INDIA in F1

Tag: FIA Rally Star Cup

  • Pragathi Gowda all set for FIA Rally Star Women’s Final

    Pragathi Gowda all set for FIA Rally Star Women’s Final

    Bengaluru, 19 April 2023: Indian rally star athlete Pragathi Gowda is eagerly waiting for the World Women’s Final which is now scheduled to take place in Italy in the first week of May to take a shot at the FIA Rally Star Training Season, which is rapidly taking shape with confirmation of the Training Camp and event schedule. The World Finals, originally slated to be held in South America, is put off twice.

    Exciting motorsports talent Gowda from Bengaluru is expected to be among some of the most promising young rally drivers representing Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas who will gather in Sardinia for intensive training and evaluation sessions from May 21 to June 1. However, while a few of them already qualified, Pragathi Gowda needs to do well at the Women’s final. Considering that all the five other continental champions are professional drivers with a lot of saddle time, the Indian will be a rookie as we don’t even have similar cross-cars in India. Pragathi’s only seat time on the car was for the final contest of the Asia Pacific selection trials where she did drive the new vehicle about four or five times in three days and beat the best male drivers and a tough lady driver from New Zealand.

    ‘Matter of pride to fly the Indian flag’

    “I will put my heart into it and have fun. A lot of hard work and dedication went into reaching this stage and I have respect and love for my sport and my country. I am not going to compete against each other but I will compete with myself. It is not so much about performance but it is basically going to be a learning trip. Representing Asia Pacific at World Finals is always a matter of great pride and flying the Indian flag is an honour,” said Pragathi Gowda, speaking exclusively to INDIAinF1.com.

    They are the winners of the five FIA Rally Star Continental Finals, and Pragathi Gowda, the winner of the FIA Rally Star Asia Pacific Women’s Final which was held in Chennai in October 2022 will join the other Continental winners to try to get into the bigger Training Season group. In the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final with 26 drivers from seven ASNs (National Federations for 7 countries) vying for honours, Pragathi Gowda came out triumphant in the three-step test and topped among the four lady drivers on the deciding day of action at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai, India. The event was hosted successfully by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC).

    Once selected, between June and November, the six aspiring future FIA World Rally Championship winners will contest six national or regional-level events on both gravel and tarmac in identical Ford Fiesta Rally3s prepared by M-Sport Poland and running on Pirelli tyres. To enter this group, Pragathi is making all-out efforts to top the Women’s Final. “They have better technology and they have those karts to practice. But I don’t have a kart so it’s a big challenge,” said the Bengaluru lass, who wanted to taste the kart (cross-car) but went on to win at the Asia Pacific finals, as she gives her best whenever she gets back on the steering wheel.

    At the completion of the FIA Star Training Season, the four best-performing drivers will secure a dream opportunity by contesting the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024.

    Earlier, the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals were supposed to be held in South America. After being postponed twice the event is now switched to Italy from May 1 to 4, followed by the Sardinian training camp.

    Relocated from Peru to Uruguay, the switch to Italy and the Maggiora Offroad Arena in Piemont, northeast of the city of Turin, is the result of logistical issues.

    While every effort was made to maintain the Polideportivo Motor Maldonado off-road motorsport complex in Uruguay as the venue for the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals, moving to Italy makes for a more accessible location for the Women’s Final and will ensure that there will be no delay to the start of the FIA Rally Star Training Season.

    The FIA Rally Star American Final – featuring participants from South and North America – had been due to take place from April 30-May 2 with the Women’s Final following on May 3. The FIA Rally Star American Final will now run from May 1-3 ahead of the Women’s Final on May 4.

    On top of the #RallyAtHome Challenges winners, eight ASNs from South and North America (Argentina, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay) will send contestants to the FIA Rally Star American Final with a total of 42 drivers expected to take part. The FIA will cover their travel costs.

    What’s on the agenda during the FIA Rally Star Training Camp 

    The FIA Rally Star Training Camp consists of theoretical sessions covering event reconnaissance, rally car engineering, regulations, and team organisation. 

    There will be practical activities including testing on gravel and tarmac, physical and mental training, recce practice, media training, and team observation through spending time with mechanics.

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season members will then take part in the reconnaissance for Rally Italia Sardegna at the same time as the drivers contesting round six of the FIA World Rally Championship (June 1-4).

    Media activities in and around the Rally Italia Sardegna Service Park will be the focus on the final day of the FIA Rally Star Training Camp on June 1 and will include taking part in a press conference and being interviewed by accredited media.

    Prior to arriving in Sardinia, the six FIA Rally Star Training Season participants will take part in a series of webinars aimed at getting them fully prepared for the Training Camp.

    All costs are covered by the FIA with the best four drivers at the completion of the FIA Rally Star Training Season securing a fully funded season in the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024.

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season events have been specifically chosen to equip the drivers with experience in a wide variety of conditions and circumstances. 

    Robert Reid, FIA Deputy President for Sport said: “Firstly, I would like to express our gratitude to Ivan Dibos Mier, President of the Touring Automóvil Club del Perú, and to Jorge Tomasi, President of the Automobile Club del Uruguay, for all their efforts to bring the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals to their countries. The enthusiasm and passion from the Peruvian and Uruguayan teams would have made for a fantastic event in both countries, had it not been for reasons beyond their control requiring a change of venue.

    “We now look forward to eight ASNs being represented in Maggiora by some promising young drivers and we thank the Maggiora Off Road Arena and the Automobile Club d’Italia for their assistance in the organisation of the event.

    “Beyond these final decider rounds, we are excited to announce details of the FIA Rally Star Training Camp and the six events the winners of the Continental Finals and Women’s Final will contest during the upcoming FIA Rally Star Training Season. The team has worked hard to develop what will be a comprehensive FIA Rally Star Training Camp itinerary. The six events have been chosen to give the drivers the opportunity to sample a variety of conditions that are likely to be encountered in the Junior WRC Championship.

    “We are grateful for the support of our partners and, specifically, Automobile Club d’Italia and our colleagues at Rally Italia Sardegna for all their assistance. We also extend our thanks to the organisers of the six rallies who will welcome us from June to November.”

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season event schedule confirmed

    The FIA Rally Star Training Season will feature six events, four on gravel and two on Tarmac. The six FIA Rally Star Training Season participants will compete in identical Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3s run by M-Sport Poland. The event calendar is as follows:

    •    Rally San Marino, Italy (gravel), June 16-17

    •    Rallye Weiz, Austria (Tarmac), July 13-15

    •    Rally Nova Gorica, Slovenia (Tarmac), September 22-24

    •    Rally Saarema, Estonia (Gravel), October 6-7

    •    RallyRACC, Spain (Gravel), October 20-21

    •    Lausitz Rallye, Germany (Gravel), November 9-11

    A test will take place ahead of each event along with an extensive post-rally debrief following afterward. 

  • Pragathi Gowda makes India proud: FIA Rally Star cup

    Pragathi Gowda makes India proud: FIA Rally Star cup

    Chennai, 12 October 2022: Australia’s 19-year old Taylor Gill, a mechanic by profession, and Bengaluru’s Pragathi Gowda from India were declared winners of the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final which concluded at the Madras International Circuit, here on Wednesday.

    A four-member Jury, after considering the timesheets and then interviewing the finalists, declared Gill, who hails from New Castle, as the overall winner of the Final while 25-year old Pragathi won in the women’s category. She will represent the Asia-Pacific region in the women’s World Finals in Peru in January 2023.

    The qualifiers for Stage-3 today were put through two phases of timed runs. At the end of the first phase, the list was narrowed down to six contenders based on their times. The top six were then given another run to decide the quickest. The six drivers were then interviewed by the four-member jury who then announced the winner, taking into consideration the performances, fitness and driving skills.

    Pragathi, a post-graduate in finance, who juggles between profession and motorsport, said: “I am super happy. I will do my best to make my country proud. Winning the Rally Star is the biggest recognition I have received and I have worked very hard for it. I would like to tell all the women out there to not lose hope. This is the happiest moment in my life.

    “On the first two days, it was more of a tarmac run, but today, it was more gravel which I am very comfortable with and so was very confident. I just stuck to my basics and did what I had to do. I was not happy with my first run today, but I completed the second with ease.”

    Taylor Gill, struggling to contain his emotions, said: “I don’t have the words to describe my feelings now. Coming into the Final here, I just wanted to enjoy myself and put everything together. A couple of weeks ago, I did one day in a cross car in Australia, but the Rally Star cars here are vastly different. Right now, I am over the moon.”

    The Asia-Pacific winner will join the other continental finals champions. Two winners of these events join the selection of drivers for the first FIA Rally Star Training Season in 2023. The last spot in the FIA Rally Star Training Season will go to the winner of the Women’s Final, which is due to take place in Peru.

    The winner of the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final will be representing the region in the 2023 FIA Rally Star Training Season. Besides six rallies in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3, the Training Season package includes physical and intellectual assessment, driver coaching and testing. The aim is to equip the successful contestants with the attributes they need as they attempt to secure a drive in the FIA World Rally Championship in the future.

    At the end of 2023, the best four FIA Rally Star Team members are rewarded with a season in the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024. For 2025, three drivers go forward into a second Junior WRC season. And if one of the FIA Rally Star Team members wins the title, they secure a WRC2 campaign in a Rally2 car for 2026 with a Rally1 drive their next target.

  • Pragathi Gowda, Taylor Gill win Asia Pacific trials to continue WRC dream

    Pragathi Gowda, Taylor Gill win Asia Pacific trials to continue WRC dream

    While Bengaluru’s Pragathi Gowda made India proud winning the slot for the female representative for the World Final trials, Taylor Gill is the latest young talent to secure a potential pathway to the FIA World Rally Championship after he was selected as the winner of the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final. It is just a coincidence that, he shares his second name with the Indian Rally king Gaurav Gill, but the Aussie driver from New Castle, near Sydney, has no Indian connection. But it is Gill all the way at famous South India Rally venue here at Irungattukottai.

    Chennai, 12 Oct. 2022: Taylor Gill, 18, from Australia, was one of 40 participants representing seven ASNs to assemble at the Madras International Circuit in India on Monday morning for three days of intense competition and assessment with the goal to win a place in the FIA Rally Star Training Season in 2023. Read Pragathi Gowda report here.

    Thirteen drivers, two of whom were female, excelled by progressing to today’s final in Chennai, which included a rigorous physical test, followed by the opportunity to showcase their skills behind the wheel of a Pirelli-equipped TN5 Cross Car from FIA World Rally Championship driver Thierry Neuville’s LifeLive organisation.

    After taking to a 3.7-kilometre stage featuring gravel and asphalt sections but designed to be much faster than the layouts used on Monday and Tuesday, the drivers took part in a series of reflex tests before being interviewed by the five-person jury consisting of Andrew Wheatley (Chairman) and members Maciej Woda, Pernilla Solberg, David Terrien and Guy Botterill.

    Following a period of deliberation, the Jury confirmed Taylor Gill as the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final winner, while Pragathi Gowda was selected as the Asia-Pacific region’s representative in the FIA Rally Star Women’s Final, details of which will be announced at a later date.

    As well as the honour and achievement of winning the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final against very strong competition, Taylor Gill will represent his region in the 2023 FIA Rally Star Training Season.

    In addition to six rallies in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3, the FIA Rally Star Training Season package includes physical and intellectual assessment, driver coaching and testing. The aim is to equip the successful contestants with the attributes they need as they attempt to secure a drive in the FIA World Rally Championship in the future. Indeed, the four best-performing drivers in the FIA Rally Star Training season will win an FIA Junior WRC Championship drive in 2024, the first step on the ladder to the top-level, hybrid-based Rally1 category.

    Taylor Gill is the fourth FIA Rally Star Continental Final winner and follows Romet Jürgenson, the European Final winner from Estonia, Abdullah Al Tawqi, who won the MENA Final representing Oman and Max Smart (South Africa), the winner of the African Final.

    Maja Hallén Fellenius (Sweden) and Katie Milner (United Kingdom) were the first to qualify for the Women’s Final following their performances in the European Final, while Farah Zakaria from Jordan qualified from the FIA Rally Star MENA Final with Kristie Ellis (South Africa) making it through from the African Final. Pragathi Gowda (India) joins the club of female winners, as they will prepare for the women’s grand finale in a few months’ time.

    The South and North America Continental Finals will take place early next year with the two winners of these events joining the other Continental Final winners – plus the Women’s Final winner – for the first FIA Rally Star Training Season in 2023.

    Taylor Gill, 18, from Australia, FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final winner: “You might have to give me ten minutes to put this into words! It’s pretty cool, obviously everyone goes for it, but you don’t expect to get it, so I’m over the moon!

    For sure, there was a lot of pressure, especially to go out and do another run today, I couldn’t make any mistakes, that’s what I tried to do, so I’m super happy!”

    Pragathi Gowda, 25, from India, FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final winner: “I’m very surprised, I didn’t think I would make it through because there were strong girls out there. But I told myself, that no matter what happens, I’m not going to give up and I’m going to do my best. Luckily it worked, I’m very happy to be here, a big thank you to the FIA Rally Star for organizing this in my country, as I think it’s better, you are more confident, and I think that’s why I’m here.

    I got to prepare myself for that [FIA Rally Star Women’s Final], I’m looking forward to it and I’m going to do my best, let’s see what happens and hope for the best.”

    Andrew Wheatley, FIA Rally Director & Jury Chairman: “It was a fantastic combination of enthusiasm and performance. We have seen incredible drives from the competitors. We have got winners, but we have also seen amazing drivers, who supported the winners and will go on to also compete themselves at a high level internationally around the world.

    I think we have seen a good combination of people who have come with experience in rally and also grassroots level. But we have also seen people coming with pure esport background, and they equally been able to go toe-to-toe in these difficult conditions and cars to drive and to be able to show their skills and shine.”

    David Terrien, Jury Member & Karting World Champion: “It’s not just a time trial, we are looking for a complete racing driver, with a mix of skills, preparation, how able they are to learn and implement some tips they will be given. It’s also about physical preparation and reflex.

    We also do interviews with them, to know about their motivation, background, and how much knowledge they have about motor sport. Some drivers have experience some do not and that is also taken into consideration if we have a driver with no experience and performing very well.”

    Guy Botterill, Jury Member & South African Rally Champion: “The level of the drivers was amazing! The level of the esport drivers and the women were incredible, they were really strong. Having such a mix of cultures, and countries, was also great, and putting them all together and seeing their times was impressive. Everyone had an immense passion, and they need to grow the sport in their country. I know there is a winner and a loser, they are all thinking about their projects in the future when they will go home to improve, but I think motor sport is the overall winner.

    This week, the conditions were very tough. We had extreme heat, it was rainy, muddy and dusty, so the drivers that qualified to go through the days and the winners have done an exceptional job. It was a good experience for everybody because that is what rally is all about, it was a good test, and it was incredibly difficult with the layouts that were designed to be tough. The organisers of the event did a really good job in making it difficult because there is no point in an event like this to have roads that are too easy.”

    Akbar Ebrahim, President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI): “It was a great opportunity for them, as they never had the chance to try such equipment like this and to participate in this kind of program. Looking at the pyramid that has been built and the aspiration, I think it was a wonderful opportunity for them and they really enjoyed it. The gaps were big when they started but as they got acclimatized, the level improved and that was satisfying.

    For sure, using a cross car as a grassroot level for developing potentially rally talents, is a fantastic concept.”

  • Pragathi Gowda, lone Indian to make Stage-3 cut: FIA Rally Star Cup

    Pragathi Gowda, lone Indian to make Stage-3 cut: FIA Rally Star Cup

    Chennai, 11 October 2022: Bengaluru’s Pragathi Gowda kept Indian hopes alive in the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final as she qualified for Stage-3 of the competition at the Madras International Circuit, here on Tuesday. Australia’s Jaidyn Gluskie was overall the quickest with a blistering best lap of 01min, 34.08secs over a 1,300-metre course.

    The 25-year old Pragathi, who clocked a best lap of 01:41.96, was among 12 qualifiers for the final round which will be run on Wednesday when the Asia-Pacific champion is decided.

    “I am extremely happy to qualify for tomorrow’s Stage-3. The conditions in the afternoon when I drove were much better than in the morning and I was able to perform well. Yesterday was my first experience driving a Cross Car, but now, I am a little more comfortable with it and happy for the opportunity to compete at this competition,” said Pragathi.

    Earlier, six other Indians – Harkrishan Wadia, Arnav Pratap Singh, Tarushi Vikram, Vedant Jouhari, Jasmehar Jubbal and Jeremy Miller – were knocked out. Of the lot, Wadia, the quickest Indian yesterday, was distinctly unlucky to miss the qualification for Stage-3 as he was docked a two-second penalty for knocking down a couple of marker cones in his second timed-lap which put him third in the group, just one second behind Sri Lanka’s Eshan Pieris.

    “In the first timed-lap, the gear slipped into neutral and I lost time. In my second outing, I think I knocked down a couple of marker cones. But overall, it was a good experience,” said a disappointed Harkrishan.

    As in the case of Wadia, much was expected of Arnav Pratap Singh who had fared well in Stage-1 yesterday, but a couple of driving errors during the timed runs today cost the Delhi driver.

    The 25 contestants in Stage-2 today were divided into five groups of five each. The two quickest in each group advanced to Stage-3. They were joined by two others who topped a modified version of Nacon’s WRC 9 game in the Digital Challenge, open to the drivers eliminated after Stage-2.

    The conditions, following overnight rain, were tricky. The slush caught out many drivers, especially those starting down the order. The mud thrown up by the early cars rendered the terrain, which was a mix of tarmac and dirt, slippery, putting a premium on car control. The terrain improved considerably later in the day under bright sunshine and the drivers were able to clock faster times.

    The winners of the Asia-Pacific region will be announced on Wednesday, October 12, after all the drivers have been interviewed by the four-member Jury comprising

    FIA Rally Director Andrew Wheatley (Chairman), Pernilla Solberg, Maciej Woda and Guy Botterill (Driver Advisor).

  • Harkrishan Wadia tops among Indian qualifiers: FIA Rally Star Cup

    Harkrishan Wadia tops among Indian qualifiers: FIA Rally Star Cup

    Chennai, 10 Oct 2022: As many as seven Indian drivers qualified for the Stage-2 of the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Finals following preliminary runs at the Madras International Circuit here on Monday. In all, 25 competitors advanced to the next round.

    Delhi’s 24-year old Harkrishan Wadia was the quickest among the Indian qualifiers, clocking a best lap of 49.40 seconds over a 900-metre tarmac course in his second run which was an improvement over 49.90 that he did in the first timed outing.

    The seven Indians, out of 16 home aspirants, who advanced to Stage-2 are: Harkrishan Wadia (Delhi), Jasmehar Jubbal (Faridabad), Jeremy Miller (Bengaluru), Arnav Pratap Singh (Delhi), Tarushi Vikram (Chikkamagaluru), Pragati Gowda (Bengaluru) and Vedant Jouhari (Bengaluru).

    An elated Harikrishnan said: “Of course, I am happy to progress to the next stage, but there is still a long way to go. I am also very pleased that seven from India made it to the next round. For us Indians, it was our first experience in the Cross Car and so a steep learning curve. Now, we all are focussed on tomorrow’s Stage-2 and I hope, most if not all of us make it to Wednesday’s last Stage.”

    Harkrishan Wadia from Delhi, a regular in INRC, tops the qualifier Day 1, on tarmac.

    The 40 qualifiers form nine countries of the Asia-Pacific region were divided into seven groups, each given one recce run and two timed outings with the best timed lap taken into account for classification. The top three from each group, along with four other fastest drivers across all groups, progressed to Stage-2 which will be run at the same venue on Tuesday when 12 finalists for the Wednesday’s final round will be chosen based on their performance.

    Due to heavy overnight rains, the course was shifted from dirt to a tarmac configuration. On Tuesday, the course will be extended to 1800 metres and 3 Kms for Wednesday, but all subject to the weather conditions.

    The winners of the Asia-Pacific region will be announced on Wednesday, October 12, after all drivers have been interviewed by the four-member Jury.

    The jury comprises: FIA Rally Director Andrew Wheatley (Chairman), Pernilla Solberg, Maciej Woda and Guy Botterill (Driver Advisor).

    The winner of the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final will represent the region in the 2023 FIA Rally Star Training Season. Besides six rallies in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally3, the Training Season package includes physical and intellectual assessment, driver coaching and testing. The aim is to equip the successful contestants with the attributes they need as they attempt to secure a drive in the FIA World Rally Championship in the future.

    At the end of 2023, the best four FIA Rally Star Team members are rewarded with a season in the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024. For 2025, three drivers go forward into a second Junior WRC season. And if one of the FIA Rally Star Team members wins the title, they secure a WRC2 campaign in a Rally2 car for 2026 with a Rally1 drive their next target.Apart from any initial registration fee to take part in a national selection event, plus travel costs to and from national selections and the Continental Final, all other costs are covered by the FIA and the FIA Rally Star Partners. The partners are M-Sport, Pirelli, the FIA World Rally Championship, Nacon, Thrustmaster, Playseat, Digital Motorsports, OMP and LifeLive.