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Mick Schumacher wins second F3 pole: Misano
Mick Schumacher takes Misano F3 pole on Saturday. An FIA photo Event: 07 Misano
Session: Qualifying 1
Track: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli / I
Pole position: Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing)
Weather: overcast, 29.2 °CAt the 4.226 kilometres long Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m27.934s) claimed his second FIA Formula 3 European Championship pole position. The German was 19 thousandths of a second faster than Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m27.953s), his closest rival in the classification. Guanyu Zhou (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m27.992s) was third from Robert Shvartzman (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m28.015s). Daniel Ticktum (Motopark, 1m28.020s), the FIA Formula 3 European Championship points’ leader, ended up fifth, only 86 thousandths of a second down on pace-setter Schumacher.
The young drivers staged an exciting qualifying in the first-ever visit of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship to Misano in Italy with positions changing throughout the session. Only just before the end, Mick Schumacher moved up into first place with Marcus Armstrong, Guanyu Zhou and Robert Shvartzman following in second to fourth position. Thus, drivers of the PREMA Theodore Racing team, the only Italian team in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, locked out the first four places.
Daniel Ticktum, who posted one fastest time of the day during the official pre-season test at the same venue, ended up fifth in qualifying. Behind Jehan Daruvala (Carlin, 1m28.067s) in sixth place, Jüri Vips (Motopark, 1m28.172s) followed in seventh position. Back in April, the Estonian was the second driver to post a fastest time of the day in the official pre-season test at Misano. Jonathan Aberdein (Motopark, 1m28.177s), Ralf Aron (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m28.224s) and Sacha Fenestraz (Carlin, 1m28.254s) rounded out the top ten. In the process, the Frenchman was only 0.32 seconds down on Schumacher’s fastest time. In total, the lap times of the first 19 drivers were within 0.8 seconds. Classified 19th, Nikita Troitckii (Carlin, 1m28.682s) came within 0.748 seconds of Schumacher’s time.
Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing): “This afternoon’s free practice didn’t go as we had expected it to, we had some minor set-up issues. After that, we tried to improve as well as we could. Now I am happy with our progress and the result from qualifying. We will try to make the best out of this pole position in the first race. Of course, my preference would be to win. However, the important thing for me is to score some points no matter what in order to close up to the frontrunners in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings.”
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De Vries surges to pole position at Spa; Arjun Maini bogged down to P15: F2
Dutchman overcomes deleted time to secure quickest lap in BelgiumSpa Francorchamps, 23 Aug 2018: Indian racer Arjun Maini is bogged down with technical issues and could only qualify on P15 even as Nyck de Vries produced a scintillating lap to secure pole in the FIA Formula 2 Championship Qualifying Session at Spa in Belgium here on Saturday.Setting the fastest middle sector by some margin en route to a 1:56.054 time, the Pertamina Prema Theodore Racing driver watched the final five minutes from the pitwall, and saw his time remain unbeaten as ART Grand Prix’s George Russell will start alongside the Dutch driver in Sunday’s Feature Race. Sergio Sette Camara for Carlin will start third.A cool, overcast session began with Trident’s Arjun Maini first out of the blocks, leading Lando Norris, Jack Aitken and Sette Camara onto the circuit for the first round of laps. The honour of setting the first timed lap belonged to de Vries, but the Dutchman immediately hit trouble as his subsequent flying lap of a 1:56.450 was deleted for exceeding track limits. Norris then briefly took the reins, before Russell leapfrogged his championship rival to lead the first half of the session.Having lost his time, de Vries sought vengeance and wasted no time in returning to the circuit having pitted for fresh tyres. Rejoining an empty track, thanks to the customary lull in running at the session’s midpoint, de Vries immediately put the hammer down and – thanks to a middle sector almost half a second faster than anyone else – fired his way up to the provisional pole.De Vries then retreated to the pits and was left to watch the final five minutes of the session with his team as the rest of the field looked to beat his benchmark. Russell, Norris and Alexander Albon all seemed to be on course to overturn their deficits after each set impressive first sectors, but de Vries’ middle sector was untouchable, leaving all three to find themselves some way adrift.Sette Camara then challenged, but the Brazilian’s time was only good enough for third as de Vries began to celebrate with the PREMA engineers with moments left on the clock. His pole position was cemented as Antonio Fuoco came to a stop on the Kemmel Straight, followed in short order by Norris who pulled up at the side of the road on the exit of Pouhon.Alongside de Vries, Russell claimed his fifth front-row Feature Race start of the season, with Luca Ghiotto separating the Carlins of Sette Camara and Norris for fourth place. Albon was sixth with Fuoco seventh, while Nirei Fukuzumi enjoyed his best qualifying session in F2 with eighth. Louis Delétraz and Artem Markelov completed the top ten.2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 9 – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – Provisional Qualifying ClassificationDRIVERTEAMTIMELAPS1Nyck de VriesPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing1:56.05482George RussellART Grand Prix1:56.45783Sergio Sette CamaraCarlin1:56.59484Luca GhiottoCampos Vexatec Racing1:56:611105Lando NorrisCarlin1:56.72376Alexander AlbonDAMS1:56.878107Antonio FuocoCharouz Racing System1:56.93098Nirei FukuzumiBWT Arden1:57.169109Louis DelétrazCharouz Racing System1:57.1831010Artem MarkelovRUSSIAN TIME1:57.266911Tadasuke MakinoRUSSIAN TIME1:57.3941012Nicholas LatifiDAMS1:57.5151013Ralph BoschungMP Motorsport1:57.5961014Maximilian GüntherBWT Arden1:57.635815Arjun MainiTrident1:57.7181016Jack AitkenART Grand Prix1:57.7541017Roy NissanyCampos Vexatec Racing1:57.7731018Sean GelaelPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing1:57.8781019Alessio LorandiTrident1:58.1741020Dorian BoccolacciMP Motorsport1:58.33811 -
Racing Point UK Limited acquires Force India Formula One Team
Silverstone, 23 Aug 2018: Racing Point Force India F1 Team will make its debut at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix following the acquisition of the Force India Formula One Team by Racing Point UK Limited. The new ownership was finalised on Thursday 16th of August with a consortium of investors led by Lawrence Stroll agreeing terms to secure the future of the team.
The investors are Canadian entrepreneur Andre Desmarais, Jonathan Dudman of Monaco Sports and Management, fashion business leader John Idol, telecommunications investor John McCaw Jr, financial expert Michael de Picciotto, businessman Lawrence Stroll and his business partner Silas Chou.
Racing Point UK Limited has appointed Otmar Szafnauer as Team Principal and CEO with immediate effect. Otmar has been with Force India since 2010 as Chief Operating Officer and has played a pivotal role in the team’s progress up the grid.
The team’s Deputy Team Principal, Robert Fernley, will stand down from his role. The remainder of the senior management team remains unchanged.
For the rest of the 2018 season the cars will compete as Racing Point Force India F1 Team in pink, white and blue.
Lawrence Stroll: “On Monday I stood in front of the workforce at Silverstone and Brackley and applauded the achievements of this team in recent years. The strength of any company is the people that make it up and it’s a huge privilege to begin this exciting new journey with such a talented group of men and women. I’ve been fortunate to establish and grow a number of successful businesses, but the opportunity to take this team forward to the next level is perhaps the most exciting challenge yet. Together with my fellow shareholders, we will invest in new resources and bring fresh energy to empower the workforce to continue racing at the very highest level. We are all passionate about motor racing; we recognise the racers’ spirit in Force India, and we are extremely motivated to make this team even more special in the years ahead.”
Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal and CEO: “As we return from the summer break and prepare for the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, I want to thank all the staff for their resolve and loyalty during the period of transition. Now that we are under new ownership and the future of the team is secure, we can focus on doing what we do best – going racing. We have a great management team in place and this stability will be extremely valuable as we begin the new era. I would like to thank Bob Fernley for his contribution to the success of this team over the last ten years and recognise the support of the previous shareholders for making Force India what it is today.”
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FIA accepts Racing Point Force India for mid-season entry
Paris, 23 Aug 2018: The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has today, 23 August, accepted the mid-season entry of Racing Point Force India with immediate effect to the FIA Formula One World Championship in accordance with Articles 8.1 and 8.2 of the 2018 Formula One Sporting Regulations. This means the team will race this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Since the Force India Formula One Team Limited was placed into administration on 27 July, the FIA has worked in collaboration with the Joint Administrators (Geoff Rowley and Jason Baker of FRP Advisory LLP), Racing Point UK Limited and Formula One Management to ensure the expedient and compliant transition of the team’s assets to the new entrant. This successful process has protected motor sport competition at the highest level, as well as the jobs of over 400 employees.
Following a disciplinary investigation and prosecution by the FIA under Article 4 of the FIA’s Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, the Sahara Force India F1 Team has accepted its exclusion from the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship with immediate effect, due to its incapacity to comply with Article 8.2 of the Sporting Regulations moving forward, and forfeits all Constructors Championship points under Article 6.2.
The Joint Administrators of Force India Formula One Team Limited have completed the sale of the business and its assets to Racing Point UK Limited, the investment consortium led by Lawrence Stroll and the team’s senior management.
FIA President Jean Todt said: “I am very pleased that a strong, positive outcome has been reached and welcome the mid-season entry of Racing Point Force India. Creating an environment of financial stability in Formula One is one of the key challenges faced by the sport, however thanks to the hard work of the FIA, the Joint Administrators, Racing Point and Formula One Management we have a situation now that safeguards the future for all of the highly-talented employees, and will maintain the fair and regulated championship competition for the second half of the season.”
Formula 1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey said: “We are very pleased that the situation around Racing Point Force India has been resolved and that the team will continue to race in Formula 1. It is also very gratifying that in partnership with the stakeholders involved we have been able to safeguard the livelihoods of the many hundreds of people working at its Silverstone base. It’s enormously important that we have a full grid of competitive, capable teams in Formula 1 and we are confident that Racing Point Force India will go from strength to strength in the future.”
Joint Administrator Geoff Rowley said: “This has been a complex process, but as a result of following a detailed and thorough procedure we have achieved a successful outcome. Under its new ownership, the team will now be able to operate to its full potential and its future is secured.”
Racing Point Force India today welcomed the FIA’s decision, which enables the team to race this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Team Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Racing Point UK Limited, Otmar Szafnauer, said: “The new Racing Point Force India Team is delighted to be able to race when the championship resumes in Belgium this weekend. This heralds a new and exciting chapter for us. Just a few weeks ago, an uncertain future lay ahead, with more than 400 jobs at risk; now the new team has the backing of a consortium of investors, led by Lawrence Stroll, who believe in us as a team, in our expertise and in our potential to achieve success on the track. We are grateful to the FIA, the Joint Administrators and Formula One Management for their support in helping us achieve such a welcome outcome and ultimately, we trust, for the sport and its many fans.”
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Back-to-back victories for Tanak-Jarveoja: WRC German Rally
Ott Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja in a splendid jump on way to a WRC round win in Germany. Photos: FIA Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja have taken their second consecutive victory in Rallye Deutschland, as well as in the FIA World Rally Championship after their dominant win on the last round in Finland. The Toyota crew again controlled the event, leading from the third stage, to triumph for the third time this season. After a drama-filled morning, Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul finished an unexpected second with Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm moving up to third, giving Toyota it’s second consecutive double podium finish.
In the FIA World Rally Championship, Neuville has extended his lead over Sebastien Ogier but by only two points, such was today’s rate of attrition and the Frenchman’s maximum points haul in the Power Stage. Tänak’s victory and four points in the Power Stage sees the Estonian nearly halve the deficit to Ogier and he is now only 13 points adrift in third. The Manufacturers’ Championship continues to be led by the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team but Toyota GAZOO Racing has overhauled M-Sport Ford for second position and is chasing down the Korean manufacturer, 13 points separating the teams.
Tänak was able to adopt a cautious approach over today’s closing three stages and 72.18 competitive kilometres and the Estonian took a near maximum points haul away from the last full asphalt event of the season. Behind him, however, it was carnage among the front-runners. Starting the day in second position, Dani Sordo had a charging Jari-Matti Latvala just eight-tenths of a second behind him and, while pushing on through the first stage, the Spaniard went off the road into the vineyards. Despite damage to the front end, and a broken windscreen, he was able to continue but was unable to start the next stage with temperatures running too high. Next to hit problems was third-placed Latvala, the Finn stopping in the same stage with a transmission problem. As such, Neuville climbed from fourth to second. The Belgian was fastest through the day’s opener and despite a couple of small mistakes had enough of a buffer to Lappi to secure the position at the end of a dramatic event. Lappi notched up his best result on Tarmac and was delighted to have a clean weekend with no problems, the reward being third overall.
Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja on podium. Ogier eventually secured fourth on an event he had the potential to win, such was his pace. His maximum Power Stage points limited the damage in the title fight and once again he will be looking to re-set ahead of the next round in Turkey. Team-mate Teemu Suninen was behind in fifth, exceeding his own expectations on his first Tarmac event in a WRC car and happy to have shown improved speed over the course of the rally. Andreas Mikkelsen was sixth, enduring a difficult weekend as he tirelessly worked to adapt his driving style to the Tarmac spec i20 Coupe WRC. After his accident yesterday, Craig Breen regained his confidence and finished last of the leading WRC cars in seventh. Mads Østberg rounded out a disappointing weekend for Citroen with an off in the opening stage, forcing him into retirement with underbody damage.
In the FIA WRC 2 Championship, Jan Kopecký never gave up after losing so much time with a puncture yesterday. He fought his way through the field and with a string of three fastest times today, he overhauled Kalle Rovanperä and Fabio Andolfi to take the category win by 3.8 seconds and the lead in the series. Taisko Lario took two stage wins today en route to his first WRC 3 victory. The Finn, who grew up competing on gravel roads, was delighted with the result, even more so being that it was on Tarmac. He beat Enrico Brazzoli and Louise Cook.
The 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the crews to Marmaris for the all-new Rally Turkey. Despite the country hosting rounds of the WRC previously, this will be the first time the event has been based in this part of Turkey and absolutely everything about this gravel encounter will be new for all the contenders.
Rallye Deutschland – Final unofficial results (subject to final scrutineering)
1 Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 03min 36.9sec 2 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 04min 16.1sec 3 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 04min 37.8sec 4 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 05min 11.4sec 5 Teemu Suninen / Mikko Markkula Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 05min 39.8sec 6 Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 05min 50.7sec 7 Craig Breen / Scott Martin Citroen C3 WRC 3hr 06min 16.0sec 8 Marijan Griebel / Alexander Rath Citroen DS3 WRC 3hr 14min 18.1sec 9 Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler Škoda Fabia R5 3hr 16min 49.7sec 10 Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen Škoda Fabia R5 3hr 16min 53.5sec -
18 corners, one winner: the behemoth of Silverstone beckons MotoGP stalwarts
Silverstone, 20 Aug 2018: As the dust settles after the incredible duel in Austria in the MotoGP World Motorcycle Racing Championship, the stage is most definitely set for Silverstone. The venue that first hosted a showdown between then-reigning Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) and then-rookie challenger Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2013, it could be another stunner at the GoPro British Grand Prix – with both men having incredible records at the track.
That track is one of the longest on the calendar; an expansive ribbon of tarmac snaking its way over the former airfield and providing one of the challenges of the year. Flat, legendary and fast, Silverstone isn’t for the faint of heart – and that’s without considering the Great British weather. It could be sunny, but it’s hardly Philadelphia.
That’s something that could play into the hands of some on the grid. After the duel that Lorenzo won in 2013 for his third premier class victory there, the 2014 re-run saw Marquez strike back – before the rain hit in 2015. Then it was Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) who took the top step – and Marquez crashed out. It’s a tough time for Yamaha of late and now their longest run without a win since the nineties, but Rossi tamed the rain to perfection three years ago. And the following season? Now-teammate Maverick Viñales took his first ever premier class win – so the circuit has some good memories for both, from both winning and subsequent podiums.
In the great British summer of 2017 though, it was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) who pitched it to perfection. And of all those who know they have pace at Silverstone, he’s the one who is looking to hit back quick – having won in style in Brno and then been unable to get in the fight in the latter stages in Austria, left to come home third. Also often a master of tricky conditions, ‘DesmoDovi’ will be aiming squarely for the front.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) is another to watch, and the first of three lions racing on home turf. Crutchlow was on pole and a podium finisher in 2016, and took fourth last season from another front row start. Having already won a race this season, Crutchlow should be a serious threat at the front – and is another who can master difficult conditions. There’s a lot at stake, too, with only two points separating the fight for top Independent Team rider in the standings. It’s Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) who’s currently ahead on 105, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) on 104 and Crutchlow on 103. Probability says that will change once again in the British GP.
Team Suzuki Ecstar, meanwhile, want to get back near the front after a spate of podiums earlier in the season – and Silverstone was the scene of their first win since 2007 when they were on top in 2016. That may have been with a different rider, but Alex Rins is a former winner at the venue too, in Moto3™. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) is another former winner and one with a stunning record on home soil, and he’ll want to try and get in the fight with fellow Brit Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). KTM, after a run of bad luck, are also looking for a bit more in the UK. Will Pol Espargaro be back from injury? He hopes so, but if the 2013 Moto2™ World Champion can’t ride, someone has to – KTM have to field a replacement.
That’s the cast for another stunning showdown at Silverstone. Will it be Lorenzo vs Marquez? MotoGP™ vs the rain? Dovizioso back on top? Tune in to find out, but don’t be late – the schedule is different for the GoPro British Grand Prix and the lights go out on Sunday at 13:00 local time (GMT +1).
Championship Standings
1 – Marc Marquez (SPA) HONDA 201 points
2 – Valentino Rossi (ITA) YAMAHA 142
3 – Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) DUCATI 130
4 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI 129
5 – Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA 113eom/db
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Muddappa gets triple; Ramachander hogs limelight: National Drag Racing Championship
Hemant Muddappa (left) and Vivek Ramachander who topped among bikes and cars, respectively (Photo by Anand Philar) Chennai, 19 Aug 2018: Hemant Muddappa from Bengaluru yet again scored a triple in the MMSC fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship for two-wheelers at the MMRT here on Sunday. Muddappa topped in the Unrestricted, 1051cc and Above, and 851-1050cc classes.
In the four-wheeler category, another Bengalurean, Vivek Ramachander (Tune O Tronics) emerged the fastest as he took the honours in the Unrestricted class besides winning the Indian Open (Stock Body).
The results:
4-Wheelers – Unrestricted: 1. Vivek Ramachander (Tune O Tronics, Bengaluru) (12.953secs); 2. Shubho Ghosh (Tune O Tronics, Bengaluru) (13.059); 3. Radha Selvaraj (Chennai) (13.309). Indian Open (Altered Body): 1. Jayanth V (Tune O Tronics, Bengaluru) (13.251); 2. Radha Selvaraj (Chennai) (13.264). Indian Open (Stock Body): 1. Vivek Ramachander (Tune O Tronics, Bengaluru) (12.999); 2. Shubho Ghosh (Tune O Tronics, Bengaluru) (15.002); 3. D Ashwin (Tune O Tronics, Chennai) (15.187). Indian Touring Cars: 1. Kasha Sai (Arka Motorsports, Salem) (16.076).
2-Wheelers (4-Stroke) – Unrestricted: 1. Hemant Muddappa (Bengaluru) (8.115); 2. Anosh Khumbatta (Mumbai) (8.796); 3. Hafizullah Khan (Bengaluru) (8.977). 1051cc and Above: 1. Hemant Muddappa (Bengaluru) (8.369); 2. Anosh Khumbatta (Pune) (8.881); 3. Hafizullah Khan (Bengaluru) (9.490). 851-1050cc: 1. Hemant Muddappa (Bengaluru) (8.305). 361-550cc: Deepak S (Bengaluru) (12.515); 2. Mohammed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (12.858); 3. Harshil Thakur (Mumbai) (12.930).
226-360cc: Shankar Guru (13.963); 2. Shahinsha R (16.251); 3. Ahamed Vasin (16.458) (all Chennai). 166-225cc: Deepak S (Bengaluru) (14.194); 2. Faraaz Akhter (14.341); 3. Rayyan Sheikh (14.407). Upto 165cc: 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai) (14.648); 2. Aravind Ganesh (Chennai) (14.712); 3. Gowtham R (Bengaluru) (15.491). Upto 165cc: 1. Aravind Ganesh (Chennai) (14.712); 2. Shanker Guru (Chennai) (15.701); 3. Kaleem Pasha (Bengaluru) (18.911).
2-Stroke –131-165cc: Hussain Khan (Mumbai) (12.653); 2. Kaleem Pasha (Bengaluru) (13.241); 3. Syed Naeem (Bengaluru) (13.589). Upto 130cc: 1. Hussain Khan (Mumbai) (13.436); 2. Kaleem Pasha (Bengaluru) (13.467); 3. D Suresh Kumar (Chennai) (13.866).
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Raghul Rangasamy, Arjun Balu battle to victories; Sohil takes LGB1300 championship lead
Raghul Rangasamy, on way to MRF F1600 race victory in Round 4 of the National Racing Championship on Saturday. Photos by Anand PhilarChennai, 18 Aug 2018: Raghul Rangasamy converted his pole position into a commanding victory to head the MRF F1600 class leaderboard in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.
As well as 25-year old Rangasamy drove, the spotlight also fell on Coimbatore’s Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) who won a tight and thrilling race in the high-end Indian Touring Cars class while his team-mate Varun Anekar from Bengaluru who started ninth and from the pit-lane, finished first in the Super Stock category.
Sohil Shah of Bangalore takes championship lead in the FLGB1300 class winning a race and a second place on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 photo.The Formula LGB 1300 double-header produced two different winners in Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) from Chennai and Sohil Shah (M Sport) from Bengaluru. The results put Shah at the top of the championship standings in this class with a tally of 126 points to Datta’s 123 with the third title contender Nabil Hussain (M Sport), also from Chennai, on 117, going into the final round next month.
Rangasamy of Mamallapuram moved past championship leader Ashwin Datta who finished a distant eighth. Ahead of the two races to be run tomorrow, Rangasamy has 109 points to Datta’s 100. The championship winner at the end of the season, earns a ticket to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States this winter.
Summing up his win, Rangasamy said:“I started thinking what I would say at the post-race interview and stuff like that. As my thoughts wandered, so did the pace. Suddenly, I saw Sandeep Kumar (who finished second) catching up and it woke me up! I am absolutely exhausted! I am not a gym person like others drivers. I reacted a bit late to the lights at the start, but otherwise, it was a good launch and I quickly built up a big lead.”
The day also belonged to Arjun Balu who scored his third lights-to-flag victory of the season in the ITC category, holding off last year’s champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsport), also from Coimbatore, in a heart-stopping eight-lap race. The duo dueled hard and in the sixth lap, Narendran made a move on the outside at Turn-4. The pair made contact and Narendran ran wide which gave Balu the respite to take a firm lead to the finish.
Arjun Balu (No.39) on way to winning the Indian Touring Cars class race on Aug 18. Balu said: “It was a tough race right through. Arjun was on my tail for much of the race, but I managed to soak up the pressure. In the latter half of the race, he caught up and tried to pass me on the outside at Turn-4, but we made contact. He went a bit wide and I managed to keep my lead to the finish line.”
The win took Balu to second on the leaderboard with 93 points while Narendran, who missed two rounds, is on 68 while Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsport) who finished third today, continues to lead with 116 points, going into tomorrow’s Race-2.
Dhruv Mohite from Kolhapur notched his fourth win in six starts in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup race ahead of Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) and Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad).
The results (Provisional, all 8 laps unless mentioned):
MRF F1600 (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram) (13mins, 36.906secs); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:39.058); 3. Nirmal Uma Shanker (13:43.654).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): S Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsport) (15:20.086); 2. Sohil Shah (M Sport) (15:21.981); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (DTS Racing) (15:29.673). Race-2: 1. Sohil Shah (M Sport) (17:33.648); 2.A Balaprasath (DTS Racing) (17:34.089); 3. S Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) (17:34.455).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (15:13.033); 2. Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsport) (15:13.987); 3. Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsport) (15:27.015). Turbo (Race-1): 1. Karthik Tharani (Chennai) (15:23.854); 2. Rayomand Banajee (Mumbai) (15:38.143); 3. Ishan Dodhiwala (Hyderabad) (15:39.252).
Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (16:14.596); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Infinite Piston) (16:27.106); 3. Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing) (16:44.359).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Prabhu AS (Arka Motorspor) (17:06.590); 2. Nikunj Vagh (Team N1) (17:18.579); 3. Chris Desouza (Unimek Racing) (17:29.153).
Esteem Cup (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (16:51.582); 2. Vinod Subramaniam (Team N1) (17:01.644); 3. Biren PIthawalla (Team N1) (17:01.645);
Volkswagen Ameo Cup (Race-1): 1. Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur) (15:38.719); 2. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) (15:43.499); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) (15:43.879).
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Ott Tanak fastest on stages: WRC, Rallye Deutschland
Ott Tänak extended his advantage over the repeated loop of Rallye Deutschland stages with a clean sweep of fastest times. The Estonian now has 12.3 seconds in hand to reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier, while Thierry Neuville has dropped a little further back but remains in third position.
Tänak went into the loop with a 7.2 second advantage and a string of three stage wins saw the Estonian progressively increase his lead, despite some tricky conditions after the rain this morning. Ogier was never far off his pace but admitted it was difficult to fight against the Tänak/Toyota package today. After a gearbox and steering rack change during the mid-leg service, Neuville continued to push hard and was pleased to have had a mistake-free, near perfect day. He is 15.1 seconds adrift of main championship rival Ogier.
Behind the leading trio, Elfyn Evans catapulted up the leaderboard from seventh to fourth in the first of the afternoon stages, such has been the close competition between four drivers. The Welshman has had a strong afternoon and was much happier during the repeated stages. The battle he is in remains intense however, with the following three drivers only five seconds away. Jari-Matti Latvala, in fifth, moved up a place this afternoon with better confidence after changing some differential settings on the Yaris WRC. Despite a couple of small mistakes, he is only a second adrift of Evans with Dani Sordo only 3.9 seconds behind. Esapekka Lappi admitted to needing more mileage to understand the limit of the car on the dirty roads, the Finn thinking he was not brave enough despite feeling he was driving on the limit. He is seventh but only one-tenth of a second adrift of Sordo. Craig Breen struggled to get the car flowing as he wanted and is 15.2 seconds further behind in eighth. Andreas Mikkelsen continues to try and adapt his driving style to suit the Hyundai, but is struggling to get a natural feeling. Teemu Suninen moved into the top 10 as Mads Østberg had some sort of air intake problem all afternoon, the result of an issue during service which left him down on power. As a consequence, the Norwegian dropped to 11th.
The FIA WRC 2 Championship is headed by Czech Rally Champion Jan Kopecký. The Škoda driver won two of the three stages this afternoon to take a 22.2 second lead over Yoann Bonato into Saturday. Eric Camilli is however just one-tenth of a second behind his fellow countryman in third. Taisko Lario continues to lead the small field in the FIA WRC 3 Championship category, the Finn taking two of the three stage wins with second-placed Enrico Brazzoli the other. Louise Cook is third.
Rallye Deutschland – Unofficial results after Section 3
1 Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 59min 22.6sec 2 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 59min 34.9sec 3 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 59min 50.0sec 4 Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 00min 00.4sec 5 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 00min 01.4sec 6 Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 00min 05.3sec 7 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 00min 05.4sec 8 Craig Breen / Scott Martin Citroen C3 WRC 1hr 00min 20.6sec 9 Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 00min 21.6sec 10 Teemu Suninen / Mikko Markkula Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 00min 44.0sec -
MRF MMSC Indian Racing Nationals enter crucial phase: 4th Round at MMRT from Friday
File photo of Formula LGB races at MMRT this season. Photo by Anand Philar Chennai, 16 Aug 2018: Teenage sensation Ashwin Datta who began the season with a bank winning all the races in the first round, will look to guard his narrow lead at the top in the MRF 1600 class as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship resumes amidst mounting excitement and expectations as crucial fourth round starts at the MMRT here on Friday.
The chase for titles in various categories gets more frenetic than ever while the front-runners keep an eye on the leaderboard. Every point won will be worth its weight in gold.
The weekend card has races in the MRF F1600, saloon cars (Indian Touring Cars, Super Stock, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Esteem Cup), and the Formula LGB 1300 besides the Volkswagen Ameo Cup, a one-make championship. Also being run is the Indian National Drag Racing Championship, post-lunch on Saturday and Sunday, for both two-wheelers and cars.
The season, so far, has been so topsy-turvy that Chennai teenager Ashwin Datta (96 points), despite three wins on the trot in the MRF F1600 class, is only 12 ahead of Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy.
The previous round witnessed three different winners – Rangasamy, Gowtham Parekh (68) and Sandeep Kumar (67) – in the triple-header. With the championship winner in this category eligible for a ticket to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States, an MMSC initiative, the title contenders have everything to play for. The winner of the shootout is eligible for a scholarship of USD 200,000.
The situation in other categories is no different. Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy (101) leads his Arka Motorsports team-mate from Coimbatore Nikanth Ram (84) in the premier Indian Touring Cars class that has seen some high-quality driving. If Ramaswamy started the season with a double in the first round, veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) marked his return to racing by winning both the races in the next round while defending champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) emulated the feat in the third round. Balu (68) and Narendran (50) are placed fourth and fifth, respectively, behind another veteran from Coimbatore B Vijayakumar of Prime Racing (78).
A mere half-a-point separate leader Srinivasa Teja (Performance Racing) and Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) in the Super Stock category while Vinod Subramaniam (73.5) of Team N1 leads Rangasamy (68) of Performance Racing in the Esteem Cup and Prabhu AS (62) of Arka Motorsports is ahead of Chrys D’Souza (59) of Unimek Racing in the Indian Junior Touring Cars.
Equally competitive has been the Formula LGB 1300 class which is developing into a three-cornered battle involving Nabil Hussain (MSport) who heads the leaderboard with 95 points followed by Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) and Sohil Shah (MSport) who are tied second with 83 apiece.
Kolhapur’s Dhruv Mohite, with three wins in five starts, leads the Volkswagen Ameo Cup with 220 points but needs all the points he can to stay ahead of Saurav Bandyopadhyay (214) from Mumbai and Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh (204) who have won one race apiece.
