INDIA in F1

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  • Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India

    Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India

    Bengaluru, 29 Sept. 2021: Motorsports Utsav de Hampi is a household name, thanks to the frenetic sports activity of high-degree in just three years after the birth of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, that attracted top drivers and riders, and National events to the Heritage land, in and around Hampi. Whether it is the Special Stage rallying for four-wheelers or two-wheelers, Autocross or Motocross, time-tested TSD or the highly-competitive Indian National Rally Championship, all roads lead to Hampi, and even the endurance and adventure sports like 4×4 off-road challenge made the Club special, in the hearts of motorsports lovers. The heritage site and the pride of Karnataka, truly reflecting the slogan, One State, Many Worlds, is not just the only reason for fans and athletes to flock in, `Mecca of Motorsport’ MAV is.

    MAV – The Motorsports Academy

    Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi, is an FMSCI affiliated club started in 2019 by a group of motorsport fanatics with an intention to bring high-performance motorsports athletes and top-rated National events to northern parts of Karnataka to a very well-known world heritage site. With a vision to take Indian motorsports arena to newer heights, the Academy lines up events and trainings throughout the year in different parts of the country and at home, which culminate into a grand annual Utsav de Hampi, a mega Motorsports Festival consisting of many formats of motorsport events. The Academy successfully bid for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship for a period of 3 years, to add to its armoury, which already has a round of the Indian National Rally Championship for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers after the successful 4w Candidates round in 2020 where multiple National champions like Musa Sherif, sparkled. He is the only active senior-most Navigator with nine national titles in the country.

    Some of the marquee events of the club are National rallies and highly-challenging 4×4 off-road events, which extend the competitive spirit beyond the rally element, and the club cleverly incorporated motortainment and display of vintage cars that attracted tens of thousands of spectators, who thronged to the tracks to have a glimpse of the high-speed precision racing and stunning off-road action. The club has the knack to pack a visual punch and has cordial relations that cater to even minor needs of the sportspersons making it a truly-attractive event for fans, drivers, riders, officials and media. No wonder sponsors like MRF, JK Tyre, TVS, Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Red Bull, Ultramile Tyres, Brut Force and Royal Orchid Hotels lined up to associate themselves with a hot property called Utsav de Hampi.

    A wheelie for you, come and enjoy motorsports, Hampi is calling…
    Santosh, left and Rohit, the brains behind MAV success.

    The Festival consists of many formats of motorsports, run on multiple weekends, with different disciplines like Stage Rally for 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, Autocross, TSD Rally, some of which have National status and have attracted top Indian and International drivers and riders in the last three years. The Utsav found its ‘God Father’ in Parth Jindal of JSW Group, who provided the initial thrust, but it was local stalwarts like Santosh HM, Rohit Gowda and Darpan Gowda, who plunged in as the Club took off on its own with a team of dedicated volunteers, going into the last edition of the Festival in 2020 despite the COVID threats, as they managed to follow strict protocol and government’s SoP.  With permissions relaxed for Sports events, the Utsav is back with a bang and has four events lined up for 2021 on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. The spirit of Gandhiji, the heritage of Hampi and the adrenalin of a National-level sports event, that is the cocktail of motorsports, that the Motorsports Academy offers and no fan can resist.

    1. JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship – 1, 2, 3 October, 2021

    The 2021 Utsav de Hampi, has become bigger with two National-level events and an even bigger Off-road extravaganza. First off, the Motorsports Academy starts with the JK Tyre fmsci Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), a popular TSD format which offers the ladder for a lay person to enter motorsports and enjoy the thrills. The event finals has the National status accorded to it by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the sole governing body of motorsports in India. The Time, Speed, Distance format with about 20 Time Controls (TC) is from October 1 to 3 and will be the South Zone qualifiers where the top-5 (top-3 for Women’s Cup) will take a shot to become the National Champ in three classes, team, driver and navigator. The Club offered free entries to Women in Motorsports (WIM), an FIA concept to encourage gender diversity and MAV has quickly embraced it providing Lady Freebies, and many gleefully entered the fray with Daughter-Mom Doctor pair of talented Shivani and Deepthi Pruthvi spearheading a bevy of women drivers.

    2. The 4×4 Hampi off-road Challenge – 8 to 10 October 2021

    The Hampi off-road challenge will see some of the finest professionally modified and stock four-wheel drive vehicles and the event, in the backwaters of the beautiful River Tungabhadra, is known to break man and machine, and is an ultimate challenge for expert drivers, who ably assisted by knowledgeable navigators, make the complex tasks look simple thus, delivering fun and frolic for fans that leads to a rich mix of motorsport madness.

    In 2019, the introduction of 4×4 Hampi Off-road Challenge for Jeeps which are ripped-off, curated and tuned for one of the best off-road competitions in the country on par with international events, saw the beginning of a tradition. The record 42 entries in its very 1st edition, consisting of Professionally modified, Modified and Stock category vehicles showcased a plethora of talent and became an instant success. And the tradition of excellence goes on…

    4×4 action that makes every fan skip a heart beat, land in Hampi, experience the thrills!

    3. Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) – FMSCI to Confirm new dates

    The popular Indian National Rally Championship is a flagship event of the Indian Federation which acquired its National status way back in 1988 and has thrown up veteran champs like Leelakrishnan, Naren Kumar, Hari Singh and Gaurav Gill. Considered in the top-3 showpiece events as one of the 12 Motorsports Nationals, it attracts a highly-talented youth and experienced veterans and the event requires high degree of organisational skills with a well-prepared terrain and tulip, as finding good tracks, tarmac or dirt, has become a gigantic task, of late for organising clubs, but not for MAV.

    It conducted the Contender round successfully and is officially granted a round in the National Championship this year, which was put off due to the side effects of COVID19. The Federation and the Promoters are expected to announce the new dates any time now.

    The 2020 INRC contender round Champions display their wares on the podium in Hampi.

    4. MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National 2w Rally Championship (INRC-2w) – 16, 17 Oct 2021

    The INRC for 2-wheelers is a popular sister-event of the four-wheeler Rally Nationals. Despite missing from the calendar for some years, Clubs like MAV have taken up the task to set the rally routes and organise the Nationals to the satisfaction of the riders and fans alike and the MRF Mogrip Calendar for 2w rallies is on track again. This year, the inaugural round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for motorcycles (INRC-2w) will be Rally de Hampi organised by MAV that is expected to witness national and international stars like Aishwarya Pissay, the Baja World Cup winner, Hero Yuva Kumar,  a multiple National champion, and many other stars and National champoins like Nataraj of TVS, Vishwa, in other classes, fight for Overall honours on the tricky tracks of Hampi. The rally will have two special stages closed for regular traffic and include an 80.2-km liaison distance (non-competitive transport section)  apart from the 62.5-km of closed to traffic competitive Stage distance for an overall 142.5-km rally. It is efficiently conducted by one of the best Clerks of the Course (CoC) Girijashankar Joshy, a former National rally champion himself, who has an impeccable record in knowledge of rules and the calm and cool nature in which he relays commands to a team of efficient Marshals and officials, in a pious “poojari” style of his own. It is the devotion required for Motorsports safety that separates him from also rans… as he breathes a whiff of fresh air into the motorsports culture.

    Pack your helmet, belt-up and begin the journey into motorsports ecstasy, come to Hampi! A red carpet awaits!

    For details: visit www.mavh.co.in, www.utsavdehampi.com

    Follow & share Instagram: @MAVHAMPI @utsavdehampi

  • Deepak leads Momentum 1-2; Defending champ Arjun Balu on pole

    Deepak leads Momentum 1-2; Defending champ Arjun Balu on pole

    Chennai, 25 Sept 2021: Shahan Ali Mohsin, the 17-year old from Agra and a multiple National Karting champion, snatched the pole position in the MRF F1600 category just ahead of Chirag Ghorpade of Bengaluru while K Suriya Varathan from Coimbatore and Bengaluru’s Rishon Rajiv occupied the second row. Meanwhile, Deepak Ravikumar from Chennai led a brilliant 1-2 finish for Momentum Motorsport along with Ghorpade in the Formula LGB 1300 race in the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT here on Saturday.

    Two other X30 karting talent, Ruhaan Alva, the reigning Senior champion and Delhi school boy Jaden R Pariat, originally from Guwahati, the vice-champion in the Junior section, posted competitive times making their debut in the National Racing championship at the Madras Motor Sports Track (MMRT). More than half a dozen newcomers made their debut in the National Championship taking part in the Formula LGB1300, the entry class on Saturday as the sounds of the single-seater Formula cars reverberated at Madras Motor Sports Club.

    Starting from pole position, Ravikumar had more problems dealing with numb fingers than the competition in the eight-lap race that was run behind the Safety Car for the opening four laps following an on-track incident. “Initially, it was pretty close and also there was numbness in my left hand fingers which led to wrong gear selection. However, I managed to overcome this problem and thereafter, it was pretty smooth sailing,” said Ravikumar.

    Deepak Ravikumar celebrates his victory in the Formula LGB 1300 race (Sept 25) at MMRT. Photos By Anand Philar

    Behind him, Ghorpade covered a lot of ground starting from P8 to finish a deserving second ahead of Kotagiri’s 10th standard student Amir Sayed (M Sport) who too cut through the field from P7.

    In the popular Saloon car category, Coimbatore veteran and defending champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts), expectedly took the pole position followed by the Rayo Racing pair from Hyderabad Anindith Reddy and Jeet Jhabakh.

    Another Bengalurean, Aditya Sawaminathan, qualified for pole position in the Volkswagen Polo category with Bangladesh’s Aiman Sadat in second position and Kolkata’s Arya Singh third.

     The results (Provisional):

    Arjun Balu, who took pole position in the Saloon cars category (Sept 25) at MMRT.

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Momentum Motorsport, Chennai) (20mins, 04.575secs); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsport, Bengaluru) (20:10.045); 3. Amir Sayed (MSport, Kotagiri) (20:12.571).

    Qualifying – MRF F1600: 1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (Best lap – 01:40.148); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (01:40.741); 3. K Suriya Varadhan (Coimbatore) (01:40.977).

    All Saloons – Indian Touring Cars: 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts, Coimbatore) (01:50.927); 2. Anindith Reddy (Rayo Racing, Hyderabad) (01:52.329); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Rayo Racing, Hyderabad) (01:52.592).

    Super Stock: 1. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (01:58.645); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Performance Racing, Chennai) (01;58.841); 3. RP Raja Rajan (Performance Racing, Chennai) (01:59.433).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (01:58.911); 2. K Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing, Chennai) (02:03.402); 3. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Performance Racing, Chennai) (02:05.029).

    Volkswagen Polo: 1. Aditya Swaminathan (Bengaluru) (1:56.609); 2. Aiman Sadat (Bangladesh) (1:56.747); 3. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (1:56.993).

  • 76 in fray for MRF MMSC Indian Car Racing Nationals

    76 in fray for MRF MMSC Indian Car Racing Nationals

    Irungattukottai (near Chennai, 23 Sept 2021: High on excitement and expectations, the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 commences on Saturday, September 25, at the MMRT behind closed doors due to Covid-19 safety restrictions with a card of nine races and 76 competitors in the fray.

    Returning to the championship after a season’s break due to the pandemic is MRF Formula1600 class which will headline the two-day programme with a 12-car grid, followed by the ever-popular saloon cars in three categories – the top-end Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock. Also in the mix is the Formula LGB 1300 which boasts of a huge grid of 25 cars.

    Volkswagen will run their one-make championship with a grid of 22 VW Polo cars, all kitted with 1.8-litre turbo engine putting out 235 bhp and a six-speed gear box operated by paddle-shift levers besides the push-to-pass mechanism which is a first in Indian racing. Lining up on the grid are four racers from Bangladesh and a lone female entry in Diana Pundole, a mother of two, from Pune.

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “Given the situation and the challenges we all faced and still dealing with due to the pandemic, the positive response to the four-wheeler championship has been overwhelming. Formula LGB 1300, for instance, has a grid of 25 cars and 22 in the Volkswagen Polo championship. We also welcome MRF F1600 back in our midst after missing the 2020 season due to the pandemic. Lest we forget, the saloon cars, with a combined grid of 17, will certainly mark their presence. Equally laudable is that our title sponsors MRF are providing slick tyres. So, with better grip, we can expect close and exciting races this weekend.”

    The field for the JA Motorsport-prepared MRF F1600 includes a few experienced drivers like Ashwin Datta, Deepak Ravikumar and Nikanth Ram among others. The cars have been completely overhauled and readied for this weekend’s triple-header.

    In the saloon car category, Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu, driving a Race Concepts-prepared Honda City VTec, is looking forward to defending his National title in the Indian Touring Cars class that also has two VW entrants in Anindith Reddy and 2019 VW Ameo Cup winner Jeet Jhabakh, both from Hyderabad, and driving 1.8 Litre turbo-charged Polo.

    The IJTC also returns to the championship after missing out two seasons, while the Super Stock, among the most competitive, is expected to dish out close battles as in the previous years.

    In the Formula LGB 1300 category, an incentive by way of a Rookie Cup for the highest placed first-timer in each of the races, is on offer.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronelec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Double delight for Team MRF Tyres: Italian Gravel Rally

    Double delight for Team MRF Tyres: Italian Gravel Rally

    Chennai, 12 Sept 2021: Team MRF Tyres secured second and third places on the podium as MRF Tyres also won the Female Championship in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (CIRT).

    Team MRF Tyres continued its podium winning form in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (CIRT) and the Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino. The fifth round of the CIRT saw seven stages and 68.08km of competitive action with Paolo Andreucci/Rudy Briani in their Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, Simone Campedelli/Gianfrancesco Rappa in their VW Polo GTi R5 and Tamara Molinaro/Piercarlo Capolongo in their Citroën C3 Rally2 propelling Team MRF Tyres to podium finishes. 

    Going into the rally, the team was in a strong position after winning the previous round and had high expectations of a good result and gathering important tyre data.

    The rally started well for Team MRF Tyres with the first two stages, Telti being run twice on Friday night. Campedelli/Rappa had won SS2, while Andreucci/Briani were equal leaders of the rally at the end of the day. Saturday had the bulk of the competitive action and the fight was intense.

    Podium for Andreucci Paolo, left, and Briani Rudi, of Team MRF Tyres. Photo: INDIAinF1.com

    Andreucci/Briani pushed hard, winning SS4 Oschiri 1 and SS7 Monte Olia 3. Throughout the rally, they were inside the top three on every stage, ensuring they were in the mix. Campedelli/Rappa were also putting in a strong performance winning SS3 Monte Olia 1 and finishing second on the rest of the day’s stages.

    These performances ensured that the gaps at the top of the timesheets were tight. Going into the final stage, the top three were separated by less than 10 seconds with Team MRF Tyres drivers fighting hard with Umberto Scandola/Danilo Fappani.

    By the end of SS7, the final stage of the rally, Team MRF Tyres drivers fought to within 3.5 seconds of the win, with the top three being separated by incredibly small margins.

    A technical problem for Campedelli/Rappa after the final stage saw them check-in to a time control late, taking a 20-second penalty in the process. However, the podium success for Team MRF Tyres could not be denied with Andreucci/Briani taking second and Campedelli/Rappa finishing third. 

    Paolo Andreucci, Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, “It was a great rally and I am happy to be able to take a podium position with Team MRF Tyres. The car worked well throughout the rally and we were always at the front. “We were able to take another podium position and get more data for the tyres. Thanks to the team for the weekend and I am looking forward to the final round of the season.”

    Meanwhile, Molinaro/Capolongo ran a strong rally in their Citroën, maintaining their 100 percent winning form in the Female category. The result allowed the pair to take home the Female Championship, one round before the end of the season. Bringing the car home on every stage with consistent pace, they were able to finish inside the top 10 in the CIRT and, in addition, took fourth position in the Under 25 category. Tamara Molinaro, Driver, Citroën C3 Rally2, said “We had some technical issues during the rally so we lost time with that. It was a challenging rally but we gained a lot of experience and won the Female Championship with one rally to spare so that is fantastic. A big thanks must go to MRF Tyres this year as well! The tyres worked well through the rally and allowed us to get this result.”

    One round remains in the CIRT with the 12th Liburna Terra Rally taking place on 5-6 November. Team MRF Tyres will be in action again this week with the fifth round of the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship as Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera join Team MRF Tyres to drive the Hyundai i20 R5 in the Azores Rallye.

  • Anish Shetty, Deepak Ravikumar post maiden wins

    Anish Shetty, Deepak Ravikumar post maiden wins

    Chennai, 12 Sept 2021: Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts) pulled off a well-deserved win, if a bit fortuitous, his first of the season in the premier Prostock 301-400cc category as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Also scoring his maiden win of the 2021 season was Deepak Ravikumar who led a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing with championship leader Jagan Kumar in tow ahead of Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Senthil Kumar. The lead Honda rider, Rajiv Sethu, who was eyeing a possible win, crashed after making contact with Senthil in the last lap and eventually finished a distant ninth which fetched him one point.

    Earlier, Chennai’s Ryhana Bee (RACR) and Thrissur lad Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) won in the Girls and Novice (Stock 165cc) categories, respectively.

    The Prostock 301-400cc race was action-packed. With several front-runners, including championship leader Rajini Krishnan (RACR) crashing out in the latter part of the eight-lap race, the door was open for Anish Shetty, astride a KTM RC390, to seize the opportunity to win from TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed, the defending champion, and Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing).

    Rajini, winner of three consecutive races, crashed at the last corner on the sixth lap soon after surviving a contact on the back sweep with TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar whose challenge thus ended.

    Despite the poor result, Rajini continues to occupy the top spot in the championship stakes with 75 points while Anish Shetty (63) moved to second position, followed by Rahil Shetty (58).

    The expected TVS vs Honda battle in the Prostock 165cc race flickered for a while with Jagan, Rajiv and Ravikumar swapping lead. The trio was bunched close together with Senthil lurking in their shadow. With a couple of the eight laps left, Ravikumar forged ahead while behind him, Rajiv and Senthil tangled which took out the former, leaving Jagan to snatch P2 while Senthil completed the podium.

    The result still left Jagan in the championship lead with a tally of 93 points, well clear of Ravikumar (67) and Rajiv Sethu (56).

    Earlier, Ryhana Bee chalked up her second consecutive win in the Girls category, while pushing front-runner Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) from Puducherry to second place. Mumbai’s Jagruthi Penkar (Sparks Racing) completed the podium. Defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing), who had won all four races last season, crashed again as she did in last month’s first round and is still to open her account.

    Meanwhile, Chennai riders Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R) and Kevin Kannan (Hornet 2.0) notched their fourth straight win while Bokaro Steel City’s Prakash Kamath (Honda CBR 150) achieved a double  in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-make Championship organised by the MMSC.

    Kolhapur’s 12-year old Jinendra Kiran Sangave also recorded his fourth consecutive win in the TVS Rookie category.

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship:

    Prostock 301-400cc (Race-2 – 8 laps): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (15mins, 09.769secs); 2. Ahmed KY (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:10.171); 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (15:10.310).

    Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:51.435); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:51.828); 3. Senthil Kumar (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (16:10.248, incl 15-sec penalty for jump start).

    Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-2: 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (13:01.182); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:01.218); 3. Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing, Thrissur) (13:03.516).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR, Chennai) (10:58.929); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Puducherry) (11:01.217); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:18.622).

    One-Make Championship organized by Madras Motor Sports Club:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:52.563); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (15:01.558); 3. Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel (Chennai) (15:08.141).­­

    CBR 150 (Race-2): 1. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel City) (13:15.766); 2. Johann Reeves Emmanuel (Chennai) (13:28.042); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (13:28.204).

    Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:28.694); 2. Balaji G (Chennai) (13:29.169); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:29.435).

    TVS Apache Open (RR310, Race-2): 1. Amarnath Menon (Calicut) (11:51.317); 2. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (11:51.778); 3. KK Anandhu (Chennai) (11:52.872).

    Rookie (RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:56.019); 2. Vignesh Gowd (Hyderabad) (13:02.618); 3. Jagathishree (Chennai) (13:02.922).

  • WRC star Dani Sordo teams up with MRF Tyres

    WRC star Dani Sordo teams up with MRF Tyres

    Sao Miguel (Portugal), 7 Sept 2021: Team MRF Tyres will continue the aggressive development push at next round of the FIA European Rally Championship at the Azores Rallye that takes place on the Portuguese archipelago.

    For the Azores Rallye, Spanish ace and multiple World Rally Championship winner, Dani Sordo joins the team to drive the MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5.

    Sordo is the third driver to compete in the Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i29 R5 in 2021 after Craig Breen started the year, taking a podium in Rally Liepaja, and Jari Huttunen competed in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin.

    The development program now has a rotational roster of drivers, with the cooperation of Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing.

    After two rallies in a row on tarmac, the FIA European Rally Championships starts the second half of the season on gravel with the 55th Azores Rallye.

    Sordo and Team MRF Tyres will compete over 13 stages and 201.94km of competitive action.

    For many rally fans, Sordo needs no introduction. A WRC veteran with 174 starts to his name, he has taken three overall wins, two with the Hyundai World Rally Team. Additionally, he has won the Junior World Rally Championship and the Spanish Rally Championship in 2005.

    He has made just one appearance in the European Rally Championship. In 2018 he started the Barum Czech Rally Zlin a Hyundai i20 R5, taking third place.

    His mission for MRF Tyres will follow the strategy that the team has been following for the past two seasons – that is data gathering and tyre development for the next generation of MRF rally tyres.

    MRF Tyres is taking advantage of its unique position to access multiple drivers from the Hyundai stable to help provide additional experiences to its development program.

    In addition, MRF Tyres have engaged the services of Paolo Andreucci, Simone Campedelli, Tamara Molinaro and Emil Lindholm in testing and competition to help gather data for the development of the tyres.
     Round five of the FIA European Rally Championship, the Azores Rallye will take place from 16-18 September and you can follow the progress of Team MRF Tyres on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

    Quotes
    Dani Sordo, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
    “I am really excited to do the Azores Rallye with Team MRF Tyres and the Hyundai i20 R5. The Azores Rallye is an amazing rally to drive. I will give a lot of information for the tyres. We will use this rally as a test for the development of MRF Tyres.”

    “We will be there to get more information, to get a good result and to work with the MRF Tyres.”

  • Czech dream ends early for Team MRF Tyres: ERC

    Czech dream ends early for Team MRF Tyres: ERC

    Zlin (Czech Republic), 29 August 2021: Team MRF Tyres’ visit to the FIA European Rally Championship’s  Barum Czech Rally Zlin ended early after showing good pace.

    The rally got to a good start for Jari Huttunen and Mikko Lukka in the Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 by taking fifth spot in the qualifying session.

    The duo would take the fifth starting position and drove safely through the first night stage in the streets of Zlin.

    The event was able to welcome spectators to both the stages and the service park, providing a carnival atmosphere.

    Saturday’s stages started well, with the tyre development program front of mind. The potential of the tyres was shown through top six stage times.

    However, the rally came to an end on Stage 7, the 18.86 Hošťálková stage. An off damaged the rear side on the driver’s side. It also damaged the engine, and that was too great to repair onsite within the timeframe allowed.

    Team MRF Tyres will be back in action in the FIA European Rally Championship with the Azores Rallye from September 16-18.

    Quote
    Jari Huttunen, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
    “We were enjoying the Barum Czech Rally Zlin for Team MRF Tyres. We were going through our plan to get more data for the tyre. Unfortunately, we crashed on SS7 and the damage was too great to repair on site and we have to retire. Both Mikko and I are ok and want to get back behind the wheel. I feel bad for the team. The MRF Tyre was performing well to that point.”

  • Breen-Nagle take first podium for MRF in ERC

    Breen-Nagle take first podium for MRF in ERC

    Talsi/Liepaja, 3 July 2021: With a second place finish at the Rally Liepaja, Team MRF Tyres today registered their first ever podium since entering the European Rally Championship in 2020. 

    It was a hard fought podium with Craig Breen and Paul Nagle battling against Europe’s best throughout the day.

    The day’s action saw six stages and 90.92km of action in warm and sunny conditions on roads around the Latvian coastal town of Liepaja.

    The Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 started the day in second place, involved in a great fight with Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (VW), Efrén Llarena/ Sara Fernández (Skoda) and Alexey Lukyanuk/Dmitriy Eremeev (Citroën). Just 13.4 seconds separated the four cars.

    The day started with the 18.42km Neste stage. The roads on Saturday differed from the previous day with a harder surface being presented to the drivers.

    Breen and Nagle came in third in the stage with a time of 9:18.2, just 3.4 seconds off the lead.

    The pace was repeated on the second stage of the day, with Breen/Nagle taking second just 3.1 seconds off the stage win on the Invest in Liepaja! stage.

    Third on stage nine, solidified Team MRF Tyres second place going into the final service. With just three stages remaining, Breen and Nagle sat in second 15.2 seconds off Gryzain/Konstantin in the lead and 16.0 seconds ahead of Lukanuk/Eremeev in third.

    After final service, the need to push still existed. All of the drivers were at 100 percent, and there would be no room for mistakes.

    SS10 saw a repeat of the Neste stage with Breen/Nagle coming home in fifth, 3.9 seconds off the stage win.

    The eleventh stage would be a new one for the rally with the 9.93km blast setting up a setting up a grandstand finish.

    Breen and Nagle were able to bring the car home third on the final stage to finish second in the overall standings as they stood at the final stopline.

    The result demonstrates the advancements that Team MRF Tyres have made in the development of their tyres.

    In Rally Poland, just the second gravel rally for Team MRF Tyres, Breen and Nagle took the first stage wins on gravel for MRF Tyres.

    In Latvia, the first repeat rally for MRF Tyres, the team takes the first podium. 

    MRF Tyres customer cars Michal Pryczek/ Jacek Pryczek (Subaru Impreza N15) and Igor Widłak/Daniel Dymurski (Ford Fiesta Rally 3) ran strongly over the day.

    Pryczek/Pryczek finished third in the ERC2 category and Widlak/Dymurski also finished third in the RC3 category.

    Team MRF Tyres will be out in the next round of the European Rally Championship with the Rally di Roma Capitale on 23-26 July.

    Quotes
    Craig Breen, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
    “We had to push all rally long. There was no room to relax this weekend. This series is so strong and you have to fight for the podium.”

    “Team MRF Tyres has achieved so much in this campaign and a podium was a big part that was missing. To achieve a podium for Team MRF Tyres is very satisfying.”

    “The Hyundai i20 R5 felt so good through the rally but we had to push the entire way. The entire team at MRF Tyres should be proud of what we have achieved in a short amount of time.”

    “We entered the European Rally Championship a year ago and Rally Liepaja is only our third gravel rally. It is a great result.”

    *Results provisional

  • MRF Tyres win Italian gravel rally for first wi

    MRF Tyres win Italian gravel rally for first wi

    Sardinia, 5 June 2021: Team MRF Tyres has won the Campionato Italiano Rally Terra (CIRT) in style with Paolo Andreucci and Rudy Briani winning three out of four stages to win the Rally Italia Sardegna – National.

    The success for MRF Tyres continued by taking third place with Simone Campedelli and Gianfrancesco Maria Rappa and by Tamara Molinaro and Piercarlo Capolongo winning the Ladies Division.

    This result is the first victory for Team MRF Tyres in top-line national rallying in Europe after the Indian tyre manufacturer committed to European rallying in 2019.

    The Rally Italia Sardegna – National was the second round of the CIRT, or the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel. Team MRF Tyres had succeeded in taking a podium in the first round and was coming into this weekend after a podium run the weekend before in Finland.

    The rally, which took place on the Italian island of Sardinia, featured rough gravel rounds and would be a test for man and machine.

    The crews would tackle four stages and 73.3km of competitive action. They would run the 22.29km Filigosu – Sa Conchedda test, then the 14.36km Terranova test, then take to service before running the two stages again in the afternoon.

    The key was that the WRC cars would run these stages before the Italian Championship cars, ensuring that the stones and rough conditions would lay in wait for anyone that would put a wheel wrong.

    For Andreucci and Briani, they put in a flawless run in their MRF Tyres Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.
    They started the day in style winning the first stage by 9.9 seconds before confirming their pace by winning the second stage.

    They went into service with a 12.5 second lead.

    After service, they extended their lead with a third stage win from three stages. Their pace in each of the three stages was good enough for them to take the WRC3 stage wins, proving the pace of the MRF Tyre.

    Coming into the final stage, Andreucci and Briani ensured their place on the top step. In the end, they won by 31.8 seconds from Umberto Scandola and Guido D’Amore.

    Campedelli and Rappa made it a double podium for Team MRF Tyres by taking third place in their Volkswagen Polo R5.

    They started the day with a third on SS1, followed by a fourth and two more third positions to take their second podium in two rounds of the CIRT.

    Molinaro and Capolongo kept up the celebrations for Team MRF Tyres in their Citroën C3 Rally2. The duo finished seventh and achieved their goals of winning the Ladies Trophy for the second rally in succession and finished second in the Under 25’s Division.

    This success shows that the aggressive development campaign from MRF Tyres has yielded results.

    MRF Tyres is competing in the toughest rally championships in the world and to be able to beat the best demonstrates the effort and skill from the team at MRF Tyres.

    The work will continue with the opening round of the European Rally Championship taking place with Rally Poland from 18-20 June.

    The next round of the CIRT will take place with the San Marino Rally from 25-26 June.

    Paolo Andreucci, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, Winner
    “We are very satisfied with this victory! We were very careful in this rally since the beginning and paid great attention so as not to make mistakes or puncture.  From the very first step we felt very competitive with our MRF Tyres.” 

    “Here in Sardinia, our victory rewards us for the growth with the developments made in recent weeks.  Our times have been excellent since the first stage.  We were able to impose our pace thanks also to the reliability of the vehicle made available by Silvio Lazzara’s H Sport team, who took care of the Skoda Fabia R5 Evo 2, set up with our partner Sparco.”

    “The development activity is giving its positive results, and we can only be satisfied with this important result today thanks also to the important work of the entire MRF Tyres team.  Our development activity continues and today, thanks also to the result achieved, we have collected very important data.” 

    “Now we are concentrating on the next appointment at the San Marino Rally, which will be the third round of the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel.”

    Simone Campedelli, Volkswagen Polo R5, 3rd
    “I was thinking about the Championship. In the previous years, I retired in Sardinia and I had to make it to the end today. I managed my pace today as Paolo had better pace on the MRF Tyres but I was thinking about the Championship.”

    “To take another third here with MRF Tyres and make it through such a rough rally with no issues at all is great. I am now looking forward to the getting back in the car at the next round. Well done to everyone at MRF Tyres for this result.”

    Tamara Molinaro, Citroën C3 Rally2, 7th & winner Ladies
    “We are really about the weekend, it was a great weekend and a great achievement for the MRF Tyres family. Paolo and Simone had incredible pace and showed the potential of the tyres. On a rough rally like this, the tyre is the most important thing. It is impressive to see the work and the development and the work from MRF Tyres has paid off.”

    “For us, it was a great rally. The feeling of the tyres is really important for someone like me, with less experience. We finished seventh overall and won the female class. We took important points for the Championship and delighted for this result.”

    “I have to say thank you to MRF Tyres, it wouldn’t be possible without their support,” she concluded.

  • Simone Campedelli joins Team MRF Tyres for 2021 ERC

    Simone Campedelli joins Team MRF Tyres for 2021 ERC

    3 March 2021: Team MRF Tyres welcomes Italian ace Simone Campedelli to the team for the 2021 season. Campedelli will take the gravel rounds for the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship (FIA ERC).

    Campedelli has made a name for himself on the Italian stages, taking four titles in his career including the Italian 2WD Championship, Italian Junior, Italian Tarmac and the Italian Gravel Trophy. His 2020 saw him take a win and two-second places in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship.

    The natural step is into the FIA ERC and Campedelli will compete at the front of the field in a VW Polo R5.

    He joins Team MRF Tyres on the back of Italian legend Paolo Andreucci, with both drivers bringing vast experience and knowledge to the team

    Campedelli will start his ERC at Azores Rally in Portugal in May. Rally Poland and Rally Liepaja in June and July follows before the final gravel event in Portugal take place in September with the Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras. If all goes well may be few ERC Tarmac rounds on the cards.

    The pace and potential were shown in 2020 will be built on with Campedelli, who will be out to gain valuable data for the next generation of MRF Tyres.

    MRF Tyres has a strong and reliable customer product and is committed to developing the range of tyres that can be used in rally competition across the globe.

    Further announcements for the 2021 campaigns will be made in due course. The next outing for Team MRF Tyres will be the SM OK Auto Ralli, the second round of the Finnish Rally Championship with Lindholm/Korhonen on 5-6 March.

    Quotes
    Simone Campedelli, Driver, Team MRF Tyres
    “I am really looking forward to this year. I am part of a big team with big ambitions this year. I will use my experience to test and to try to get the best results possible for Team MRF Tyres. I know that they are looking to me to help develop the tyres as well. This is a big responsibility.”

    “It is a big opportunity to rally outside of Italy and contest the ERC rounds this year. Team MRF Tyres showed that they have the pace and they are committed to improving their product and I am excited about these challenges.”

    “Having a manufacturer like MRF Tyres in rallying is very important in Europe. They are a big company and are committed to motorsport. I am proud to be able to join them and I look forward to working with the team. I would also like to thank my long-time supporters, ORANGE1. Their continued support has allowed me to make this move to the ERC.”

    Mr. Arun Mammen (MRF Tyres Vice-Chairman & Managing Director)
    “We at MRF Tyres are proud of our commitment to motorsport and our rally activities in Europe are a part of this. As the first Indian manufacturer to join the European Rally Championship in 2020, we proved how competitive we are and that we are dedicated to always improving our products.”

    “I am pleased to be able to welcome Simone Campedelli to Team MRF Tyres. He joins a very skilled and dedicated team and I am sure everyone at MRF Tyres will follow him and be eager for success. I am proud to see MRF Tyres commitment to the European Rally Championship.”

    “Welcome to the MRF family, Simone and best of luck for the 2021 season.”

    About MRF Tyres
    MRF Tyres was established in 1946 and now employs over 16,000 people and has revenue of around US$2.5 billion making it the biggest tyre supplier in India. MRF Tyres supplies rally and race tyres around the world. MRF Tyres entered the European Rally Championship for the first time in 2020 taking stage wins and took a podium position in the team’s first snow rally in the Finnish Rally Championship. It is part of a long motorsport heritage for the company that has seen multiple Asia Pacific Rally Championship titles, open wheeler success, national rally and racing success.

    About the European Rally Championship:
    The FIA European Rally Championship, established in 1953 is one of the oldest and most prestigious rally championships in the world. Crews rally across eight rounds from March to November with four tarmac and four gravel events.

    The 2020 ERC calendar is as follows:
    Round 1 – Azores Rallye (6 – 8 May)
    Round 2 –  Rajd Polski – Rally Poland (18-20 June)
    Round 3 – Rally Liepāja (1-3 July)
    Round 4 – Rally di Roma Capitale (23-25 July)
    Round 5 – Barum Czech Rally Zlín (27-29 August)
    Round 6 – Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras (23-25 September)
    Round 7 – Rally Hungary (22-24 October)
    Round 8 – Rally Islas Canarias (18-20 November)