INDIA in F1

Tag: MRF

  • Gill looking to conquer new territory in the North-East: INRC

    Itanagar  (Arunachal Pradesh), 21 Dec 2017: The King of Indian Motorsports and current Asia Pacific Rally Champion Gaurav Gill has come back to the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship, perhaps the penultimate round of this year’s calendar with only K-1000 remaining at Bengaluru next month. The postponed rounds now appear to have a slim chance of being organised as the 5th round begins in the North-Eastern territory, a new entrant into the INRC. Title sponsor MRF are all set for the Rally of Arunachal, which began today with the key contest being on Sunday.

    Despite not taking part in the INRC leg of the 4th round which was held along with APRC in the Coffee land of Chikmagalur, Gill, still leads the field with 50 points along with navigator Musa Sherif, after two victories for Team Mahindra Adventure. Karna Kadur who won the INRC category in the last round for the second successive year is five points behind. Kadur is also the defending champion.

    Dean Mascarenhas is leading the INRC3 class. Overall, Dean, who came back with his old navigator Shruptha Padival at Chikmagalur, has 43 points. But the duo lead their class with 75 points.

    ARKA motorsports’ Karna and Nikhil Pai are back in the fray, despite a non-finish in Round 3, the Rally of Jaipur.

    Karna yielded his pre-eminent position in the INRC 2 class to Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Y Bhatt, who has managed a 2, 1, 2 finish so far. He is fourth in the INRC standings with 37 points.
    ends

  • Drugovich wins all races, takes 71-point lead: MRF Challenge

    Drugovich wins all races, takes 71-point lead: MRF Challenge

    Abu Dhabi, 15 Dec 2017: Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich continued his unbelievable run at the M

    From Left: Vicky Chandhok, Falchero, Drugovich, Kalmthout. An MRF image by Aditya Bedre

    RF Challenge in Abu Dhabi by winning the first three races of the weekend. GP3 French driver Julien Falchero finished 2nd in two races and 3rd in the other but was no match for the flying Brazilian. Drugovich has a 71 point lead with 5 races still to go.

    Race 1: Starting on pole position, Drugovich got the perfect start with Falchero losing out to Presley Martono. Rinus van Kalmthout’s weekend went from bad to worse when he collided with Robert Wagner putting both drivers out on the spot. This brought out the safety car. When the safety car went in on lap 4, Drugovich easily pulled away while Martono had his hands full with Falchero.

    Behind them Louis Gachot and Alex Karkosik fought for 4th place. The safety car came out again when Michael Amendalo stopped in turn 9. With just two laps remaining, Drugovich coasted to an easy win with Martono holding off Falchero for 2nd. Gachot finished in 4th ahead of Karkosik and Danial Frost.

    Race 2: In the reverse grid based Race 2, Frost made the perfect getaway with Gachot slotting into 2nd, ahead of Falchero and fast starting Drugovich. On lap 2 Gachot tried to pass Frost but ended up hitting him and putting him out at the spot. Falchero tried to take advantage and pass Gachot only for Drugovich to get past both drivers and storm into the lead. The safety car came out as Frost’s car was taken out of harm’s way.

    Martono got past a recovering Gachot for 4th place, who was later given a 20 second penalty for his collision with Frost.. At the front there was no stopping Drugovich who took his second win of the weekend. Falchero finished in 2nd place ahead of Karkosik and Martono. Nazim Azman got his best finish of the season in 5th while van Kalmthout came from 17th place to finish 6th.

    Race 3: For the third race in succession, Drugovich made the perfect start and led into turn 1 while Falchero lost out to Karkosik and Martono. On lap 3 Martono tried to pass Karkosik but both drivers collided, allowing Falchero to get past in to 2nd place. Karkosik was forced to retire and Martono, who suffered front wing damage, also retired later in the race. Van Kalmthout, who started in 16th place, was amazingly upto 3rd after 4 laps.

    Drugovich pulled away to another win while Falchero came in 2nd, just ahead of a charging van Kalmthout. Amendalo came in 4th place ahead of Manuel Maldonado and Azman.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “The car just suits this circuit and I love driving here. The second race was more challenging than the other as I took advantage of the chaos in front of me and got to the front. After that it was all about maintaining the pace and ensuring we finished in front. A big thank you to my engineer and mechanics for making this happen.”

    Julien Falchero was happy to finish on the podium in all the races. He commented, “Congratulations to Felipe (Drugovich) as he was the quickest this weekend. Our races were not as straight forward but we managed to get the maximum. There is one more race to go this weekend so hope I can get to the top step to finish off what has been a good weekend for me.”

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 1:

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 25:50.742
    2. Presley MARTONO 25:53.085
    3. Julien FALCHERO 25:53.605
    4. Louis GACHOT 25:54.448
    5. Alex KARKOSIK 25:54.885

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 2:

     

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 25:52.221
    2. Julien FALCHERO 25:54.098
    3. Alex KARKOSIK 25:56.089
    4. Presley MARTONO 25:57.277
    5. Nazim AZMAN 26:00.283

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 3:

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 21:58.696
    2. Julien FALCHERO 22:12.174
    3. Rinus van KALMTHOUT 22:13.195
    4. Michael AMENDALO 22:26.080
    5. Manuel MALDONADO 22:31.418

     

  • Drugovich dominated Day 1: MRF Challenge 2017

    Drugovich dominated Day 1: MRF Challenge 2017

    Abu Dhabi, 14 Dec 2017: Championship leader Felipe Drugovich dominated day 1 of the MRF Challenge 2017 at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi after topping both practice sessions and qualifying on pole position. His closes competitor was French driver Julien Falchero, who finished 2nd in all sessions. Alex Karkosik will start in 3rd place, ahead of Presley Martono and Louis Gachot.

    The opening practice session of the weekend started with all cars going out in unison on the mighty Yas Marina circuit. With none of the drivers having even sampled the circuit, the session was spent gathering useful data. Drugovich wasted no time and immediately went fast with a 2:13.683. Van Kalmthout and Falchero then took turns exchanging times at the top. Drugovich set a time of 2:10.173 to go one second faster than the rest of the pack to end the session. Falchero came closest, albeit half a second off the top spot. Van Kalmthout was 3rd ahead of Martono and Sweden’s Henning Enqvist.

    Free practice 2 saw the drivers concentrating on their race runs with the result being no different. Drugovich was still fastest, ahead of Falchero and van Kalmthout, with all drivers a second slower than the pace they set in the morning. Martono was once again in 4th place, ahead of Danial Frost and Alex Karkosik.

    In qualifying, Karkosik set a 2:11.974 to move to the top of the standings only for Drugovich to beat him with a 2:11.509. The session was red-flagged with 12 minutes to go as championship contender van Kalmthout crashed. He will start from 12th place, dealing his championship hopes a big blow.

    When the session resumed it was a straight fight between Drugovich and Falchero, who traded fastest laps till the last lap. Finally it was Drugovich who put in a 2:10.637 to claim pole position. Falchero will start beside him with Karkosik and Martono on row 2. Louis Gachot will start in 5th place after another impressive qualifying session.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “It was really hard out there as we were struggling with grip and some parts of the car. Julien (Falchero) was quick and it was fun to see us trading fastest laps. Starting on pole is always important so look forward to the race and hope to do my best.”

    Julien Falchero, who was the only one close enough to challenge Falchero, commented, “Congrats to Felipe as he was too quick. I tried to stay close to him in qualifying but was having too much understeer. I am happy with 2nd and think we can challenge for the win tomorrow.”

    Live Timing: http:// http://livetiming.getraceresults.com/abudhabi#screen-results

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Free Practice 1:

    S.No. Driver Name Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 2:10.173
    2. Julien FALCHERO 2:10.628
    3. Rinus VAN KALMTHOUT 2:10.929
    4. Presley MARTONO 2:11.518
    5. Henning ENQVIST 2:11.604

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Free Practice 2:

     

    S.No. Driver Name Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 2:11.000
    2. Julien FALCHERO 2:11.258
    3. Rinus VAN KALMTHOUT 2:11.520
    4. Presley MARTONO 2:11.758
    5. Danial FROST 2:12.063

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Qualifying:

    S.No. Driver Name Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 2:10.637
    2. Julien FALCHERO 2:11.128
    3. Alex KARKOSIK 2:11.182
    4. Presley MARTONO 2:11.330
    5. Louis GACHOT 2:11.645

    Felipe Drugovich. MRF image by Aditya Bedra

     

  • APRC champ Gaurav Gill lights up the FIA gala prize-giving for all Indians

    APRC champ Gaurav Gill lights up the FIA gala prize-giving for all Indians

    Gaurav Gill at the FIA gala prize-giving along with Dr Shilpa Gill, in Versailles Paris on Saturday, 9th Dec 2017. An FIA image by Jean Marie Hervio. Image updated on 11 Dec, 6.30pm IST

    The King of Indian Motorsports, Gaurav Gill, receiving the honours was the highlight of the annual gala show for all Indians as was the presentation of the FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship Trophy to Lewis Hamilton.

    Gill is the only Indian Driver to have won the title and invited by the FIA for the Gala Awards night, revered as the Oscars of motorsport.

    Gill, the 36-year-old speed maestro from New Delhi defended his Asia Pacific Rally Championship, winning the title for the third time. Gill is the only Indian among the various winners of different world championships. The MRF driver has brute speed and inherent talent and has been punching above his weight year after year despite having minimum seat-time and other key limitations.  Unfortunately, his passion and commitment to motorsport seem to have hit a road-block as he finds in a funny situation with no sponsor coming forward to push him to a better platform, like the World Rally Championship or even a Euro event, to showcase his immense talent to the world.

    Gill actually started racing bikes, to begin with, and entered the competitive world of Indian motorsports in the National motocross championship in 1999. He also won National championship titles multiple times. He won the National Road Racing Championship in 2004 and 2006 before moving to the India’s National Rally Championship which he won in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 (SUV), and 2014. And in 2015 he is nominated by the FMSCI for the Arjuna Award, an Indian national award for sporting excellence, by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to the Government of India.

    In 2016, he created a record of sorts winning all the rounds of the FIA APRC before rounding it off in our very own well-conducted Rally of 1000 corners in the Coffee Estates of Chikmagalur. By now the genial giant of Indian Motorsport should have been winning titles and rubbing shoulders with the best in the World Rally scene but is yet get a deal. Last year, Mahindra showed interest and drew up plans but nothing is heard after that.

    After winning the championship in Chikmagalur last month, the muted celebrations hinted a tinge of disappointment despite giving his best and beyond to brighten the Indian Rally scene for many years now. However, according to a grapevine, Gill is likely to go to Dakar next year as part of a four-wheeler team, details of which are yet to be made public.

    Hamilton, cynosure of all eyes

    Hamilton, the Mercedes driver lifted the World Championship trophy for the fourth time in his career, a remarkable feat that puts him level with French Formula One legend Alain Prost and his great rival for this year’s title, German driver Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.

    The Briton took nine victories during 2017, scored points in every grand prix of the season and along the way established a new benchmark of 72 career pole positions, beating Michael Schumacher’s previous record of 68. However, despite the record-breaking season, he said that he could not see himself eclipsing the German great’s seven championship titles.

    “It’s taken me 10 years to achieve four,” said Hamilton. “I currently don’t have that desire to match [Schumacher’s] seven, but matching Fangio [who scored five titles] would be quite cool. Given that I‘m going to be here for at least another couple of years, that’s my goal. To try and at least get that. We [he and Mercedes] definitely have more championships to win together.”

    In rallying, Sébastien Ogier’s fifth consecutive FIA World Rally Championship title puts the Frenchman into sole second place in the list of multiple title winners, ahead of legendary flying Finns Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makinen.

    Ogier’s 2017 championship victory is perhaps his sweetest to date, coming after the departure of the all-conquering Volkswagen factory team with which he had achieved his previous four titles, and being achieved with privateer outfit M-Sport.

    Ogier said: “It’s amazing and we are very proud that we managed it again this year, because I think everyone is aware of the challenge we had to face with the retirement of our old team, and we had to find a new solution at the last minute. I think it’s been a very difficult season for us: very exciting, and very open, with a lot of different winners in WRC, but it’s nice to come out on top once again and to be here today to grab the trophy for a fifth time.”

    In the FIA World Endurance Championship, Germany’s Timo Bernhard and New Zealand duo Earl Bamberand Brendon Hartley took the Drivers’ Championship title, helping Porsche to sign-off on a four-season stint in the Championship with a third successive manufacturers’ title.

    A mid-season hot streak of four wins gave the trio a solid platform, and second-place finishes at the final two events were enough to seal a maiden title for Bamber and second championship crowns for Bernhard and Hartley, who also took the crown with Porsche in 2015.

    “From the word go it was a tense battle this season,” said Hartley. “The first round at Silverstone was won or lost by about six seconds and when you’re second that’s quite a brutal result, so we knew it would be tough. But winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans helped our cause a lot, so yes, it was an intense battle but fortunately, we were up to the job.”

    There were also new global trophies up for grabs in the FIA WEC, with the LMGTE Pro category being elevated to World Championship status in 2017. And it was Ferrari that emerged as the team champions, with the Italian squad’s pairing of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi emerged victoriously.

    In the FIA World Touring Car Championship, Sweden’s Thed Björk made history, not just in winning his first FIA world title but also in becoming WTCC’s final champion in its current form, with the series bowing out from today, to be replaced by a new series, the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup in 2018. Over the course of a rollercoaster campaign, Volvo Polestar driver Björk scored two wins and seven podium finishes to beat Honda’s Norbert Michelisz in a titanic battle that went down to the wire at the final event in Qatar.

    Sweden’s 2017 haul of world drivers’ titles was doubled by Johan Kristofferson who took a maiden FIA World Rallycross Championship title ahead of compatriot Mattias Ekström.

    Ekström opened his title defence with a trio of victories but after scoring his first win of the season in Belgium, Kristofferson rattled off a five-event run of victories to establish that allied to a final-round win in South Africa carried him to the title.

    The FIA’s future-focused, all-electric 2016/17 Formula E Championship was won by Lucas Di Grassi who took the title at the end of a nail-biting, down-to-the-wire fight with defending champion Sébastien Buemi. The Swiss racer took six wins to Di Grassi’s two, but the Brazilian was a model of consistency, scoring five further podiums and three pole positions to edge the battle as Buemi suffered a series of second half mishaps and a brace of missed races due to other racing commitments.

    A number of special FIA awards were handed out on the night. For a remarkable third year in a row, Max Verstappen won the FIA Personality of the Year while the FIA Action of the Year Awards went to WRC driverEsapekka Lappi for his spectacular 33m, 120kph flight over the Fafe jump at Rally de Portugal. Formula 2 Champion Charles Leclerc, recently announced 2018 Formula 1 driver with the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, won the Rookie of the Year Award.

    The FIA President’s Award was this year expanded not only to incorporate those that have displayed courage, determination and sportsmanship but to also include those that have contributed greatly to the broader FIA community. The first of two awards in the category was presented to Jean-Charles Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of the JCDecaux Group.

    In 2017, in partnership with the outdoor advertising giant, the FIA embarked upon an ambitious campaign named #3500LIVES that brings key road safety messages to a global audience using the JCDecaux’s advertising spaces around the world. To date, the campaign has generated an estimated 1.5 billion views in 900 cities in more than 75 countries.

    The second FIA President’s Award was presented to Billy Monger, the young British driver who in April 2017, at the age of just 17, suffered a horrific accident while competing in Formula 4. The crash resulted in Billy losing both legs, but his response was truly inspirational. Displaying immense courage and positivity he vowed to return to motor racing and just 11 weeks after sustaining life-changing injuries he was back behind the wheel of a specially adapted endurance car.

    The stars of the future were also honoured in Paris, with champions from across the FIA single-seater pyramid being presented with their trophies. In Formula 3, Briton Lando Norris , took an emphatic title win in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, taking nine wins from 30 races in 10 event weekends. In Formula 4, the winners from 12 championships (Australia, Britain, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latin America, North East Europe, the UAE, Spain, the US and South East Asia) were awarded their trophies.

    CIK-FIA World Karting Champions Dexter Patterson, Paolo de Conto, and Danny Keirle were also awarded their trophies, marking an important milestone in what will likely become fascinating careers in motorsport.

    eom/with inputs from FIA release

  • Drugovich extends lead in MRF Challenge 2017

    David Bodapati

    Dubai: 9 Dec 2017: Brazilian Felipe Drugovich recovered from Friday’s disappointment to win a Race 3 in Round 2 and also came second in Race 4 of the MRF Challenge 2017 here on Saturday.

    In Race 3, Drugovich overtook Martono on Lap 2 and pushed the latter to 2nd place with Karkosik coming in 3rd. However, Martono struck back in Race 4 to take his first win of the season beating Drugovich and Rinus van Kalmthout came in third. Drugovich currently leads the championship with 150 points, ahead of Martono (132) and van Kalmthout (124).

    Martono finally got a good start off the line in Race 3 as he led into the first corner with Felipe Drugovich tucked up right behind him. Drugovich immediately piled on the pressure and got past the Indonesian driver with a daring move down the inside into turn 12. Behind them there was action all race as Harri Jones, Karkosik and Falchero did battle. All drivers were given a warning for dangerous driving on the track. Karkosik passed Jones to move into 3rd place. At the front, Martono stayed with Drugovich but was unable to get close enough to attempt a pass. The Brazilian driver took his 4th win of the season.

    Karkosik crossed the line in 3rd place. Danial Frost and Falchero finished in 4th & 5th places respectively but both were disqualified due to technical infringements on their cars. Jones was promoted to 6th place only to be given a 20-second penalty for overtaking outside track limits. After all penalties, Robert Megennis, Michale Amendola and Manuel Maldonado finished in 4th, 5th, and 6th places respectively. Championship contender van Kalmthout had a gear shift problem and dropped to last before recovering to finish in 9th position.

    The final race of the weekend saw van Kalmthout starting on pole alongside Martono for Race 4. The Indonesian driver had another good start and took the lead as they headed into the first corner. There was trouble at the back as Maldonado and Frost collided, bring out the safety car. When the safety car came in on lap 4, Martono had both van Kalmthout and Drugovich on his tail. Drugovich managed to pass van Kalmthout to take 2nd place.

    Drugovich then had Martono in his sights for the rest of the four laps, but the Indonesian just had enough to take his maiden win of the season. Van Kalmthout completed the podium with Karkosik in 4th. However, Karkosik was later disqualified for failing to serve a drive-through penalty, for a jump start. Jones finished in 4th place ahead of Falchero.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “Today was a really good day so I am very happy to extend my championship lead. Especially after we had that problem yesterday, today’s win was sweet. I really enjoy driving this circuit.”

    Presley Martono was thrilled to win his first race after showing great pace the whole weekend. He commented, “I have been having a problem with my starts but today in race 4 I really nailed it. When the safety car came out I knew I would have a tough time keeping the two guys behind me. But the car was good so to take my first win here feels good.”

    Round 2: Race 3: 1. Felipe Drugovich 19:45.535; 2. Presley Martono 19:46.295; 3. Alex Karkosik 19:52.310. Race 4: 1. Presley Martono 24:14.432; 2. Felipe Drugovich 24:15.133; 3. Rinus van Kalmthout 24:16.045.

    Championship Positions after Round 2 (provisional): 

    Championship Positions after Round 2 (provisional): 1. Felipe Drugovich 150 points; 2. Presley Martino 132; 3. Rinus van Kalmthout 124; 4. Julien Falchero 102; 5. Alex Karkosik 74.

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

    eom/david/MRF press release

  • 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

  • FIA MRF Challenge Round 2 heads to Dubai

    Dubai, 5 Dec 2017: The sixth edition of the MRF Challenge 2017 will head to Dubai for Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2017. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge 2017 championship is the leading winter series for young motorsport drivers from across the globe and will return to the Dubai Autodrome for the third time. Round 2 will feature 4 action packed races around the twisty and demanding circuit.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, commented, “It gives us immense pleasure to return to Dubai with the MRF Challenge. We have some of the best young drivers from across the world who are keen to drive at this exciting circuit. We have had three different winners from the first 4 races so the championship is definitely shaping up well. The Dubai Autodrome is challenging so it is a circuit where all our drivers look forward to racing at.”

    Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich currently leads the Championship on 80 points after two race wins and a second place in Bahrain. The battle behind is close with three drivers split by 4 points. GP3 driver Julien Falchero had one win and two podiums and is in second place in the championship on 65 points. Indonesian driver Presley Martono is in third place with 63 points ahead title contender Rinus van Kalmthout, who is on 61 points. Van Kalmthout was quickest in qualifying and race until he was forced to retire with a technical problem.

    The Dubai Autodrome circuit is 5.39km long and one of the most challenging circuits in the region. It has a good combination of high-speed straights and technical corners. This creates a bigger headache for the engineers who have to find the right set up to favour both these areas. The venue is part of the Union Properties Motorcity development in the greater Dubailand area.

    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.

    Please find below details for the MRF Challenge races:

    Thursday, December 7

    10:35 – 11:05: MRF Challenge Practice Session 1

    15:00 – 15:30: MRF Challenge Practice Session 2

    Friday, December 8

    09:50 – 10:20: MRF Challenge Qualifying

    13:20 – 13:50: MRF Challenge Race 1

    16:25 – 16:55: MRF Challenge Race 2

    Saturday, December 9

    09:30 – 10:00: MRF Challenge Race 3

    12:30 – 13:00: MRF Challenge Race 4

    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. MichelangeloAmendola (Belgium)
    15. Felipe Drugovich (Brazil)
    16. PresleyMartono (Indonesia)
    17. Louis Gachot (France)
    18. Manuel Maldonado (Venezuela)

    MRF Challenge 2017 Calendar:

    Round 1: Nov16-18, 2017, Bahrain, BIC (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, 2018, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track

    eom/MRF press release

  • Gill unleashes fireworks and the crowd erupts into a thunderous applause: Coffee Day India Rally

    Gill unleashes fireworks and the crowd erupts into a thunderous applause: Coffee Day India Rally

    Gaurav Gill weaves his magic to thrill the crowd at the Amber Valley School on Friday. Image by Anand Philar

    Chikkamagaluru, 24 November 2017: With a deep penchant for raw speed, Gaurav Gill has proved beyond doubt that he is the Master of the Game. Considered as the best rally driver India has ever produced, Gaurav Gill, the defending champion and the current leader of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, set the tone for the sixth and final round at the Amber Valley School here on Friday.

    He shook the earth and raised the dust, literally, and the 10,000-odd joyous crowd (approximate estimates) loved every second and every inch of it, and erupted into a thunderous applause. The man-made dirt track sprang to life and the crowd stood up in awe. Be it the speed or the drifting moves, the corners and the hand-brake manoeuvres, the daring and passionate champion provided seat-edged thrills in the Super Special Stage which is fashioned to provide the die-hard fan a real close-up treat. And Mr Gaurav Gill did not disappoint them today!

    It lasted just, 2 minutes and 17.7 seconds, but with the start order being in reverse direction, the 38 INRC cars had to go through their laps before the faster APRC cars, six of them, arrived. But the crowd which gathered much before the scheduled 1.30pm had their fill. And the hours of wait, for over three hours, was worth the while, as Gill’s teammate Ole Christian Veiby clocked a blistering 2:17.9 and the crowd cheered him all the way. And it was, as if he is laying a red-carpet for his teammate, to take over the job of entertaining the fans. And then came the king of Indian motorsports, who unleashed his magic and the fireworks in ample measure. Then the ground was covered in thick, brown dust, and when it settled down, it was all over.

    But those two minutes showcased THE MAN, THE SPEED, THE SKILL… It was just two minutes of an experience but those are the moments that we carry in our memories, for many years, maybe for life time. Thank you, Gill!

    A difference of just 0.2 seconds, many thought was a minimal difference. But Gill beat OC (as the Norwegian is fondly called) by a substantial margin, as explained by a veteran motorsports journalist. For a SSS distance of 2.12 km, a difference of 0.2 seconds means, the gap would have been 2 seconds for 10 km and the first day’s stage distance is 143.42. So for a day, that margin of 0.2 seconds may not be 28-second gap in real terms but it gives a fair idea and puts in right perspective the difference between the Young Turk, who is well on his way to greater speeds, and the veteran warrior who loves to exhibit his passion and brute speed, and the inborn talent, on a larger stage, a la WRC2 or even an Euro Championship, where his teammate is currently on. And that’s the only logical conclusion onc can provide, for all his hard work, dedication and commitment for over a decade.

    Is MRF listening? Only time will tell!

    Super Special Stage report:

    Gill (co-driver Stephane Prevot), the defending champion, clocked a blistering 02 minutes, 17.7 seconds over the 2.1 Kms circuit while APRC debutant Veiby (Stig Rune Skjarmoen) returned 02:17.9, both giving a thrilling exhibition of controlled aggression in their respective Race Torque-prepared Skoda Fabia R5 cars much to the delight of thousands of spectators.

    Finishing a distant third behind the leading duo was PG Abhilash (Srikant Gowda) of Team R3A PGA Motorsports in a Subaru Impreza WRX Sti who timed 02:30.5, but ahead of New Zealand’s Mike Young (Malcolm Read), Sumit Panjabi (Nitin Jacob) and Sri Lanka’s Shafraz Junaid (Akhry Ameer).

    Gill, who leads Veiby by six points in the winner-takes-all APRC title stakes, was last on the track and rode on the wave of popular support with a drive that would be long remembered after the 21-year old Norwegian, a regular in the WRC-2, posted a seemingly quickest time.

    With so little separating them, Gill and Veiby are thus set for a battle royale over the next two days as the APRC caravan heads out to the estates of title sponsors Coffee Day Global for the Special Stages.

    Earlier in the day, Veiby was the quickest in the shakedown clocking 01:23.3 as against Gill’s 01:25.0 as the pair had the first feel of the Skoda R5 this week, but the true test

    “The stages are lot more open and wider than last year. So, the average speeds will be much higher. However, given the twisty route, I feel there will be a lot of stress on the car,” said Gill soon after the shakedown and during the pre-event FIA press conference when asked about his thoughts on the Stages following Thursday’s reconnaissance run.

    Veiby said: “This event is nicknamed as “Rally of 1000 corners”, but it looks more like a million corners. The Stages are quite fast and I have never driven on such terrain. So, it is all about having a good feel of the car.”

    In the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship that is being run concurrently and also organized by the Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, Younis Ilyas (Harish Kumar) was the quickest overall (02:35.7) followed by Arjun Rao (Satish Rajagopal) and Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) of Team Mahindra Adventure.

    Provisional results (Super Special Stage – 2.1 Kms):

    FIA APRC: 1. Gaurav Gill / Stephane Prevot (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia R5) (02mins, 17.7secs); 2. Ole Christian Veiby / Stig Rune Skjarmoen (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia R5) (02mins, 17.9secs); 3. PG Abhilash / Srikant Gowda (Team R3A PGA Motorsports, Subaru Impreza WRX Sti) (02:30.5).

    MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (Overall): 1. Younis Ilyas / Harish Kumar (02:35.7); 2. 2. Arjun Rao / Satish Rajagopal (Volkswagen Polo R2) (02:36.2); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) (02:36.6).

    eom/inputs from press release

  • Double for Drugovich in MRF Challenge opener

    Bahrain, 17 Nov, 2017: Felipe Drugovich, the 17-year-old Brazilian, got his 2017 MRF Challenge campaign off to a perfect start by winning both races in the season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, here on Friday.

    Drugovich pulled off a last lap move on Manuel Maldonado, cousin of former F1 racer Pastor Maldonado, to win Race 2. Presley Martono also passed Maldonado on the run up to the chequered flag to beat the Venezuelan by 0.010 secs to take second spot. In Race 1, Drugovich benefitted from race leader Rinus van Kalmthout’s retirement to win ahead of Martono and Dylan Young.

    Earlier in the day van Kalmthout was dominant in qualifying to put his car on pole position by almost half a second. He set a 2:00.754 to set the fastest time of the weekend. Drugovich qualified 2nd, albeit 0.461secs off with Karkosik in 3rd place. Falchero qualified in 4th place ahead of Martono and Friday pace setter Pavan Ravishankar.

    The season got underway with van Kalmthout having the perfect start from pole position to lead into the first corner. Drugovich followed him in 2nd place with Dylan Young jumping from 7th to 3rd after getting a brilliant start. Drugovich managed to stay with van Kalmthout for the first few laps before the Dutch driver started pulling away at the front. Meanwhile Martono passed Young for 3rd and started catching Drugovich. It was heartbreak for van Kalmthout as he was forced to retire from the lead with 2 laps to go due to a mechanical problem. Meanwhile Martono closed up right behind Drugovich and the two cars were side by side as they headed down the main straight. Martono tried to get past but Drugovich held on to win the first race of the season. Young crossed the line in 3rd place to take only his second podium in championship. Alex Karkosik finished in 4th place ahead of Maldonado, Julien Falchero and Robert Megennis.

    In the reverse grid based Race 2, Maldonado jumped Falchero to lead into the first corner. Drugovich had a strong start from 6th on the grid to slot into 3rd behind the fast starting Karkosik. Karkosik and Drugovich put pressure on Maldonado but the Venezuelan did well to stay in front. Van Kalmthout, who started last, sliced through the field and was upto 6th place on lap 5. Martono passed Falchero into the first corner on lap 6 while 2nd placed man Karkosik was forced to retire with a mechanical problem. On the last lap Drugovich out braked Maldonado to take the lead, with Martono close behind. Coming out of the last corner and heading into the start finish straight Martono managed to get his nose ahead to beat Maldonado by 0.010secs. It was heartbreak for Maldonado who slipped from 1st to 3rd on the last lap. Behind the top 3, Falchero finished in 4th ahead of the charging van Kalmthout, with Megennis and Ravishankar rounding off the top 7.

    Double winner Felipe Drugovich, commented, “I am really happy to win both races today. In qualifying we were still trying things with the setup. We were lucky to win Race 1 with Van Kalmthout retiring. In race 2 I had a great start and managed to get behind Maldonado. He made a small mistake into the final corner and I took advantage to pass him into the first corner. It has been a great start and I hope we can do the same tomorrow.”

    Presley Martono impressed with a double podium finish in the season opener. He commented, “The car was great today and I felt that we really nailed the setup. I have to improve my starts and then I feel I can challenge for the win. Overall I am very happy with today’s performance.”

    Race 3&4 will take place tomorrow.

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 1, Bahrain, Qualifying:

    1. Rinus Van Kalmthout – 2:00.754
    2. Felipe Drugovich – 2:01.215
    3. Alex Karkosik – 2:01.533
    4. Julian Falchero – 2:01.900
    5. Presley Martono – 2:01.961

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 1, Bahrain, Race 1:

    1. Felipe Drugovich – 20:33.897
    2. Presley Martono – 20:34.546
    3. Dylan Young – 20:38.456
    4. Alex Karkosik – 20:40.984
    5. Manuel Maldonado – 20:43.096

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 1, Bahrain, Race 2:

    1. Felipe Drugovich – 20:33.019
    2. Presley Martono – 20:34.689
    3. Manuel Maldonado – 20:34.699
    4. Julian Falchero – 20:36.847
    5. Rinus van Kalmthout – 20:39.456

    eom/press release

     

    eom/press release

     

  • 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