INDIA in F1

Tag: MRF Challenge

  • Jamie Chadwick sets the pace in MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick sets the pace in MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick, who topped the free practice sessions on Thursday . Photo: Aditya Bedre.

    Dubai, 15 Nov 2018: Jamie Chadwick, the only female driver on the 12-car grid, put the marker down for the first round of the MRF Challenge championship by topping both the Free Practice sessions at the Dubai Autodrome, here on Thursday.

    Chadwick, 20, from Bath, England, came out on top in the two, 30-minute practice sessions, clocking a best of one minute, 59.218 in the first outing and 01:59.774 in the next around the 5.390 Kms circuit as she made her debut in the MRF Challenge on a high. She survived a tough battle with Czech Republic’s 16-year old Petr Ptaceck who was second fastest in both the sessions, clocking 01:59.581 (FP1)and 01:59.918 (FP2).

    Jamie Chadwick. Photo: Aditya Bedre

    Chadwick, who created history in 2015 when she became the first female and youngest winner of the British GT Championship, and Ptacek exchanged fastest laps in the closing minutes of FP-2. However, Chadwick went quicker on last flying lap to top the time charts. Less than a second separated the top eight drivers.

    “I learnt a lot today – new circuit, new car. I am happy with the way we ended up today in these conditions and I look forward to the races,” said Chadwick.

    In the first free practice session this morning, one second covered 10 of the 12 drivers, promising a close contest over the five races scheduled for the first round of the championship.

    Chadwick recorded her fastest lap of the session on her 14th and final lap as did the rest who all went quicker through the 30-minute practice. The top four, Chadwick, Ptacek, Defourny and Young, all posted sub-two-minute laps.

    For the lone Indian entry, Chetan Korada, 32, from Chennai, it was his first run at the Dubai Autodrome and he focused more on learning the tricky track with its blind crests leading into corners.

    Korada, who was 11th on the time sheets in both the sessions clocking his best laps of 02: 03.734 and 02:04.100, said: “It was my first run on this track and so, it was more about learning the circuit. However, with each lap, I managed to cut my timing. Overall, it was a reasonably good outing, all things considered. I hope to improve as we go along over the next couple of days.”

    The results (Free Practice):

    FP-1: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01min, 59.218secs); 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) (01:59.581); 3. Max Defourny (Belgium) (01:59.656); 4. Dylan Young (Australia) (01:59.697).

    FP-2: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01:59.774); 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) (01:59.918); 3. Danial Frost (Singapore) (02:00.115); 4. Andreas Estner (Germany) (02:00.276).

  • MRF Challenge 2018-19 to be held in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai

    MRF Challenge 2018-19 to be held in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai

    MRF Challenge file photo by Anand Philar/MRF

    Dubai, 13 Nov 2018: The MRF Challenge, one of Asia’s premier single-seater championships, and an FIA-approved series, is again set to light up the winter season with a clutch of young, exciting talent from Europe and elsewhere in the fray as the seventh edition commences at the Dubai Autodrome here, on Thursday, November 15.

    The MRF Challenge 2018-19, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, will comprise three rounds, to be run in Dubai (Nov 15-17), Bahrain (Dec 6-8) and Chennai (Feb 8-10, 2019) with a total of 15 races, and offers cars powered by 2-litre engines producing 230 BHP while almost matching Formula 3 in speed and power

    Mr. Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “It has been an exciting journey for us as we present the seventh edition of the MRF Challenge which, among other things, offer young drivers a platform to showcase their racing talent. We provide identical cars to all the drivers and so, the key differentiating factor is the driving ability. It has also been our constant endeavour to develop the car which is now among the fastest single-seaters in Asia. The MRF Challenge also offers us rich data that in turn helps us to develop further the MRF Z.L.O. slicks and wet tyres.

    “The positioning of the MRF Challenge in the winter months between November and February also offers an opportunity for drivers across the World to keep themselves race-fit during the off-season. As such, we have had some very exciting talent taking part in the MRF Challenge over the years and it will be no different this time around.”

    Mr. J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, who built the car in technical collaboration with Dallara, said: “We carried out lot of improvements for last year. From the data we collected, we have only refined the aerodynamics package for this season. Apart from that, the car remains the same as last year.”

    The MRF F2000 car with Dallara chassis, is powered by a 2-Litre Mountune Duratec engine producing 230 BHP with advanced aerodynamics. The car boasts of a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox equipped with Integrated dash and paddle-shift system.

    Europe is expected to have a strong representation as in the previous seasons of MRF Challenge. Several young hopefuls with exposure to junior Formula racing are likely to participate.

    Chennai-based Chetan Korada is the lone Indian in the fray. A regular in the Indian National Championship and one of handful of racers in the World competing with a prosthesis leg, Korada is making his debut in the MRF Challenge. “I have been racing in India for over a decade now and I thought I should step outside to race in higher categories. The MRF Challenge car is far more comfortable in terms of space for leg movement than the F1600 I have been driving in India. My target for MRF Challenge is to be in in front. I am putting in lot of time on the simulator at home, besides daily gym work. So, I feel I am fit and ready for MRF Challenge,” said Korada.

    This year’s MRF Challenge grid will have Australian Dylan Young who has been participating in the championship since its inception. Returning for a second season of MRF Challenge is Singapore’s Danial Nielsen Frost along with Belgian Michelangelo Amendola.

     

  • Presley Martono fastest in FP2 even as top-7 are tightly bunched: MRF Challenge 2017

    Presley Martono fastest in FP2 even as top-7 are tightly bunched: MRF Challenge 2017

    Presley Martono tops FP2 in Dubai MRF Challenge on Thursday. An MRF image

    Dubai, 7 Dec 2017: Indonesian driver Presley Martono continued his impressive start to the Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2017 by going fastest in practice at the Dubai Autodrome here on Thursday.

    This weekend’s FIA inscribed MRF Challenge race promises to be a thriller with the top severn drivers all closely bunched together. Martono’s time of 1:56.996 was just enough to beat Rinus van Kalmthout’s morning practice time of 1:57.046.

    The drivers wasted no time going out in the opening practice session as most of them were experiencing the circuit for the first time as they pushed the MRF F2000 to the limit. Last year’s race winner, Felipe Drugovich, set the tone with a 2-min lap time as the times began to tumble quickly thereafter.

    Van Kalmthout set a 1:59.453 to set off a chain of fastest laps from Martono, Drugovich and newcomer Louis Gachot. After several changes at the top it was van Kalmthout who set the fastest time with a 1:57.046. Martono, Drugovich, Julien Falchero and Alex Karkosik completed the top 5, with less than a second covering them.

    Free practice 2 saw Drugovich once again setting the early pace as he immediately went fast with a 1:58.451. The session was as competitive as the first one with drivers taking turns to set the fastest lap. With two minutes remaining, Martono became the first driver to dip under the 1:57 mark and went fastest with a time of 1:56.996. Van Kalmthout finished in 2nd place ahead of Karkosik, Falchero and Danial Prost. Championship leader focused on longer race runs and finished in 7th place.

    Friday’s qualifying will be important with more than seven drivers in with a chance of pole position. Presley Martono said: “It sure feels good to top the practice session here in Dubai but being on top tomorrow is more important for me. We have made great progress since Bahrain and I will have to be on top of my game to beat these guys tomorrow.”

    Rinus van Kalmthout, who took his first race win in the MRF Challenge in Round 1, felt the car was good. “The car feels really good and I am confident for tomorrow. The track was a little cooler in the evening, so have had a good understanding of what we have to do for tomorrow,” he quipped, ready to mount the challenge.

    Qualifying will take place tomorrow along with Race 1 and 2.

    Free Practice 1 (FP1): 1. Rinus van Kalmthout 1 min 57.046 secs; 2. Presley Martono 1:57.101; 3. Felipe Drugovich 1:57.290; 4. Julien Falchero 1:57.406; 5. Alex Karkosik 1:57.481.

    Free Practice 2 (FP2): 1. Presley Martono 1:56.996; 2. Rinus van Kalmthout 1:57.202; 3. Alex Karkosik 1:57.245; 4. Julien Falchero 1:57.257; 5. Danial Frost 1:57.464.

    Live Timing: http:// http://liveresults.mylaps.com/dubaiautodrome/

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

    eom/MRF press relese

  • Indian-based MRF Challenge to feature updated car influenced by Adrian Newey  

     

    Chennai, 6 Nov 2017: The sixth edition of the MRF Challenge 2017 will once again kick off in Bahrain in November alongside the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge 2017 championship is the leading winter series for young motorsport drivers from across the globe. The MRF Challenge 2017 will feature 4 rounds with 16 races in Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Chennai. This year will also see an updated car featuring inputs from legendary Formula 1 designer, Adrian Newey.

    The Indian-based series, which features Formula 3 style cars, is developed and promoted by tyre giant MRF Tyres. It continues to be the only Indian-based series racing not only internationally but also at F1 venues. Both Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are on the Formula One calendar with the latter playing host to the F1 finale in in November.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, commented: “We are extremely excited to announce the launch of the sixth season of the MRF Challenge. It is very rare for championships to go down to the wire but last year we saw the eventual winner clinching it on the final lap of the final race. MRF Tyres thrives on the constant need to develop and innovate and this year’s car is another step forward from the previous season. We will continue to showcase India as a key hub for R&D and development in motorsport. Racing is in our DNA and we are thrilled to offer young drivers a platform to showcase their abilities. We provide drivers with identical cars so that talent plays a key role and this also helps drivers develop. This season features another exciting line-up and we are confident of some exciting wheel-to-wheel racing.”

    The MRF Challenge 2017 F2000 car will feature an updated car. For the first time the car will have a Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox with integrated dash and paddle shift system. The car will also feature advanced aerodynamics with underbody diffuser. The car is powered by a 2-litre Mountune Duratec engine with max power of 230 bhp and shod on MRF Z.L.O. tyres. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia.

    J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, said: “For the sixth season of the MRF Challenge we have focused on making the cars even faster, while also ensuring it is more enjoyable for the drivers. Mr Adrian Newey has been kind enough to share some thoughts with us for increasing the downforce with the new diffuser design. We have also introduced paddle shift gearbox for the first time. This has been received well during testing so we are confident that the car can be even faster this year. The series has been gaining a lot of traction internationally so it is heartening to see an Indian series getting so much attention.”

    This year there will be a full grid of 18 cars. Returning drivers include Italian F4 runner up and title favourite Felipe Drugovich, Dylan Young, Manuel Maldonado and Rinus Van Kalmthout. They will be joined by yet another F1 driver Bertrand Gachot son, Louis Gachot. Former drivers of the MRF Challenge include F3 drivers Harrison Newey, Mick Schumacher, Joey Mawson, V8 Championship leader Pietro Fittipaldi, Indycar driver Conor Daly etc.

    MRF Challenge 2017 Calendar:

    Round 1: November 16-18, 2017, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (WEC Support Race)

    Round 2: December 7-9, 2017, Dubai, Dubai Autodrome

    Round 3: December 13-15, 2017, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi

    Round 4: February 2-4, 2017, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track

    Driver Line-up:

    1. Nazim Azman (Malaysia)
    2. Harri Jones (Australia)
    3. Richard Wagner (Germany)
    4. Robert Megennis (USA)
    5. Henning Enqvist (Sweden)
    6. Julien Falchero (France)
    7. Daniel Nielsen Frost (Singapore)
    8. Rinus Van Kalmthout (Netherlands)
    9. Perdana Putra Minang (Indonesia)
    10.  Kurt Hill (Australia)
    11.  Dylan Young (Australia)
    12.  Pavan Ravishankar (Singapore)
    13.  Alex Karkosik (Poland)
    14.  Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium)
    15.  Felipe Drugovich (Brazil)
    16.  Presley Martono (Indonesia)
    17.  Louis Gachot (France)
    18.  Manuel Maldonado (Venezuela)

    eom/MRF Press Release

  • MRF Challenge Series launched in Chennai

    Chennai, 24 August 2012: The fastest Indian in the World, Narain Karthikeyan launched the MRF Challenge Series at the Express Avenue Mall here in the presence of MRF stalwarts and F2000 car designer J Anand.

    For those in pursuit of excellence, the MRF Challenge 2012 will put a spring in the step as young racing drivers across the globe vie for honours in this international FIA approved series. On 24th August 2012, the residents of Chennai witnessed the birth of a motorsport series like no other.

    India finally has its chance to shine in the International motorsport arena. The launch of this spectacular series was done by none other than Formula 1 driver, and MRF’s Brand Ambassador, Narain Karthikeyan, as he drove this awesome racing machine in front of an enthralled audience of over 10,000 fans assembled at Express Avenue Mall in Chennai, India.

    The MRF Challenge 2012 brought the sounds and smells of the racing experience to the door step of the Chennai public. After a successful series last year with the MRF Formula Ford 1600cars, which also included a support race to the inaugural Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix, MRF has decided to up the ante in 2012. The upcoming series “THE MRF CHALLENGE 2012” will showcase high speed, cutting-edge race-car technology combined with Indian manufacturing excellence.

    Launch at Express Avenue Mall, Chennai

    India has always had its share of motorsport fans, and this has been validated by the tremendous response to the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix in 2011. It is estimated that approximately 40 million Indians watched the live coverage of the race coupled with an in-stadia presence of over one hundred thousand spectators.

    Building on this growing interest, MRF Limited, the largest tyre manufacturer in India and a USD 2.5 billion company, is all set to host The MRF Challenge 2012 racing series this year. The MRF Challenge 2012 series will consist of four rounds (and a total of ten races), the first two rounds at Buddh International Circuit, and the final two at the MMRT Circuit in Chennai, one of the oldest circuits in the country.

    MRF has a rich legacy in the motor sports arena – a legacy built over twenty years of its association with the sport. The company’s focus has been in circuit racing with single-seaters, as well as in Rallying, both on the domestic front and in the Asia Zone and Asia Pacific Championships.

    On the international rallying front, Team MRF has won the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship three times, in 2003, 2005 and 2010.  MRF also sponsors the Super Cross Championships and has had a long-standing association with karting community in India, having developed the first FIA-CIK approved karting tyres in India

    This year MRF has commissioned Jayem Automotives Ltd in Coimbatore to build the ‘MRF FORMULA 2000’car. This car has been built under technical collaboration with Automobili Dallara of Italy, who is the world’s largest manufacturer of bespoke single-seater racing cars and is also considered the best in the business.

    It is the company that helped design, amongst other elite machinery, the Bugatti Veyron. They also build all of the GP2, GP3 and Indycars, as well as class dominating Formula 3 cars. Dallara has given the car a modern and dynamic design with all the very latest in cutting-edge technology which is available to them, while Renault-Sport has designed and manufactured its 210 BHP 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine.

    This car will be a carbon fibre marvel with a six-speed Hewland sequential gearbox, making it an ultra-safe and reliable package. The car will boast performance equal to current international Formula 3 machinery.

    The tyres have been specifically designed from the ground up for high-speed circuit racing. MRFs R&D Engineers have worked tirelessly to satisfy all the needs of the drivers. Straight-line speed and stability, as well as high-speed cornering grip have been optimized into the design of the tyres, in addition to a very high level of safety.

    For the purists and petrol heads who dissect every details of the car, it would interest them to know the front tyre size is 200 x 540-R13, and the rear size is 240 x 570-R13. These sizes are available in both dry and wet constructions –again made specifically for this series. The wheel size is 8Jx13, and the car will use OZ racing alloy rims.

    MRF has also finalised the calendar for the series – Round One will be on the 27th and 28th of October as a support race for the Formula One Indian Grand Prix. Round Two will be held on the 1st and 2nd of December 2012 as a support race for the FIA GT1 Championship. The final two rounds will be held in Chennai on the 1st to 3rd of February & 8th to 10th of February 2013.

    MRF Racing Brand Ambassador Narain Karthikeyan. “When MRF launched the Formula 1600 in 2010, I was very excited and justifiably felt that it was a huge step forward in domestic racing. Little did I know, or expect, that a very short 2 years later, they would move the bar so far ahead.

    The new MRF Formula 2000 cars are the absolute cutting edge in international racing technology. The platform it will provide to young racing drivers from all over the world will make it a unique series internationally. The new MRF slick racing tyres which are being developed specifically for the dynamic characteristics of this car are also shaping up really well. My first impressions of the car and tyres were very positive when I drove it for the first time a few days ago.” 

    eom/Yohann Setna press release/ reposted from old website 2019