INDIA in F1

Tag: Hero MotoSports

  • Aaron Mare replaces injured Caimi in Hero Dakar team

    Aaron Mare replaces injured Caimi in Hero Dakar team

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, today announced a change in its rider line-up for the Dakar Rally 2022. However, there will no Indian riders from Hero as their main rider, CS Santosh, who suffered a crash in 2019, is yet to recover completely, a press release from Hero MotoSports said.

    The only Indian at the Dakar will be Harith Noah. Another privateer, Ashish rao Rane is yet to announce his decision. However, he has not taken part in the qualifier rally.

    Hero MotoSports rider Franco Caimi, a five-time Dakar participant, will not be able to compete in the 2022 edition of the Rally due to an injury that he suffered in Dubai recently. Initially expected to be fit in time for the Dakar, Franco has elected to sit out the rally to ensure full recovery ahead of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March 2022. This would have been Franco’s first Dakar in Hero MotoSports colors. He joined the team in April 2021, adds the release.

    Replacing him for the Dakar Rally only will be Aaron Marè from South Africa. This will be his second appearance at the Rally. Aaron is an experienced rider and has been consistently demonstrating his skill and speed recently.

    Following an illustrious early career across Europe and the USA, Aaron has been racing in the deserts of Dubai since 2016. His career highlights include podiums and wins at the UAE Baja Championship, Dubai International Baja, and Emirates Desert Championship. He also won the Desert Storm Rally 2019 in Jaisalmer, India.

    Aaron has had a strong run in 2021, winning the UAE Desert Championship and finishing fourth at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, one place behind Joaquim Rodrigues, who will be his teammate for the Dakar.

    This will be the sixth time at the Dakar for Joaquim who finished fourth in the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The duo of Joaquim and Aaron will take on the challenges of the Dakar astride the powerful Hero 450 Rally and an expert team beside them.

    Editor’s Note: Except the second para the Hero MotoSports Press Release is published without any editing.

  • J Rod to spearhead Hero Motosports challenge

    J Rod to spearhead Hero Motosports challenge

    Abu Dhabi (UAE), 4 Nov 2021: Indian Hero Motosports team will launch its campaign in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with 39-year Joaquim Rodriques spearheading a three-rider team at the 30th anniversary team that begins on Friday.

    More accomplished 33-year Franco Caimi of Argentina, who finished 8th overall in Dakar 2020 will join the Baja India 2018 winner J Rod, who went on to win the Pan Africa Rally in 2019 and youngster 26-year Sebastian Bubler of Portugal, the reigning 2020 FIM Bajas World Cup winner. The Hero team finished in top-10 in the recent outing at Rallye du Maroc.

    The team will not have the popular Indian face in CS Santosh, who suffered a major crash in Dakar 2020. However, he wished the team in an Insta post on Thursday. “Reborn today! It’s almost like that after making my way to Abu Dhabi to see the team get ready for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and seeing the bikes being unboxed for the first time again after 2013 when I did the Desert Challenge as a privateer with @probikesdubai ! Great to see my family again for the first time this year after the Dakar Rally! I love all these guys and I definitely love the privilege I have to race Cross Country Rally with them,” the ace cross country rider and, the first Indian to finish Dakar said tagging his team Hero Motorsports. The Red Bull athelete has taken a recovery time of over six months and had only started training recently and is yet plan his competitive activities and is hoping to kickstart his work for Dakar 2022.

    Khalid Al Qassimi, whose victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge four years ago propelled his rallying career in a new direction, says the event can help attract more young Emirati talent into motorsport in the years ahead.

    The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge provided the perfect platform for Al Qassimi’s switch from the World Rally Championship to cross country, and winning his home event in 2017 proved to the UAE star that he could mix it with the best on a new world stage.

    “I wanted to try something different, so having the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to turn to was perfect,” said the Abu Dhabi Racing founder and former FIA Middle East rally champion, who lines up in the 30th anniversary event starting on Saturday alongside Dutch co-driver Wouter Rosegaar in a PH-sport Zephir T3. “Winning it showed me I had what it takes to go to the top level in off road rallying.”

    Al Qassimi’s 2017 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge victory was the first by a UAE driver since Mohammed Mattar in 1992, and led him to FIA World Cup 2WD title. He wants to see new UAE talent on the podium in the future, and backs plans by the Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO) to use the rally as an important part of motor sport development.

    Khalid Al Qassimi – “If we’re smart, we’ll find more drivers.”

    “There is talent out there, and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge can help bring more young people into the sport,” he says. “It shows them there’s a chance to compete at world level, just like the Dakar Rally is doing in Saudi Arabia. If we’re smart, we’ll find more drivers.”

    As the the cars, buggies, bikes and quads sweep across the dramatic Al Dhafra dunes next week, ADNOC Distribution, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will play a vital role, with mobile refuelling bases, as well as fixed refuelling stations at the rally bivouac, keeping the rally flowing.

    Bader Saeed Al Lamki, CEO, ADNOC Distribution, said: “We are delighted to again support the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, an event that truly showcases the vibrancy and diversity of the UAE’s landscape. Our expertise in providing quality fuel for a wide range of vehicles ensures that the engines are well equipped to handle the challenges faced, as riders battle the elements in this fantastic event.”

    ADNOC Distribution also supplies fuelling facilities for the Abu Dhabi Aviation helicopters to provide potentially life-saving aerial Search and Rescue support for the medical crews on permanent standby to be taken to the aid of competitors needing attention.

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the EMSO and FIA Vice President for Sport, said: “We’re very grateful to ADNOC Distribution for being a loyal and vitally important supporter of the rally over the years. Added to the fuel and facilities they deliver throughout the event, we appreciate the genuine enthusiasm they show for each edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.”

    No driver starting the penultimate round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies knows the event as well as veteran UAE competitor Yahya Al Helei, who marks his own unique Desert Challenge 30th anniversary.

    He maintains his 100% appearance record with Khalid Al Kendi in a Nissan Pick Up, and no-one takes more pride in Al Helei’s incredible run in the event than son Mansour, who started rallying as his father’s co-driver.

    Mansour was given his break as a driver when Khalid Al Qassimi launched the Abu Dhabi Racing junior team in 2014, sending a group of young Emiratis into the Middle East Rally Championship, and the Junior World Rally Championship.

    The mentor and his protégé were team-mates again at this year’s Dakar Rally, Al Helei finishing inside the top 30 on his first attempt while Al Qassimi grabbed seventh place.

    With Mansour starting the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge alongside Abdulla Dakhan in a T4 CAN-AM Maverick, the EMSO hopes to see more young Emiratis following his pathway.

    That’s a sentiment shared by top Emirati rider Mohammed Al Balooshi, the multiple Arab moto cross champion who runs his own academy in Dubai and in 2018 became the first winner of the FIM Bajas World Cup title from the GCC region.

    The KTM rider enters another Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge a week after seeing his bid for a second World Cup crown reduced by mechanical problems in Portugal to fourth place in the standings.

    “This is my home event, and I love what it has done for my development as a rider, and the chance it gives to young Arabs to test themselves against the best in the world,” said Al Balooshi.

    Among the young Emiratis relishing such an opportunity this time is Yamaha quad rider Abdulaziz Ahli, who takes on six-times FIM World Cup quads champion Rafal Sonik as the Pole seeks his third Desert Challenge crown.

    The 30th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge takes place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region. The rally is supported by the Ruler’s Representative Court Al Dhafra Region, the UAE Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Aviation, National Ambulance, Abu Dhabi Police, ADNOC Distribution, Yas Island, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Al Dhafra Region Municipality, Al-Ain Water and Tadweer.

  • Barno Burman hogs the limelight along with Sprint King Yuva: Sprint Nationals

    Barno Burman hogs the limelight along with Sprint King Yuva: Sprint Nationals

    Kolkata, 19 Sept. 2021: Ace International motorcycle rider who is dubbed as ‘Sprint King’, Yuva Kumar of Hero Motosports, was crowned as the fastest rider as he conquered the East Zone third round but it was local rider Barno Burman who became the only other rider to clock under 4-minute time in the Motorsports Inc FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship here on Sunday. Y

    The two-wheeler stage rally returning to the ‘City of Joy’ after a gap of 18 years saw the Hero rider  clock a stunning time of 3 minutes 42.7 seconds for the mixed-tarmac and murram dirt terrain in the jungles of Bardhaman district about 160km from here. The Hero MotoCorp sponsored event attracted 72 entries and was supported by  Reach home Safe, BMC and Race dynamics and Bengal Motor Sports Club did an admirable job setting up the stage despite the rains.

    His Hero teammate Satyaraj Arumugam, also from Bengaluru, took the second place in overall honours but it was the local riders who thrilled the motorsports fraternity with competitive times. With the Hero rider already qualified for the finals from South Zone, it is Barno Burman, who hogged the limelight displaying good riding skills on technically tough and wet terrain as he clocked 3:57.500 for the 8-km closed Special Stage in Round 3.

    Other local riders also put in excellent performances with Janardhan P taking a double while old timer Vishal Das won a gold along with Jayant Dutt and Sumantra Aich in their respective classes. Hansraj Saiki from Assam who won the Bullet Class also excelled in the feature event taking second behind Yuva and qualified on top in the Group D upto 260cc Class clocking 4min 16.8sec. Uday Ganguli and Anoop Manjappa too returned good times.

    Aadi Singh, Customer Engagement Manager, Hero MotoCorp giving away the overall winner trophy to Yuva Kumar of Hero Motosports. Hero Moto Corp brought the event to Kolkata.

    The South Zone rounds were held in August and two more events in North and West Zone would culminate in the Grand Finale at Goa from November 6 to 7.

    Championship classes Provisional Results: East Zone (Top five qualify for Goa finals):

    Round 3: Overall:  1.#37 Yuva Kumar (Hero Motosports) 03min, 42.700sec; 2.  #55 Yuva Kumar 03:43.600; 3. #100 Sathyaraj Arumugam (Hero Motosports) 04:39.200;3.#90Barno Barman 03:57.500; 5. #34 Janardhan P 04:03.200; 6. #72 Barno Burman 04:04.400; 7. #51 Anoop Manjappa 04:04.700; 8. #1 Janardhan P 04:05.900; 9. #60 Anoop Manjappa 04:06.800; 10. #25 Janardhan P 04:08.700; 11. #33  Anoop Manjappa 04:10.900; 12. #96 Uday Ganguli 04:12.000; 13. #42 Hansraj Saikai 04:16.800.

    Class 2: Group B upto 130cc: 1.#27 Vishal Das 05:20.500; 2. #41 Akash Ojha 05:56.100; #61 Mohammad Irfan DNF.

    Class 3: Group B 131cc to 165cc: 1. #25 Janardhan P 04:08.700; 2. #33  Anoop Manjappa 04:10.900; 3. #63Barno Barman 04:19.100;

    Class 5: Group B 261cc to 400cc: 1. #23 Jayant Dutt 04:23.000; 2. #22 Uday Ganguli 04:29.300; 3. #26 Subhajit Show 04:40.900.

    Class 6: Group D upto 260cc: 1. #37 Yuva Kumar 03:42.700; 2. #42 Hansraj Saikia 04:16.800; 3. #91 Ratnadeep Nath 04:24.000; 4. Baishali Nath 04:51.100; 5. #77 Vishal Das 05:04.700;

    Class 7: Scooter Class: 1. #59 Sumantra Aich 05:40.200; 2. #52 Janardhan P 05:40.900; 3. #50 Vishal Das 05:41.100; 4. #8 Subhajit Show 05:45.000.

    Class 8: Bullet Class: 1. #20 Hansraj Saikia 04: 17.500; 2. #49 Kaustab Choudhary 04:25.200; 3. #44 Uday Ganguli 04:27.300; 4. #92 Sumit Biswas 04:37.200; 5. #17 Niyar Kamal Saikia 04:42.600;

    Class 9: Open Class upto 600cc: 1. #34 Janardhan P 04:03.200;2. #51 Anoop Manjappa 04:04.700; 3. #9 Dwairath Manna 50:25.900.

    Supporting race (non-championship):

    Zonal Star: 1. #90 Barno Barman 03:57.500; 2. #96 Uday Ganguli 04:12.000; 3. #4 Sisir Kumar Raha 04: 20.800; 4. #84 Jayant Dutt 04:22.300; 5. #7 Debjit Paul 04:26.500.

    Note: All privateers except when mentioned; Riders took part in different classes with different bikes or shared bikes; Same rider can get second best time in a different class; If a rider, who is already qualified is in the top-5, the next rider will qualify for the finals in Goa. Legend: # = Competition/bike number.

  • Buhler 3rd after Stage 1; J Rod suffers navigational issues, finishes Day 2 in 9th

    Buhler 3rd after Stage 1; J Rod suffers navigational issues, finishes Day 2 in 9th

    Villamartin (Spain), 13 May 2021: The charge for the team today was led by the rising young star Sebastian Buhler, who made a flawless run to bring in a podium finish in the stage, securing the 3rd spot. He was closely tailed by Franco, who balanced caution with aggression to hold on to his Top 5 spot with a 4th place finish today.

    Joaquim Rodrigues, after his win in the prologue stage, had to deal with the difficult task of opening a stage today, a task that is rarely easy. A navigation mistake added to his woes as he lost some time in finding his way. However, he subsequently managed to tackle the stage well to make it to the finish line safely in 9th place.

    Today’s solid effort from the riders resulted in Buhler retaining the 3rd place in the overall standings, Franco holding onto to his spot in the Top 5 in 4th place and JRod settling inside the Top 10 nicely in 8th place.

    Joaquim Rodriques said: “It was a tough day for me opening the stage. I also made a mistake in navigation that cost me a lot of time in getting myself back on track. These things happen in a rally, but I am happy that I managed to bring my bike home. Tomorrow is a new day and stage, so we’ll take it one day at a time.”

    Sebastian Buhler said: “It was a good and positive stage for me. I started with a bit of caution because we had ruts and tall grass all around, making it difficult to spot the dangers. So, I changed my riding style a bit to adapt to the terrain and rode without any mistakes to make it safely across the finish line with a good result.”

    Franco Caimi said: “It was a good second contact with the bike in a beautiful stage. We had an early morning start so the visibility was not that good, but I had good fun riding today. In the first part of the stage, I had a minor fall, hurt my knee a bit but regained my confidence and rode comfortably through to the finish.”

    Provisional Stage 1 Rankings:

    • 1. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team 01h 47m 28s
    • 2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +22s
    • 3. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 00s
    • 4. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 40s
    • 8. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +07m 14s
    • Provisional Overall Rankings after Stage 1:
    • 1. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team 02h 12m 46s
    • 2. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +22s
    • 3. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +42s
    • 4. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 34s
    • 9. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +06m 48s
  • Hero begins welll as J Rod claims victory in prologue

    Hero begins welll as J Rod claims victory in prologue

    Villamartin (Spain) 12 May 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally kicked off their Andalucia Rally campaign on a winning note, claiming the top spot in the Prologue stage on Wednesday.

    The team finished the prologue stage of the Rally with JRod securing the first place, Buhler third and the newest Hero Franco Caimi finishing on the fourth place. These standings place the riders in a good stead for tomorrow as they will get to start towards the front of the field, which could prove to be important given the dusty nature of the terrains here.

    After successfully completing the administrative and technical checks over the past day and a half, the trio of Joaquim Rodrigues, Franco Caimi and Sebastian Buhler took the start in the afternoon. The short 8km stage, consisting of poorly visible narrow tracks, was the symbolic start to the rally and decided the starting order of riders for the first full stage of the rally on May 13.

    The first full stage of the rally will bring the riders to the start line near the town of Arcos de la Frontera before setting them off on 257kms of timed special stage, and bring the stage to a close back at the bivouac in Villamartin.

    The 2021 edition will be the second time that the Andalucia rally is conducted with strict Covid19 protocols in place. From the “closed-door event” format without spectators to the “biobubble” and the Covid checkpoints, all possible measures are being taken to ensure the safety
    of everyone involved. On the regulations front, there have been several new introductions in this edition to make it more technical and also safe, such as not allowing a sighting lap for the prologue stage, use of an electronic Start/Go board, introduction of a new waypoint and mandating each note of the roadbook to be validated amongst others.

    Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “We had a good start to the rally today with a first-place finish. Our main goal is to test the bike and the new settings with Dakar 2022 in our sights and this is a good race to do that. I am really happy to get the rally off with a good result for the team.”

    Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “Really a good stage today, my first with the team and the bike and I managed to keep it on the two wheels so I am happy with the start. I think I did well today to finish fourth. The idea is to build it stage by stage and gain confidence so I
    am in a good position to start for the first long stage tomorrow.”
    Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It was a short and nice prologue so I tried to keep it safe. It’s only the beginning of the race so I think third place is a really good position to start the race tomorrow.”

    Provisional Rankings – Prologue

    1. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally 06m 13s
    2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +01s
    3. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +02s
    4. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +05s
    5. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +12s
  • J Rod to spearhead Hero MotoSports team: Andalucia Rally

    J Rod to spearhead Hero MotoSports team: Andalucia Rally

    Villamartin (Spain) 11 May 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycle and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, is geared up to kick-start their Road to Dakar 2022 campaign at the Andalucia Rally from tomorrow.

    The rider duties for the Team, in the first rally of the season, will be delivered by the trio of Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler and the newest Hero Franco Caimi.

    After an emotional and exciting outing at the Dakar Rally earlier this year – marked by the heartbreaking crash of CS Santosh and the fantastic fight back by the team to post their best results ever with two Top 15 finishes – the team is back in action for an exciting new season with renewed focus, motivation and a reinforced team.

    Franco Caimi, the exciting Argentine rider has joined forces with Hero MotoSports Team Rally last month and is all set to make his debut in Hero colors at the Andalucia Rally. A promising talent in the Rally Raid circuit, Caimi is expected to enhance the overall performance and competitiveness of the team.

    Joaquim Rodrigues will be looking to build upon his gritty performance at the Dakar to deliver strong results for the team. While for Sebastian Buhler it will be another opportunity to gain more experience as he continues to sharpen his skills in the sport.

    Meanwhile, the morale and mood of the team is also bolstered by the news of CS Santosh making strong and quick recovery with every passing day.
    Headquartered at Villamartin, Spain, the Andalucia Rally will be formally kicked off on May 12, with a short prologue stage followed by four days of racing, covering a total of 1629 kms including 1244 kms of specials.

    Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “We are very excited to kick-off our new season with the Andalucia Rally and looking forward to a great race and the season ahead. We have utilized our time to work on our bike and also strengthen the team keeping the future in sight. We are excited to see Franco Caimi in our team and wish him the best for his first race with us. We are very excited about our prospects and possibilities this season. We are very happy with the remarkable progress of Santosh. He is a fighter and we are very happy with how his recovery is shaping up. It has been a very tough time since last year for the world. Our well wishes with everyone in India and we stand in solidarity with everyone impacted by this pandemic. Stay safe everyone.”

    Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I am looking forward to the start of a new season with the team. It has been a tough one and a half years for me personally as well for the team. But we have come out stronger and I want to build on that and do my best for the team. I think we are well prepared for the Andalucia Rally given the situation all around, and we have a really good bike now so looking forward to a good race.”
    Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I am really excited to be a part of Hero MotoSports Team Rally and looking forward to my first race with the team. I think we have done well to prepare the bikes for the Andalucia Rally and I can’t wait to start tomorrow!”

    Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “The start of a new season is always exciting, especially in these times when we do not know which races will happen. So, I am quite excited to begin the new season with Andalucia Rally and hoping to get more experience in the sport, learn more and do my best.”

  • Rare op for sponsors to identify with iconic Dakshin Dare which starts on Easter Day, April 4

    Rare op for sponsors to identify with iconic Dakshin Dare which starts on Easter Day, April 4

    Bengaluru, 21 March 2021: The iconic Dakshin Dare is back with a bang. Despite finding it difficult to bag the title sponsor, Motorsport Inc is making all efforts to make the event a grand spectacle for one more year. A novelty is being introduced this year by bringing in the concept of Navigation to the Indian riders. The 5-day 12th edition will begin on April 4 in Bengaluru and it also presents a rare opportunity for a title-sponsor to identify itself with the iconic brand.

    The man behind Motorsport Inc, the organisers of the event, Jaidas Menon said: “Dakshin Dare Rally will become the first-ever rally in India to introduce the concept of navigation to the Indian riders in association with Hero MotoSports. The intend to introduce the basics of navigation to all the riders expose them to this very important skill that is essential to succeed at the international rallies.”

    Coming back to Dakshin Dare, the only such event in the south, saw the last edition held in 2019 crown Gaurav Gill as the champion. The three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner and Team Mahindra Adventure entry are yet to confirm their entries. The regular sponsor has shied away this year and with the dwindling number of entries one is tempted to approach Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) promoters Champions Yacht Club (CYC) which has done a good job of roping in many entries by providing free transportation of vehicles and sponsored teams besides waiver of entry fees, to replenish the Arunachal rounds of INRC last December with many goodies.

    When queried if they would be interested in supporting the iconic event in the absence of Maruti Suzuki, the regular sponsor, Vamsi Merla of CYC said: “Yes, Dakshin Dare has chalked out a name for itself as a historic event with popular support. Definitely we would be interested in supporting teams for the event as we usually do for INRC. I am in touch with the organisers and let us see how we can go about it.”

    The Dare begins with a Super Special at the Unite Off-road Park, near Gunjur, after the Ceremonial Start and the next day, participants will travel to Chitradurga and some special stages nearby. They will return to Bengaluru on March 8 where the Closing Ceremony and Prize Distribution (PD) is scheduled to be held at Fairfield Marriott, Rajajinagar at 6 pm.

    The four Categories will be T1 2wd, T2 4wd, for Modified Cross-country vehicles and T2 2wd and T2 4wd for Series Cross-country vehicles. There will be three classes in each category as follows: Class 1 over 1001cc Up to1400cc; Class 2 over 1401cc Up to 1850cc and Class 3 over 1851cc and above.

    The entry with late fee will be March 31 at 5pm. Admin checks, documentation and scrutiny will be held on March 3 at Unite Off-road Park.

    Navigation Bootcamp: “Hero MotoSports team will be conducting an exclusive bootcamp in Bengaluru on March 27 and 28 for anyone interested in learning the navigation basics. The bootcamp will be conducted by Jordi Grau, who is a part of the Hero MotoSports Team Rally and is a Navigation expert of international reputation. Many of our own stars like CS Santosh and other international top riders have trained with him in Spain,” a Hero statement said.

    “The bootcamp will cover some theory aspects of Navigation followed by a practical session where one can learn reading a roadbook and ride, using it under the guidance of the Hero MotoSports team.”

    “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn navigation from the best in the business. So I would strongly recommend all of you to attend the same,” concluded Jaidas Menon, a former National Champion navigator in the Indian National Rally Championship for many years.

    Riders can register for the bootcamp here.

  • Major injuries ruled out: Hero MotoSports Statement on CS Santosh’s condition

    Major injuries ruled out: Hero MotoSports Statement on CS Santosh’s condition

    New Delhi, 7 Jan 2021: Hero MotoSports has issued the following statement on the condition of 37-year old ace Indian rider and 7-time Dakar Rally veteran who crashed in Stage 5 and is airlifted to a Riyadh hospital. INDIAinF1.com wishes him a speedy recovery!

    Santosh teammate Sebastian Buhler, who finished Stage 5 in 20th place said: “Today was a very tough stage. We had everything from tricky navigation, to a lot of dangerous rocks and a lot of dunes. So, I think it was a very good day for us to finish without any major incident. But the best news from today is to hear that Santosh is out of danger and is getting better. That’s the best part of today for us here in the team.” Another teammate, Joaquim Rodriques, popular as J-Rod despite a minor fall finished the stage in 22nd place. He said: “After a tough day, it was such great news to hear that Santosh has no major concerns with his injury and will recover well. We are really happy to hear this.”

    Harith Noah continues good run with 41st position after Stage 5 for a general rank of 39 overall. He clocked 7 hours, 01min and 44 seconds for the 662-km stage. A TVS Racing product and the other Indian left in the field, is Ashish. Harith Noah supported by Sherco managed to complete the toughest section with aplomb whereas Mumbai Mariner, Ashish Raorane, in the Marathon category of `Malle’ for riders without assistance, has not made it to the finish at the time of reporting this article on 7 Jan at 9.33 pm IST. But he crossed the final Waypoint and was tracked live as he made it to the penultimate 330-km mark.

    Earlier on Wednesday after Stage 4, Ashish Raorane said:

    I had a good stage today. It finally felt like a rally after the Eenduro sections we were put through in the previous 3 stages! I had good fun navigating as well until I came across Santosh bike following his accident. As I passed it, I was unable to focus as his well-being and thoughts of his accident stayed with me. After an hour, I was able to regain focus and continue on…

    Towards the end of the stage, I faced issues with navigation. The roadbook wasn’t scrolling so I had to manually scroll it, costing me a lot of time and missed turns. Overall, the stage was good with a long liaison though. At the bivouac, I noticed leakage from the front fuel tank fuel pump. I got working on it immediately and fixed the issue. Today was a really exhausting day and I wish my friend Santosh, a speedy recovery.”  

    The Statement

    File photo of CS Santosh ride on 5th Jan 2021. Photo by Hero MotoSports Team Rally

    Our Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider C S Santosh is currently receiving treatment at the Saudi German Hospital in Riyadh, after a high-speed crash on Wednesday in Stage 4 of the 2021 Dakar Rally.

    We are pleased to share that he has no major physical injuries except for the dislocated right shoulder and head trauma. The latest scans have also shown no major issue that could impact his full recovery.

    The medical team attending to him have decided that the best approach to manage the injury is to reduce the body functions to a minimum and keep him in a sedated condition or an artificial coma.

    He is receiving the best possible medical care and will continue to be under constant observation for the next few days.

    We express our deepest gratitude and thanks to the riders who extended their help to Santosh. We also want to thank the organizers for getting the medical and rescue teams on the spot in quick time and airlifting him to reach the hospital quickly.

    We are also most grateful to all of you for pouring in your prayers and wishes from all over the world for the speedy recovery of Santosh and your overwhelming support to our team.

    The entire Hero MotoSports Team Rally and the extended Hero Family is fully committed to aid the recovery and rehabilitation of our teammate.

    Hero MotoSports riders in top-20

    Moving past the unfortunate incident of Stage 4, Hero MotoSports Team Rally continued to move forward in their Dakar 2021 campaign with a solid performance in Stage 5 today.

    After Stage 5, both the riders are now placed inside the Top 20 in the overall rankings, with Joaquim Rodrigues in 19th and Sebastian Buhler in the 20th position.

    It was the turn of Sebastian Buhler today to step up and post gains with a 20th place finish in the stage. Joaquim Rodrigues also fought off a very tough stage to finish in the 22nd position. The 456 km stage lived up to its expectation of being a very hard one, with a tough dunes section, stone littered tracks and tricky navigation designed to test the patience and tyres of the competitors. Both team riders kept their nerves steady and brought a tough stage home.

  • Lorenzo podium for Sherco TVS team; Santosh finishes 23rd

    Lorenzo podium for Sherco TVS team; Santosh finishes 23rd

    Andalucia, 10 October 2020: Consistently fast on these Spanish pistes and navigating superbly, overall victory on the Andalucía Rally 2020 went to the Argentinian Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Rally). Second (at 7’42) was Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally), a remarkable comeback for the Frenchman after his big Dakar crash.Just seconds behind him in third (at 7’54) was an impressive Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Rally Factory), achieving his first major rally podium.

    Both the Indian rally riders, who took part in the rally finished the event. Hero’s CS Santosh finished a creditable 23rd while Harith Noah of Sherco TVS managed to complete the rally in 43rd place. Santosh’s teammate Joaquim Rodriques finished 11th.

    In the cars, the favorite going into this rally didn’t disappoint, with Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) taking a hard earned victory. Much to his surprise, Carlos Sainz (X-Raid Mini JCW) managed to get his 2-wheel drive buggy into second place 3’14 behind the winner, with Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive) third at 10’31.

    Holding the overall lead since the start of this Andalucía Rally 2020, Kevin Benavides was the man on form here in Spain, aboard his Monster Energy Honda, and delighted to take this victory in the run up to the Dakar. Commented the Argentinian: “Obviously we haven’t been doing a lot of racing since the Dakar but I have been training hard and working with a sports psychologist to maximize my performance. I live near Salta and the tracks there aren’t dissimilar to what we discovered here in Andalusia so that helps. I didn’t really have a strategy I just took each day at a time. The bike went really well and the team did a great job.”

    If Kevin Benavides started this morning with a relatively comfortable margin, the same couldn’t be said for second placed man overall Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally). Indeed, at km 152 his challenger for the second step on the podium Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Rally) was 3 seconds in the virtual lead. Said Adrien at the finish line: “After my crash on the Dakar, for the first time in my career, I wondered if I really wanted to continue racing. I thought about it a lot and in the end I decided to continue for myself, for my personal satisfaction. That’s not to say I’m not grateful to my team and my sponsors, but it was an important shift in mentality for me. So, to come back here and prove to myself that I am capable of running at the top of the pack is a grand satisfaction. Many thanks to David Castera and his team for making this race possible.”

    In third place, taking his first podium racing against the cream of rally-raid riders, was the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Factory): “Yes, super happy to finish third here. Maybe, the fact that I am Spanish and we were racing on Spanish soil was good for me but it is nevertheless important for my confidence going into the Dakar. The team has been working hard to develop the bike and it went really well here, so many thanks to them.”

    Lorenzo Santolino in action on the final day. Photos by ODC

    Away from the podium there were noteworthy performances from the rookie Australian Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory) who showed right from the start that he had the speed, by finishing ex aequo with teammate Toby Price on the Super Special, and that he’d made spectacular progress with the navigation by winning today’s last stage, just 7 seconds ahead of his countryman Toby Price. Special mention also to Monster Energy Yamaha Rally’s new recruit Ross Branch who won a special and was in the hunt overall until he ran into problems on yesterday’s stage. Clearly, he has the right pace and the right attitude to achieve great things. 

    In Rally 2 victory went to multi world enduro champion David Knight (HT Rally) ahead of Czech freestyler Libor Podmol with Camille Chapeliere (KTM Baines Motos) third. Commented the big bloke from the Isle of Man: “The main thing here for me was to finish the race to validate my 2021 Dakar entry, so that’s mission accomplished. To win the Rally 2 class is obviously a big bonus. Having done this rally I’m actually looking forward to the Dakar more than before I started it. It’s a really interesting sport and you learn something every day. Today for example, over the second part, I calmed down a little and really concentrated on the navigation to avoid any penalties and I actually rode much better. But for sure when I get to Dakar it will be an even bigger learning curve.” Finally, in the Road to Dakar challenge victory goes to the Spaniard Tosha Schareina (450 HVA) with David Knight’s world enduro championship victories making him ineligible for the category. Tosha also wins the Enduro Cup category ahead of the Frenchman Matthieu Doveze (KTM) and another Spaniard Ruben Saldaña Goñi, also riding a 450 HVA.

    In the quads victory goes to Jerôme Connart ahead of fellow Frenchman Alexandre Giroud with the Pole Kamil Wisniewski third.

    In the cars, Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) might have come here to prepare for the next Dakar, but consummate competitor that he is, he also came to win. Job done for the popular driver who adds this first Andalucía Rally 2020 to his already very impressive tally. Al Attiyah: “I’m so happy to win here. Thank you to Toyota Gazoo Racing, thank you to Overdrive, really this was an amazing race for us. Not easy because everybody coming here to win and show that they are ready for the next Dakar. Thanks to the organization, ODC Events for putting on this rally and also to the region, Andalusia. The landscape is so beautiful.”

    If Nasser Al Attiyah came here with high hopes, his rival Carlos Sainz (Mini X-Raid JCW), by his own admission, really wasn’t expecting to achieve much in his  ‘unsuitably’ big 2 wheel drive buggy, that he opted to race so as to continue to develop it for the next Dakar. Sainz: “It was a good decision to come here, even with the 2 wheel drive, to get kilometres in the car. I’m happy with the result. If, before the rally, you asked me if I could take second overall with this car I would reply to you that it would be difficult. Given the time the organisers had to put this race together it was successful and I congratulate everybody involved.”

    Despite the disappointment of going out of contention for victory after yesterday’s 10 minute time penalty, Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive) was happy with his pace on the rally and even happier to be once again reunited with his co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz. Al Rajhi: “For sure I’m very happy. We enjoyed it and Dirk did a great job. It is very tricky driving here but we reached our target of having a good rhythm and good speed. Now we have the training to get ready for January.”

    Joaquim Rodriques of Hero Rally team finished 11th.

    In the T2 class for series, 4×4 Akira Miura (Land Cruiser Toyota AutoBody) wins in front of his teammate Ronald Basso with Cristina Giampaoli (4WD Jaton Racing).

    In T3 it is Mitch Guthrie (Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team) ahead of his teammate Kevin Hansen with Jean Luc Pisson third (Zephyr PH Sport).

    In the SSV T4 class, it is Aron Domzala (Monster Energy Can-Am) ahead of his teammate Gerard Farrés with the Portuguese driver Rui Carneiro (MMP Can-Am T4) third and winner of the Road to Dakar challenge. Aron Domzala: “We were really nervous on the last part. We had a good lead and I think we have a win. In two and a half years in the car with Maciej, we did a lot of strong results but this is our first win together, so a special race for us. First time with the Monster Energy Can-Am, a great car and a great team – a great combination.”

  • CS Santosh improves to 36th rank after a steady Stage 6 ride: #Dakar2020

    CS Santosh improves to 36th rank after a steady Stage 6 ride: #Dakar2020

    CS Santosh successfully completed Stage 6 for an overall rank of 36 at the half-way mark. A Hero MotoSports image

    Riyadh, 10 Jan 2020: Ace Indian rallyist CS Santosh made a steady improvement by the day and finished the half-way mark in Dakar 2020 successfully on Friday gaining some more places with a steady and sensible ride. The 36-year-old Bengalurean finished Day 6 at a very creditable 31st place completing the sixth stage for an overall ranking of 36.

    Supported by Hero MotoSports Rally Team, the first Indian to take part and complete the Dakar Rally clocked 5 hours 26 minutes and 11 seconds for the 830-km stage which had a special stage distance of 477km of sand dunes.

    After a day of rest on Saturday, the Red Bull athlete, Santosh will take on 546-km special on Sunday, the longest of the special stages as he starts the second leg of the last six days.

    “It was a long day and difficult day for me but I am happy we are here at the half-way stage in Dakar. It was blowing hard and it was sandy and there was a lot of movement on the bike and my wrist took a lot of beating. I look forward to the final half which is crucial,” signed off Santosh, who is sponsored by Sidvin, Fast Indian, Scott, Track & Trail and Cannondale.