INDIA in F1

Tag: Rally

  • 3 dead in Jodhpur accident during INRC first stage

    Jodhpur, 21 Sept 2019: A pall of gloom descended on the rally camp at the Maxperience Rally 2019 here as the tragic incident which took three lives, left the Rally Fraternity in a state of shock and disbelief. After the accident that happened in the first few minutes of the start here, the rally was stopped, and later the organisers cancelled the Jodhpur Rally.

    Gaurav Gill’s car is said to be involved in the accident while negotiating a blind corner and the `bike appeared from nowhere,’’ a spectator said.

    Though a section of the media has put out the names of the deceased, the police are yet to identify and confirm them. Police are yet to file the FIR and find attorneys for traffic accident injuries cases to help the injured victims. The organisers and promoters are fully cooperating with the policy inquiry and are in touch with the top police authorities of the district. You can also get help from Matthew Norris – helping oil field accident victims, in any of the accident or injury cases.

    “The rally had to be brought to an abrupt end after one of the cars hit a motorcycle carrying three people. The motorcycle had forcibly entered into the barricaded area, breaking past the security barrier while the stage was still green. The driver was moving at high speed and could not even see the motorbike as it emerged at a sharp turn,” Arvind Balan, the local organiser of the rally said. The attorneys for traffic accident injuries cases can help with the legalities of injury cases.

    It is learnt that the three deceased were not wearing helmets and were on the track and argued with the stage marshals who stopped them from entering the stage which is green and ready for the first car. “Everything happened within less than a minute. It was a literally a blind spot. He (Gaurav) tried to stop the car, however, as there was a sharp turn the situation became unavoidable and he was blinded. Despite being warned, the biker forcefully entered the track,” the organizers said.

    The driver of the motorcycle and the two pillion riders, said to be his wife and son, reportedly died on the spot. None of them were wearing helmets.

    “We feel very sad for the deceased people and express our condolences to their family members. We had all the safety measures at place and also had the necessary permission from the authorities,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter, added.
    “It was an unfortunate incident that took place despite all the safety measures being in place,” J Prithiviraj, president of FMSCI, who is also the  COC of the event, said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. The entire motorsports fraternity stands with them in this hour of grief,” he added.
  • Gaurav Gill excited about the fast and flowing stages: INRC Jodhpur Rally

    Gaurav Gill excited about the fast and flowing stages: INRC Jodhpur Rally

    Gaurav Gill explaining the stages at Jodhpur on Friday. Photo by David Bodapati

    Jodhpur, 20 Sept. 2019: Fresh from the WRC2 campaign, speed maestro Gaurav Gill of JK Racing, looked excited and confident after the recce here on Friday. The reigning champion took a liking to the fast and flowing stages of Rally Jodhpur, the Maxperience Rally 2019, which serves as Round 3 of the Champions Yacht Club fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) powered by MRF here on Friday.

    In the orange colours of Mahindra Adventure in an SUV 300 on JK Tyres, Gill, who just returned from Rally Turkey, said that the stages were very fast. “The stages are perhaps the fastest I ever saw in an INRC event in the past few years. I am really excited and looking forward to tomorrow’s run. We have good upgrades to the car and am confident of a good result,” he said.

    During Mahindra Adventure testing on Thursday Gaurav Gill took a huge jump on the route which will be part of the INRC stages. Mahindra Adventure photo: G Harinath

    Both in Chennai and Coimbatore, he dominated the proceedings before he was let down by the car. Gill, along with his co-driver Musa Sherif, is currently fifth on the championship standing with 22 points and will be eager to move up quickly.

    Another driver who took a liking to the fast stages, is Fabid Ahmer of Team Champions. The youngster from Palakkad, with co-driver Sanath Gopalan, is currently leading the championship table after two rounds with 49 points. “The stages are very quick and the stretches are fast with free-flowing corners. They are a driver’s delight and we are looking for another good outing,” Fabid said.

    Dean Mascarenhas talking to media after the road show in Jodhpur on Friday. Photo David Bodapati

    Seven points behind him is another youngster from Mangaluru. Dean Mascarenhas, also from the Team Champions, with co-driver Shruptha Padival, is supported by JK Racing. They won the opening round and showed his class in Round 2 as well, jumping 32 places to finish 10th overall and second in his INRC 2 category. He 42 points from two rounds. With three more rallies after Jodhpur, the battle is still

    However, it won’t be easy for both of them as Younus Ilyas will be breathing fiercely down their neck. The Race Concepts driver from Kochi, along with his navigator Harish Gowda, was in stellar form in the last round and finished second overall missing the top podium by just 04.600 seconds. He however won his INRC 2 category. He is placed fourth in the INRC overall category with 31 points.

    Arka Motorsports Karna Kadur along with Nikhil Pai, Chetan Shivram, with brother & co-driver Dilip Sharan, will also be in the mix and will look to maintain to gain some valuable points.

    The Akshara Racing driver Shivram, surprised everyone in the last round by winning the overall title as well as his own INRC 3 category.

    Shivram showed great opportunism as he made the most of the top contenders’ misfortune.

    He surged ahead on Day 1 itself and drove smartly the next day to avoid all the pitfalls that lurked in the stages, just off Coimbatore.

    Fabid Ahmer, the current overall leader, in Jodhpur on Friday.

    Fabid Ahmer along with Sanath G of Team Champions has been the stand-out performer of the season so far and will start as the dark horse once again. While the big names have been fighting it out to stay in the hunt, Fabid slowly clawed him way up the table to lead the championship with 49 points. He is also leading the INRC 3 category with 69 points.

    Suhem Kabeer along with Jeeva Rathnam is another driver to watch out for in Round 3 of the INRC. Even though he is placed 7th overall, the position does not exactly tell the tale. He was in the hunt for a podium in the last round and was hot on the heels of the eventual winner Chetan Shivram. But, bad luck struck him mid-way into the final where he got stuck in the slush which saw him lose six minutes to slip out of contention.

    Vaibhav Marate has been unbeaten in the INRC 4 category winning both the rounds. He is on top of the charts with 79 points and will hope to extend his lead in Jodhpur.

    The Rally of Jodhpur, to be run on gravel, will cover about 300 kms over the two days, including 125 kms of Special Stages. As many as 51 teams will be seen in action in what promises to be a fast and furious affair.

    The rally not only provides the drivers a great opportunity to prove their mettle but will also offer fans a great opportunity to catch the stars live in action in their mean machines.

  • Fabid leads #INRC table with Dean in tow but all eyes will be on speed maestro Gaurav Gill

    Fabid leads #INRC table with Dean in tow but all eyes will be on speed maestro Gaurav Gill

    Fabid Ahmer kicks up the dust but manouvres the corner in a smooth manner in the Avisa stage of the South India rally in this June photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Jodhpur, 19 Sept. 2019: Fresh from his WRC2 campaign in Rally Turkey, JK Racing’s Gaurav Gill will be looking to go all-out for the elusive win this season as he spearheads a strong 51-car Jodhpur Rally, termed as Maxperience 2019, the third round of the Champion Yacht Club promoted Indian National Rally Championship from September 20 to 22.

    Organised by Madcap Adventure Xperiences in association with Coimbatore Auto Sports Club under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci), the event will witness two days of intense Stage Rallying which returns to the city after a gap of nine years. The action will be spread over 126.5 kms of Special Stage distance and along with 258.6 kms of liaison will make it a total distance of 385.22 kms.

    Gaurav Gill file photo by JK Racing

    Piloting the Mahindra XUV 300, along with experienced Musa Sherif as navigator, the champion rally driver, who became the first athlete from motorsports to receive Arjuna Award recently, is raring to go in the orange colours of Team Mahindra Adventure here. Deeply focussed to post a victory and log some valuable points with three more rounds remaining in Bengaluru, Kuttikanum, and Chikkamagaluru, the speed maestro is capable of turning the tables for his 7th INRC title. But the battle is not going to be easy despite 117 points on offer from the three remaining rallies as Team Mahindra is struggling to set-up the optimum car for him, run now on JK Tyres. However, Gill’s teammate, Ghosh, will continue on MRF tyres.

    Fabid Ahmer poses with his car during one of his rallies in the 2019 campaign.

    But for now, `Mr Clean & Consistent’, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanat Gopalan, who have shown tremendous application and grit with some smooth driving are rewarded with the overall first in the leaderboard after three rounds with 49 points. The Team Champions youngsters from Palakkad in their No#11 Volkswagen Polo are competing in both the INRC3 and Junior INRC classes. But they are keen to continue their good run and keep the lead in the overall category with another good showing in Jodhpur.

    Dean’s file photo by Anand Philar

    Close on their heels will be Dean Mascarenhas who is second in the standings with 42 points and Chetan Shivaram (40). Younus Ilyas has 31 points with Gill, way behind at fifth place, wtih just 22.

    Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik will be the other Mahindra team entry in the top class and will have #3 Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai of Arka Motorsports in a Polo along with the other 2 INRC competitors of Snap Racing, Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda, and Girija Shankar Joshy and co-driver Chandramouli M, both also in rally-prepared Volkswagen Polos.

    The other teams to watch in the INRC2 class will be Younus Iyas and Harish Gowda of Race Concepts in a Mitsubishi Cedia and Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt of Arka Motorsports. These two teams are expected to face a tough fight from Team Champions’ team Dean Mascarenhas and co-driver Shrupta Padival, and Vikram Rao Aroor and Somayya AG, also from Team Champions both behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo.

    The daughter-mother duo of Shivani Pruthvi and Deepti, in the #26 Mitsubishi Cedia is the only all-woman team and will vie for honours in INRC3 and Junior INRC class.

    Two physical stages of Camel Hump consisting of 13.45km and Roller Coaster covering 13.70km will be run thrice on Saturday for a total of 121.45km of Special Stage distance on Day 1. On Sunday, four more stages will be run. The two stages of 9.35km Drift Run and 13.2km Precision Drive will be run twice each for a Stage distance of 45.1km on Sunday, the Day 2.

    There are 15 teams which are supported by Team Champions vying for honours in every class. “Champions Yacht Club believes in producing champions so we are supporting many teams. That is our mission as we step in to run the INRC,” said Shubakara Rao of Champions Group. “We are now providing an ideal platform to many talented drivers who always suffered because of lack of sponsorship and we also intend to promote them at international competitions on world-class routes,” said Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Club.

    He also informed that the competitors with valid FMSCI Competition License have been insured for Rs.5 lakh personal accident & Rs. 5 lakh towards medical expenses. Even 100 Officials come under a cover Rs.25 lakh for personal accidents and Rs. 1 lakh for medical expenses.

    The Ceremonial Flag-off from Hotel Lariya Resort near the Jaisalmer bye-pass will be at 5 pm on Friday after the Drivers’ Briefing and Press Conference. The prize distribution and podium ceremony on Sunday will be at 5 pm also at the same venue, which is also the Rally Head Quarters 2 (hq2).

     

  • Invaluable rally-raid experience for Fernando Alonso at Lichtenburg 400

    Invaluable rally-raid experience for Fernando Alonso at Lichtenburg 400

    Fernando Alonso during the Lichetenburg Rally-Raid last Saturday. A Toyota Gazoo Racing image

    Lichtenburg (South Africa), 16 Sept 2019: Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma completed an eventful but invaluable learning experience at the Lichtenburg 400 in South Africa on September 13-14 with Toyota Gazoo Racing. Following successful training sessions in Namibia and Poland, the Spanish duo entered round five of the South African Cross Country Series, their first rally raid competition together in the Toyota Hilux.

    The crew completed a 300-kilometre Shakedown on the varied terrain of the competition route as part of their training on September 12. This gave the pair additional seat time in the Hilux while allowing Marc to familiarise himself with the event roadbook and onboard navigation systems used during the competition.

    During the Prologue on September 13, which determines the starting order on race day, Fernando and Marc started the 55-kilometre route from 10th position on the road. Despite the dust kicked up by the leading pack, the crew showed strong pace over the early part of the route, eventually catching up and passing one of the competitors ahead to get themselves into clearer air. Fernando and Marc posted the third-fastest time overall just 32 seconds off pole, bested only by Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa’s Henk Lategan and Giniel de Villiers also in the Hilux.

    Starting from third position on race day, the crew experienced a soft rollover at the 27-kilometre mark. The windscreen of the Hilux was broken and the pair lost time to remove the glass before continuing. Despite the challenges, Fernando and Marc continued to the end of the 190-kilometre loop and posted competitive split times throughout the remainder of the first loop while wearing goggles to assist visibility in the dust. At the midday service, the Toyota Gazoo Racing team raced to replace the windscreen and completed minor bodywork repairs on the Hilux in the limited time available. Together with the event organisers, it was decided that the crew will start the second loop ahead of the field in clear air to gain quality mileage.

    A bird strike five kilometres into the second loop resulted in a second broken windscreen for the crew. Fernando and Marc again demonstrated their resolve to complete the final 190-kilometre loop while taking turns to hold the broken windscreen in place between driving and navigating. They continued to post competitive split times and was classified 16th overall.

    In total, Fernando and Marc clocked up another 728 kilometres of training mileage during the Lichtenburg 400 which saw them traverse cornfields, undulating veld and dry river crossings. Even more invaluable than the mileage for the new Spanish pairing transitioning into a different discipline of motorsport are the lessons learnt and experience earned in the white heat of rally raid competition.

    Lichtenburg 400 was won by Giniel and navigator Dennis Murphy while Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teammates Henk and navigator Brett Cummings finished second, enough to win the 2019 South African Cross Country Series title with one round remaining.

    The next challenge for Fernando and Marc as part of their intensive training programme will be the Rally of Morocco which takes place near the city of Fes, Morocco on October 3-9. Last year’s rally was won by reigning Dakar Rally champion Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel, their second consecutive Rally of Morocco victory with Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa in the Hilux.

    Seen as a precursor to the Dakar Rally, the route of the 2019 edition of the Rally of Morocco will feature a cloverleaf layout with five competitive stages all starting and ending near Fes. Competitors will navigate a total distance of 2,500 kilometres, of which 1,868 kilometres will be timed special stages, featuring a mixture of rough gravel tracks, sand dune crossings and tricky navigation.

    Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “We certainly proved this weekend that Fernando has the speed and Marc has the ability to co-drive in the Hilux. Despite the ups and downs, this weekend was an invaluable experience for the crew. We are fast-tracking one of the best racing drivers the world has ever seen into a discipline he has never experienced before. With just five months to prepare for one of the toughest races in motorsport, we have an incredible task ahead of us. In the Prologue, we saw that Fernando can keep up with the best drivers in South Africa, who are as good as they come in the world. Competing at this level in terms of speed, and with such a steep learning curve, we expected little setbacks along the way. This is exactly the kind of experience they need to have so it doesn’t come as a surprise if it happens during the big race. The determination shown by Fernand and Marc today is nothing short of impressive. The crew got back in the car and completed the first loop without a windscreen in the dust, and again in the second loop while holding the window up for most of the stage.”

    Fernando Alonso: “Every time we go in the car we learn something and we get more and more familiar with the Hilux. Unfortunately, today was a little bit of a nightmare for us. In the morning, we rolled over a little bit and broke the windscreen which affected our visibility so we had to removed it. We drove the rest of the loop with goggles on, in the dust behind all the cars. For the second loop the organisers allowed us to start in front, to have a clear view. After a few kilometres, we hit a bird and the windscreen broke again. Then it was nearly 200 kilometres with one hand on the windscreen and the other on the steering wheel. It wasn’t the best day for us, but we were able to get more kilometres in the Hilux and it’s good to experience these things before we get to more important races.”

    Marc Coma: “Today was a pretty tough day for us after a really good day yesterday. We started the race smooth but rolled the car at one point but we managed to finish the loop. Then we started the second loop with a new windscreen to get more experience in the Hilux. After just a few kilometres, we hit a bird and it broke the windscreen. The wind and dust started to come inside the car, making it very difficult to drive to the end. It really wasn’t easy to hold the windscreen in place while navigating at the same time. With Fernando, we managed the situation together and got to the end of the race. Even with all the challenges we faced today, we still managed to get a lot of valuable kilometres under our belt and we know that all of this is part of the experience we are gaining.”

  • Sebastian Ogier wins Rally Turkey: WRC

    Sebastian Ogier wins Rally Turkey: WRC

    Sebastian Ogier wins Rally Turkey with codriver Ingrassia. An FIA image

    Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia managed to throw the FIA World Rally Championship title race wide open again after claiming a priceless maiden victory in Rally Turkey on Sunday.

    Needing to secure maximum points to realistically continue his challenge for a seventh successive world title, the Citroën driver benefited from the electrical misfortune that plagued series leader Ott Tänak and an accident that cost Thierry Neuville valuable minutes on Saturday.

    By picking up an additional three bonus points on the final Power Stage, Ogier now heads to the remaining three rounds of this year’s championship 17 points behind the leading Estonian after starting the weekend 40 adrift.

    Esapekka Lappi took the fight to his triumphant team-mate from the opening gravel stage. The Finn led from stages three to 11, secured three stage wins and, despite an overshoot and a spin, delivered an impressive performance to give the French manufacturer a first one-two finish since Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg prevailed in Argentina in 2015 with a pair of DS3 WRCs.

    The 34.7-second win was a 47th career WRC success for Ogier and a first since Mexico in early March this year.

    The final morning developed into a procession with the three title contenders conserving their tyres for a final Power Stage push.

    Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen delivered vital points for the Korean manufacturer with third overall. The Norwegian claimed three stage wins in his i20 and was easily the class of the rest of the field behind the Citroën duo.

    M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Teemu Suninen’s challenge for the podium fizzled out on the final morning, but the Finn was able to deliver fourth place in Turkey for a second successive year.

    Fifth overall for Spaniard Dani Sordo handed Hyundai crucial points for the Manufacturers’ Championship and enabled the team to move 19 clear of the Toyota Team. The Toyotas of both Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke reached the finish in sixth and seventh overall. Latvala recorded three stage wins and Meeke one.

    Thierry Neuville conserved his tyres on the final morning to challenge for the Power Stage win and the Belgian collected four bonus points to add to his eighth overall, an accident on Saturday morning potentially wrecking his title dream for another season.

    M-Sport Ford’s Pontus Tidemand delivered a measured drive to ninth place in the second of the works Fords and WRC leader Ott Tänak was last of the factory team drivers after his electrical woes on Saturday. The Estonian opted to take no spare wheel in his Yaris for a flat out push on the Power Stage and he at least salvaged a maximum five bonus points from a train-wreck of a weekend as far as his title aspirations were concerned.

    England’s Gus Greensmith returned to the FIA WRC 2 Pro section after recent forays in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC and repaid the team’s loyalty with maximum points in his category and 10th overall, despite an accident after the flying finish of SS16 that left the Ford looking decidedly worse for wear at the finish.

    Both the Škoda Fabia R5 Evos of Jan Kopecký and Kalle Rovanperä suffered a series of punctures during the weekend and had to settle for second and third in FIA WRC 2 Pro, the former finishing as runner-up in 11th overall – 29.4 seconds behind Greensmiith – after leading the category for long periods.

    Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz made a late switch from a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 to a Škoda Fabia R5 and showed a clean pair of heels to his FIA WRC 2 rivals. A fine drive was rewarded with 12th overall, although he suffered a late front left drive shaft breakage on the penultimate test and lost two places in the overall rankings to his WRC 2 Pro rivals. His consolation was the joint lead in the 2019 WRC 2 Championship.

    Behind Kajetanowicz in FIA WRC 2, Bolivian driver Marco Bulacia and Italy’s Fabio Andolfi rounded off the top three places.

     

    2019 Rally Turkey – Final Unofficial Results:

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 50min 12.1sec
    2. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 50min 46.8sec
    3. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 51min 16.6sec
    4. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 51min 47.2sec
    5. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 52min 38.0sec
    6. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 53min 11.2sec
    7. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 54min 05.4sec
    8. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 55min 46.9sec
    9. Pontus Tidemand (SWE) / Ola Floene (NOR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 57min 35.0sec
    10. Gus Greensmith (GBR) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR) Ford Fiesta R5 MkII 4hr 05min 30.8sec
  • Gaurav Gill ends Turkey campaign in WRC2, wins accolades

    Gaurav Gill ends Turkey campaign in WRC2, wins accolades

    Gaurav Gill takes a huge jump on the final day of Rally Turkey. An MSport image

    New Delhi, 15 Sept 2019:  India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill won commendations of his co-competitors in the World Rally Championship, overcoming mechanical failures and a series of punctures in the grueling Rally of Turkey before it all ended in heartbreak for him and the country late on Sunday.

    Gaurav Gill said:

    “This has been one of the toughest rallies of my life. Right from the start it was difficult to get into a good rhythm because the stages were so slow and twisty with so many rocks and boulders.

    “Without much experience of this car and set-up I wanted to take my time and I think that worked out well for us. But luck was not on our side and we were marred by quite a few issues.

    “We failed to finish the rally this weekend, but we set some good times which is a big positive and I’ll look to build on that at the next event.”

    Going into the final day with a top-five finish firmly in sight, the JK Racing ace underlined his mettle by finishing second in the first stage of the day. He continued in the same vein, taking the third place in the next stage too, demonstrating phenomenal speed and control to post spectacular timings to inch up the leader-board.
    These two added up to a top-3 finish in five out of the 9 stages that he had conquered without a hitch, not counting the shakedown in which he proved to be the fastest among the lot.
    In the penultimate stage with a strong finish beckoning him, disaster struck: the transmission of the car seized and ground him to a halt. The car locked up completely and could not even be pushed into neutral, killing all chances of recouping and making up in the final stretch of the WRC.
    “It was one of the toughest weekends, rather toughest rallies of my life. Right from the beginning, it was difficult to get into a good rhythm because the rally was so slow and twisty, with so many huge rocks and boulders around,” Gaurav said.
    “I of course didn’t have much previous experience with the car and the setup, making it that much more difficult. The plan was to take one step at a time and it almost paid off. But we were marred by so many issues, including mechanical problems in the car. The good thing is we got some great timings and should keep us in a positive frame for the next round,” he added.
    “Almost all the top drivers congratulated me for the way I drove and handled the situations,” Gaurav revealed.
    The Rally of Turkey lived up to its reputation of being the toughest in the world, pushing as many as 11 drivers to the brink and a DNF. Spread over four days, Gaurav had to cover a total distance of 988.50 kms, with 310.10 kms earmarked for special stages. More tellingly, every stage was a test for the driver as well as the car, traversing past picturesque locales that could transform into death-traps at the tiniest of errors.
    The 3-time APRC champion and Arjuna Awardee began his campaign on the world stage on a high note.
    He faced major mechanical issues in 4 stages, starting with front suspension collapse to tear damper seizure to transmission failure. He even did a couple of stages with punctures.
    He left a lasting impression on the grid which’ll help boost his confidence for future international outings.
  • We are still learning the car, says Gaurav Gill; Greensmith closes on the win: WRC2

    We are still learning the car, says Gaurav Gill; Greensmith closes on the win: WRC2

    Gaurav Gill in action on Saturday. Photo courtesy M-Sport

    M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson are back in the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship’s premier support series – leading the way in the WRC 2 Pro category with their Ford Fiesta R5 Mk II.

    The new Fiesta secured its maiden victory in the hands of Anders Grøndal at Norway’s Rally Tron last weekend, and Greensmith continues to showcase the power and performance of M-Sport’s latest global rally car at this weekend’s Rally Turkey.

    Despite picking up a puncture through the early stages (SS3), the young Brit rebounded with stage-winning pace throughout the weekend – now holding more than a minute’s lead with just 38.59 competitive kilometres left to contest.

    In the WRC 2 category, Gaurav Gill and Glenn MacNeall were back in action and getting to grips with the notoriously challenging terrain. The pairing showed good speed, but their bad luck continued into the second day of competition with two punctures (SS10 and SS11) and a broken damper on the penultimate speed test (SS12).

    Gus Greensmith said: “It’s been a much better day for us today. We took a bit of a gamble this afternoon with only one spare and just pushed as much as we could which really paid off. We’ve jumped into a good lead in WRC 2 Pro now, and from where we were after the second stage on Friday [when we lost time having to stop and change a puncture] I’d say we’re doing pretty well.”

    Gaurav Gill said: “We were still learning the car in the first stage morning, but had some good speed in the next ones and I was happy with the confidence and the feeling of the car. We wanted to build on that over the second loop but unfortunately we had an issue with the damper which meant we had to cruise through the last stage and get the car back to service in one piece. I guess that’s the nature of this event and that these things can happen, but overall I think it’s been a positive day and we can be happy with the speed.”

  • Sebastian Ogier leads a 1-2 for Citroen: WRC Rally of Turkey

    Sebastian Ogier leads a 1-2 for Citroen: WRC Rally of Turkey

    Ogier takes lead. An FIA image

    Marmaris, 14 Sept 2019: Citroën’s Sébastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi were the class of the field on the second full day of Rally Turkey and managed their pace to preserve their tyres and secure a comfortable first and second in the overall standings after 13 special stages.

    Lappi started the day with a 17.7 second advantage over the six-time World Champion, but the Frenchman pulled off a brave and canny tyre choice for the longer stage at the start of the morning. The duo became embroiled in a fascinating tussle, until Ogier grabbed the lead in SS12 when Lappi stalled under braking for a downhill hairpin.

    Ogier takes a lead of just 0.2s into the night halt and is on course for a 47th career WRC win and a first since Mexico in early March.

    Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen delivered impressive stage times throughout the day and conserved his tyres to hold third overall, once his team-mate and Ogier’s title rival Thierry Neuville lost his way in the dust on the first stage of the morning, slid off the road and slipped down the rankings to eighth at the night halt. Mikkelsen now finds himself 1min17.1s behind the rally leader.

    In what developed into a dramatic morning on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, FIA WRC leader Ott Tänak suffered a ECU failure on the road section to SS9 and was sidelined, his demise throwing the title race wide open.

    M-Sport Ford’s Teemu Suninen finished the day in a strong fourth and closed the gap on Mikkelsen to just 9.8 seconds at the end of the leg.

    Spaniard Dani Sordo managed to fend off the challenge from the Toyotas of both Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke to reach the Asparan Service Park in fifth overall. Meeke survived a late scare when the Yaris snapped sideways due to a lack of grip and slid off the road to hand sixth position to his team-mate.

    Suninen’s team-mate Pontus Tidemand was classified in ninth and FIA WRC 2 front-runner Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded off the Top 10.

    A flat tyre and then a second puncture on his Škoda Fabia R5 Evo cost long-standing FIA WRC 2 Pro leader Jan Kopecký crucial time and gifted the advantage England’s Gus Greensmith. The Ford Fiesta R5 driver reached the end of the leg with a lead of 1min00.07s. Series leader Kalle Rovanperä returned to action today after a series of punctures blighted his progress on Friday and held third.

    Behind the dominant Kajetanowicz from Poland, Bolivian driver Marco Bulacia and Italy’s Fabio Andolfi were second and third in FIA WRC 2.

    2019 Rally Turkey – Unofficial results after Section 5:

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 20min 12.0sec
    2. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 20min 12.2sec
    3. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 21min 29.1sec
    4. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 21min 38.9sec
    5. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 22min 36.7sec
    6. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 23min 26.4sec
    7. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 23min 41.5sec
    8. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 24min 50.2sec
    9. Pontus Tidemand (SWE) / Ola Floene (NOR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 27min 07.8sec
    10. Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL) / Maciej Szczepaniak (POL) Škoda Fabia R5 3hr 33min 04.5sec

  • Gaurav Gill bounces back in Rally of Turkey

    New Delhi, 14 Sept 2019: Seasoned Indian rallyist Gaurav Gill showed great grit and tenacity to bounce back from Day 2’s reverses to catapult to the sixth position in WRC2 by the end of Stage 12 in the Rally of Turkey on Saturday.
    Gaurav (along with co-driver Glenn Macneall), driving as a registered driver for JK Racing in the WRC 2 category of the World Rally Championship for the first time, was cruising on Friday too before a mechanical failure prompted him to withdraw for the day with two more stages to go.
    Taking advantage of the scratch time plus seven minutes penalty for three stages that he could not complete, the Arjuna Awardee drove with typical elan to emerge as one of the top drivers on Saturday. He finished the 12 stages so far in 3:51:39.2 hours to be poised for a podium finish in WRC2.
    In the overall scheme too, he is placed 17th despite driving a totally new car with barely any testing time in it. The Rally of Turkey is anyway rated among the toughest in the world, with long rough stretches and unrelenting terrains.
    Starting the day from the 10th position, Gaurav got off to a slow start, taking 27:33.5 minutes to finish the 33-km  long eighth stage. Hence finishing 5th fastest in wrc 2. Once he felt comfortable in the car, he began to push and took just 7.28.3 minutes in the ninth stage, posting the third fastest time.
    He was equally impressive in the 10th stage, once again finishing with the third best time of 7.51.6 minutes.
    As the day progressed, the three-time APRC champion seemed to be in his groove, coming up with yet another impressive performance in the 11th stage, setting the third fastest time (27.56.5 minutes) for the third consecutive time.
    In the 8.75-km long 12th stage, he took 8.49.5 minutes with a seized damper but the rhythm he displayed  today should position him for a top 5 finish.
  • Esapekka Lappi continues to lead in Turkey over Sebastian Ogier: WRC

    Esapekka Lappi continues to lead in Turkey over Sebastian Ogier: WRC

    Action in Rally of Turkey on Friday. An FIA image

    Citroën’s Esapekka Lappi stunned his more illustrious FIA World Rally Championship rivals to snatch a lead of 17.7 seconds after six punishing gravel special stages of Rally Turkey on Friday.

    Abrasive stage surfaces, large rocks, critical tyre choices, heavy rain on one stage and the threat of the unknown forced every driver to err on the side of caution to protect their cars. But Lappi and co-driver Janne Ferm guided their C3 WRC to a stage win and a useful overnight advantage over team-mate and six-time World Champion Sébastien Ogier.

    Like Ogier, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville kept his title hopes alive with a stage win and third overall, a useful tyre choice in the rain on the longest stage of the day helping the Belgian finish the leg just 0.7s behind his French title rival.

    M-Sport Ford’s Teemu Suninen stayed clear of serious trouble to hold fourth overall and joint overnight leader Andreas Mikkelsen rounded off the top five in the second works Hyundai.

    A fastest time on the last stage of the day enabled Dani Sordo to leap frog both Kris Meeke and Ott Tänak to snatch sixth place, the Spaniard having lost a lot of time with a flat tyre in SS2. A puncture proved costly for series leader Tänak as well and the Estonian now trails the overnight leader by 1min 37.4s.

    Meeke, likewise, had tyre issues and a broken jacking point on the Yaris, although he did claim a stage win.

    The Ulsterman’s Toyota team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala claimed two stage wins, but a puncture, a less advangeous tyre choice and little niggling issues cost the Finn the outright lead he held at the end of SS2. He held ninth place with M-Sport Ford’s Pontus Tidemand rounding off the top 10 on his return to the main factory team.

    Friday the 13th placed its curse on FIA WRC 2 Pro leader Kalle Rovanperä. The Finn sustained a puncture and a roll in his Škoda R5 on the opener and then two further flat tyres put him out of the running for the rest of the day.

    A flat tyre on the Ford Fiesta of his rival Gus Greensmith played into Rovanperä’s team-mate Jan Kopecky’s hands and the Czech headed to the night halt 1min 22.8s in front of the Brito, after erring on the side of caution towards the end.

    11th-placed Polish driver Kajetan Kajetanowicz dominated the FIA WRC 2 section and finished the day over three minutes ahead of young Bolivian Marco Bulacia after veteran Norwegian Henning Solberg lost a lot of time in the sixth stage. Italy’s Fabio Andolfi holds third place.

     

    2019 Rally Turkey – Unofficial results after Section 3:

    1. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN) Citroën C3 WRC 1hr 59min 53.7sec
    2. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 2hr 00min 11.4sec
    3. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 00min 12.1sec
    4. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hr 00min 38.1sec
    5. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 00min 57.8sec
    6. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 01min 18.9sec
    7. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 01min 25.8sec
    8. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 01min 31.1sec
    9. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 01min 36.2sec
    10. Pontus Tidemand (SWE) / Ola Floene (NOR) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hr 03min 39.1sec