, was being pressured by title rival Lewis Hamilton and there was brief contact in Turn 1.

    Hamilton continued to press and launched an attack around the outside of Vettel’s Ferrari into the second chicane. There was minimal room for manoeuvre and the pair collided, with Vettel being sent into a spin.

    Hamilton was able to continue in second place ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had muscled his way past the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas as the start, but Vettel dropped to the back of the field.

    At the back of the order there was also a collision at the start between Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley. The New Zealander suffered a blown tyres and he was forced to pull over at the side of the track.

    That brought out the safety car and under the caution Vettel pitted for soft tyres.

    Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo also pitted, taking on supersofts, and the pair were soon making their way through the field, with Ricciardo initially to the fore.

    When the Safety Car left the track, Hamilton made the most of the re-start and passed Räikkönen into Turn 1. The Mercedes’ driver’s hold on the lead was brief, however, as Räikkönen fought back in the second chicane and muscled his way back to the front.

    In the midfield, Vettel passed Ricciardo at the start of lap nine and by lap 17 he had hauled himself up to ninth place, but he was now 27.3s behind leading team-mate Räikkönen

    Räikkönen made his sole stop, for soft tyres, on lap 20. Mercedes feinted a stop on the following lap but with his pace good Hamilton was told to stay out.

    Behind them, Ricciardo’s race came to an end on lap 24 when smoke began to pour from the rear of his Red Bull. The Australian quickly pulled over and retired, his latest spec Renault engine appearing to let him down.

    Ahead, Hamilton made his stop on lap 28, taking on soft tyres, but he emerged behind Räikkönen. Bottas was yet to pit, however, and as Hamilton rejoined over two seconds behind Räikkönen, Bottas was told to keep his fellow Finn behind him.

    Bottas finally made his pit stop at the end of lap 35. He took on soft tyres and emerged some 3.5s behind Verstappen. Räikkönen now led again but with worn tyres that were beginning to cause the Finn problems. Hamilton, just half a second behind the Ferrari driver, was on much fresher rubber and began to exert heavy pressure.

    Vettel, meanwhile, was busy making his way back towards the leaders after a second pit stop, for supersoft tyres, and on lap 39 he claimed fifth place. He was now 13.4s behind Bottas with 14 laps to go and lapping much quicker than the Mercedes man who was battling to get past Verstappen.

    At the front, Hamilton made the decisive move on lap 45. He tucked in behind the Finn on the pit straight and then darted around the outside of the Finn’s Ferrari into Turn 1 to take a lead he would not relinquish.

    Behind Räikkönen, third-placed Verstappen Max was now coming under pressure from Bottas. The Finn went to pass in Turn 1 but Verstappen took a very wide line and there was contact, with Bottas being forced to cut the chicane.

    The incident was placed under investigation and Max was subsequently handed a five-second time penalty for causing the collision.

    After Hamilton took his 68th career win ahead of Räikkönen, Verstappen crossed the line in third, but with Bottas and Vettel within five seconds of the Dutchman, the Red Bull man was classified in fifth place, from where he started the race.

    Romain Grosjean took sixth place for Haas, while Racing Point Force India took their second double points finish in a row, with Esteban Ocon seventh and Sergio Pérez eighth. Ninth place was taken by Renault’s Carlos Sainz and the final point on offer went to Williams’ Lance Stroll.

    2018 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Lewis Hamilton  Mercedes –
    2 Kimi Raikkonen  Ferrari 8.705
    3 Valtteri Bottas  Mercedes 14.066
    4 Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari 16.151
    5 Max Verstappen  Red Bull Racing 18.208
    6 Romain Grosjean  Haas 56.320
    7 Esteban Ocon  Force India 57.761
    8 Sergio Perez  Force India 58.678
    9 Carlos Sainz Renault 1:18.140
    10 Lance Stroll  Williams 1 lap
    11 Sergey Sirotkin  Williams 1 lap
    12 Charles Leclerc  Sauber 1 lap
    13 Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren 1 lap
    14 Nico Hulkenberg  Renault 1 lap
    15 Pierre Gasly  Toro Rosso 1 lap
    16 Marcus Ericsson  Sauber 1 lap
    17 Kevin Magnussen  Haas 1 lap
    Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing 30 laps
    Fernando Alonso  McLaren 44 laps
    Brendon Hartley  Toro Rosso