INDIA in F1

Tag: Rally

  • Aishwarya’s superb show at FIM Bajas World Cup 2nd round gets her a well-deserved podium

    Aishwarya’s superb show at FIM Bajas World Cup 2nd round gets her a well-deserved podium

    Aishwarya Pissay finishes third in the FIM Baja World Cup on 24th March 2019 Sunday. A TVS Racing image

    Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 25 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, 23, came up with a gritty performance to finish on the podium with a third-place finish in the women’s category as the Baja do Pinhal, the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup concluded here on Sunday after the riders completed a grueling course of 364.69 Kms over two days.

    Though Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, a former Indian National girls racing and rally champion, finished 29thOverall in the two-wheeler class, she was placed third and fourth in the women and junior categories, respectively, but not before enduring a nerve-pull on her right hand on Saturday that cost her a lot of time. The podium finish here fetched her 15 points which took her World Cup tally to 40, following the 25 she received in the first round in Dubai, earlier this month.

    Summing up her performance here, Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, who is supported by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India, said: “I am extremely thrilled to have completed this rally and collect points for the Baja World Cup. The rally was quite challenging with lots of enduro sections, but I managed to avoid any crashes.

    “With the nerve strain on my hand, I couldn’t push up my speeds and that affected my overall performance. I will continue to train and learn from this experience to be fully prepared for the Baja Aragon, the third round of the World Cup, in July 2019.”

    Aishwarya’s hopes of a strong finish were dashed on Saturday when she suffered a nerve damage on her right hand which severely affected her pace, but survived the long Special Stage of 191.27 Kms.

    “I had problems using the throttle and because of that, I could not have the pace that I wanted. Otherwise, it was a good day of riding for me as I managed to finish the stage without any crashes. My performance could have been a lot better but I hurt the nerve on my right hand forcing me to take it easy on the bike,” said Aishwarya who completed Sunday’s Special Stage of 173.42 Kms with a strapped right hand.

    Looking ahead to the next round, Aishwarya said: “With the experience and confidence I gained by completing the courses in Dubai and here, I hope to perform better in the third round in Aragon in July. I would like to thank by sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Big Rock Dirtpark (Bengaluru), Scott Motorsports India for showing belief in me.”

  • Sherco TVS Rally Factory team fields KP Aravind, Abdul Wahid for Afriquia Merzouga Rally

    Sherco TVS Rally Factory team fields KP Aravind, Abdul Wahid for Afriquia Merzouga Rally

    Dkar 2019 file photo of KP Aravind (16jan19 stage9) who became the second Indian to complete the Dakar rally. A TVS Racing image

    Casablanca (Morocco), 25 March 2019: Aravind KP, fresh from his Dakar exploits, will be taking part in the 10th edition 10 of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally along with another Indian Abdul Wahid for the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team. The other Indian outfit Hero Motosports Team Rally entered Spaniard field Oriole Mena and Joaquim Rodrigues of Portugal.

    You can read the exploits of Aravind KP in the TVS blog here.

    The event was presented at a press conference in Casablanca, Morocco on March 21. This provided an opportunity to arouse envy among the competitors, before setting off on a very discerning race in the heart of the dunes of Merzouga.

    The Afriquia Merzouga Rally is increasingly becoming a must-do event for rally-raid die-hards. Held from 31 March to 5 April, the race – under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI for the third time – offers a precious experience for all those who dream of toughening up for a future participation in the Dakar. Tagged with the “Dakar Series” label, the Moroccan rally allows for being selected for the marquee event while the winner will get a free entry.

    It promises to be a very competitive rally, especially as for this 10th edition, the five stages will take place in the region’s most iconic areas, which is ideal for perfecting a competitor’s knowledge of the dunes and navigation ability. For the competitors, the rally is also an opportunity to enjoy their passion in a grandiose setting and friendly atmosphere, in the purest Moroccan tradition.

    This year again, the Afriquia Merzouga Rally will ensure that the environmental impact is almost zero, as noted last year in an impact study. The organisers have been sensitive to this aspect for the past several years through concrete actions such as oil recovery – in partnership with Afriquia – and the dematerialization of official documents. In addition, several social actions are carried out for several weeks with the local population.

    Edo Mossi (Afriquia Merzouga Rally Sporting Director): “This is the 10th year of the rally and the 4th under the aegis of A.S.O. with the Dakar Series label. All rally organisers know how hard it is to offer rally-routes that remain so challenging every year. We decided to return to the stages that had stood out in the past, all the sectors that had stirred so many emotions. This is a “Best Of” edition, of what we do best in the region. The rally-route promises to be exciting and will certainly enhance the attractiveness of the competition. ”

    David Castera (Dakar Director): “The Afriquia Merzouga Rally is one of the best preparations for all competitors who dream of participating on the Dakar. The five stages of this 10th edition offer an ideal opportunity to improve racing skills and also improve navigation skills. Participants who take up the challenge will inevitably catch the rally-raid bug. We wish them good luck and hope to see them soon on the Dakar!”

  • Younus Ilyas-Harish Gowda win Sprint de Bengaluru

    Chikkaballapura (near Bengaluru), 24 March 2019: Kerala’s Younus Ilyas survived a late attack from Bengaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas to win the INRC overall and INRC 2 categories in the Sprint de Bengaluru 2019, the non-championship event, a prelude to the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) on Sunday.

    The two-day stage rally on dirt track was organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) under the aegis of the new promoters of INRC, Champions Yacht Club.

    The Race Concepts driver, along with his navigator Harish Gowda, seemed to be in control after storming into a comfortable ten-second lead in the night stage on Saturday.

    But Mascarenhas, driving in the INRC 3 category, showed a glimpse of his speed and prowess on Sunday. Despite driving his stock car, he began day two with a bang, finishing just two seconds off Ilyas’ Cedia. He was equally brilliant in the next stage, clocking 4:58.30 which was just one second behind Ilyas.

    The two stages, at LG Tranquil, tested the drivers and cars thoroughly, with tarmac, gravel, loose soil, sharp climbs and steep falls marking the route.

    Mascarenhas then came into his own, winning the next two stages at the LG Champions County track handsomely. With only long straights and sharp curves and turns to conquer, he went all out and gained 9 and 8 seconds each to make up for his 10-second shortfall in the opening stage.

    Sadly for him, he was penalised six minutes for getting to the starting point on Saturday night late which proved to be too big a deficit to overcome. He slipped all the way to the bottom of the table.

    “It was just bad luck,” Mascarenhas said. “My car didn’t start so I got delayed. I am, however, very happy with the way I drove and I am looking forward to a good season,” he added.

    Ilyas expressed happiness at his performance and praised the stages. “It was a great outing, and I loved being out here. The stages were interesting and challenging at times. But I am really glad to have come out on top,” he said.

    Dhruva Chandrashekar, with his navigator Musa Sherif, quietly made his way up to take the second place in the INRC overall category. The duo clinched the INRC 3 category in the process.

    Provisional Unaudited Final Classification: INRC Overall: 1. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN; 2. Dhruva Chandrashekar / Musa Sherif; 3. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha N

    INRC 1: Suhem Kabeer / J. Jeevarathinam; 2. Lokesh Gowda / D Uday Kumar

    INRC 2: 1. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN; 2. Ritesh Guttedar / Lokaranjan; 3. Lanusanen Pongener / Vinay Kmar PM

    INRC 3: 1. Dhruva Chandrashekar / Musa Sherif; 2. Chetan Shivram / Dilip Sharan; 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG

    FMSCI CUP / 4WD: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha N; 2. Avin Nanjappa / Darshan Nachappa; 3. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra

    FMSCI CUP / 2WD: 1. Vaibhav Marathe / Arjun SSB; 2. Avinash DC / Kenith Harsha; 3. Adith KC / Venu Ramesh Kumar

    Ladies Class: 1. Shivani Pruthvi / Deepti Pruthvi; 2. Harshita Gowda / Vidya M

  • Younus Ilyas-Harish Gowda pair takes early lead in Sprint de Bengaluru; Dean-Kabir lead INRC3

    Younus Ilyas-Harish Gowda pair takes early lead in Sprint de Bengaluru; Dean-Kabir lead INRC3

    IGP Revanna flagging off a car at the ceremonial start of Sprint de Bengalore near Chikkaballapur on Saturday as Champions group Director Hemamalini looks on. An INDIAinF1 image

    Bengaluru, 23 March 2019: Kerala’s Younus Ilyas stormed into the early lead after the first stage of the Sprint de Bengaluru 2019, the curtain-raiser to the highly anticipated FMSC Indian National Rally Championship here on Saturday night.

     Aided by his navigator Harish Gowda from Bengaluru, Ilyas attacked the sharp turns and curves during the night stage with confidence and verve. He needed just 06:47.30 minutes to complete the 5.5 kilometres to the delight of a packed audience.

    Suhem Kabeer (and J Jeevarathnam) eased into the second position in the INRC 1 category, finishing just 10 seconds behind the leaders. They were quick in their Polo but missed out on a couple of turns that hurt them.

    The third place was taken by another INRC 1 entry, Lokesh Gowda (Uday Kumar) who took 7:03.10 minutes to complete their run.

    Younus and Harish naturally grabbed the lead in their own category too, the INRC 2 for a brilliant start to the season for the Race Concepts Motorsports Team.

    Ritesh Guttedar (Lokaranjan) took the second place while Lanusanen Pongener (Vinay Kumar) took the third place.

    Dean Mascarehnas, (Suhem Kabir) who finished a creditable fourth despite driving in his stock car, led his category, the INRC 3.

    The second stage will take place later in the night, followed by four day stages on Sunday.

    Models pose with the first car before the start of the Ceremonial Start at LG Champions Green County near Chikkaballapur on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 image

    Earlier in the evening, the event began with a bang, with all the 25 cars lining up for the ceremonial start. The state IGP K Revanna, Chairman of Champions Yacht Club Subhakar Rao and its Director Ms Hemamalini N flagged off the cars, cheered on by thousands of enthusiastic spectators.

    This was immediately followed by the shakedown, with the drivers giving the guests a taste of their skills and the route in their cars.

    Provisional Unaudited Results after Special Stage 1:

    INRC: 1 (INRC 2) Younus Ilyas | Harish K N (00:06:47.300); 2. (INRC 1) Suhem Kabeer | J. Jeevarathinam (00:06:57.600); 3. (INRC 1) Lokesh Gowda | D Uday Kumar (00:07:03.100)

    INRC 2: 1    Younus Ilyas; 2. Ritesh Guttedar; 3. Lanusanen Pongener

    INRC 3: 1    Dean Mascarenhas; 2. 2    Dhruva Chandrashekar; 3. 3    Chetan Shivram

  • Champions Yacht Club, KMSC present Sprint de Bengaluru as a prelude to INRC

    Bengaluru, 22 March 2019: Champions Yacht Club, the new promoters of the Indian National Rally Championship, presents the two-day Sprint de Bengaluru 2019, a mouth-watering curtain-raiser to the six-round rally calendar of the year. Organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), the rally will be held at Champions Green County on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway on March 23 and 24.

    Over 40 entries have been received from all over the country and some of the top drivers and navigators are expected to compete for top laurels on dirt tracks in the rally approved by Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI). The rally has a special stage distance of 30 kms and along with a transport distance of 108.63 kms, the total distance will be 138.63 kms. There are two short stages which are run thrice each. The Alpha stage is 4.5-km long while the Beta stage is 5.5 km. The two stages are run once each on Saturday as a night stage and twice each on Sunday. The prize distribution and podium ceremony will be held at 3 pm on Sunday.

    Experienced and talented drivers like Chetan Shivaram, Dr Bikku Babu, Vikram Rao Aroor, Dean Mascarenhas, Dhruv Chandrasekhar, Fabid Ahmer and Sanjay Agarwal will be in the fray as the rally is run in the same format and same classes as INRC. There will be a separate ladies class and the Champions Group is supporting 17 teams. The Sprint organised by KMSC, one of the oldest and active motorsports clubs in India, is expected to provide a glimpse of the rally action to be held this year. The Champions Group is the new promoter and the season is expected to start in June after the election process is completed.

    “It is a huge responsibility but we are fully geared up to make INRC vibrant and popular and bring back the glory days of rallying. Champions Group wants to support talented drivers, including women, so that new champions can be spotted and nurtured,” said Merla Vamsi, Director, Champions Yacht Club.

    “The entry of Champions Group is a boon to the INRC and to many talented drivers. It has created a buzz and we hope to make rallying popular so that more competitors will enter motorsports. All the safety aspects are taken care of and the Sprint will usher in new rally season,” said Shivu Shivappa, president of the KMSC. He is also the vice-president of FMSCI and the Clerk of the Course (CoC) for the event.

    The rally will be run in the following classes: INRC (upto 3500cc including turbo factor), INRC 2 (upto 2000cc as per Rally Sport regulations), INRC3 (upto 2000cc as per Group N regulations), FMSCI 4WD (Group N, N4, T1 and T2 cars), FMSCI 2WD (Honda City VTech, Maruti Esteem, Maruti Baleno) and Ladies Class.

  • Bengaluru girl Aishwarya Pissay set for Portuguese round of FIM Bajas World Cup

    Bengaluru girl Aishwarya Pissay set for Portuguese round of FIM Bajas World Cup

    Aishwarya Pissay file photo courtesy TVS Racing

    Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 21 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay will resume her campaign in the FIM Bajas World Cup, here on Friday when the Baja do Pinhal gets underway with a ceremonial start followed by a Prologue run of 9.57 Kms.

    Looking ahead to the Portuguese Baja which also doubles up as the second round of the World Cup, Bengaluru-based 23-year old Aishwarya said: “The Portugal rally will be a fantastic learning experience for me as the stages will have more enduro than fast sections. I have been training with BigRock Spain team for the past couple of weeks in similar terrain and have improved my riding technique.

    “I am here to learn and develop my skills as a racer and the more rallies I participate in, the better I get. I am thankful to my sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India for supporting and believing in me.”

    After Friday’s Prologue, the riders head out on Saturday for the 191.27 Kms Special Stage-1. The event concludes on Sunday at the end of the 173.42 Kms Special Stage-2.

    Aishwarya picked up full complement of 25 points after completing the course in the first round in Dubai earlier this month astride a 450cc bike and she is hoping to add to her tally here in Portugal.

    “I am hoping to perform much better here in Portugal where, unlike in Dubai, navigation is not a major issue. I am focused on securing as many World Cup points as possible by completing the course,” said Aishwarya who is set to compete in only her third international event following her debut in Baja Aragon (Spain) last year and Dubai earlier this month.

  • Ogier (Ingrassia) secures fifth victory to close gap on Tanak: WRC Rally Mexico

    Ogier (Ingrassia) secures fifth victory to close gap on Tanak: WRC Rally Mexico

    ifth win for Ogier-Ingrassia on Sunday. An FIA image

    Mexico, 11 March 2019: Frenchmen Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia delivered a remarkable performance in the final three gravel stages on Round 3 of the World Rally Championship to secure their fifth victory on Sunday and a record eigth win for Citroën in Mexico. Ott Tänak and his co-driver Martin Järveoja from Estonia fought their way up to second place at the wheel of their Toyota Yaris while M-Sport Ford’s Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin completed the WRC podium. Benito Guerra delighted the home crowd with sixth overall and the victory in the FIA WRC 2 category.

    The Citroën C3 WRC crew duly confirmed their 46th WRC victory on an event where their outstanding career started with a win in the FIA Junior WRC Championship back in 2008.

    Leading by 27 seconds at the end of Saturday, Ogier was never allowed to rest on his laurels by a hard-charging Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans, both of whom were fighting for second place.

    2019 championship leader Tänak was the star of the morning as the Toyota Yaris WRC driver claimed two stage wins to secure second place. But Ogier had a winning margin of 30.2 seconds and also managed to whittle the Estonian’s advantage over him at the top of the Drivers’ Championship down from 16 to four points with five additional Power Stage bonus points.

    Evans, steering the ship for M-Sport Ford after Teemu Suninen’s premature retirement on Friday, delivered an impressive performance in his Fiesta WRC to round off the podium places and earn vital points for the team. He finished 19.7 seconds behind his Estonian rival after incurring a 10-second penalty for arriving late on the final Power Stage.

    Too far adrift to challenge for the podium after a difficult start to the event, Thierry Neuville had to settle for fourth overall and lost his second place in the championship to Ogier. His result was the only high point in a frustrating event for Hyundai, which saw both early leader Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo – who had been up to second – pushed out of contention after problems on Friday. The Norwegian and the Spaniard finished the rally in 11th and ninth overall, respectively.

    Toyota’s Kris Meeke led outright for one stage on Saturday morning, before a puncture, suspension damage and then a gearbox issue cost him any chance of challenging for the podium. The Ulsterman conserved his tyres on the first two stages of the final day in an attempt to win the Power Stage. He was rewarded with second on the test, catching four bonus points and an eventual fifth overall.

    Mexican Benito Guerra delighted the home crowds by equalling his best ever finishing position of sixth overall at his home event. On this occasion, the Škoda Fabia R5 driver achieved the success in a WRC 2 car, however, and maximum points in the FIA WRC 2 class were an added bonus for the México City man. His winning margin was 3min 16sec.

    Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala suffered alternator woes on Friday evening that dropped his Toyota Yaris WRC out of contention, but the veteran of 198 WRC rallies fought back strongly to try and displace Bolivian youngster Marco Bulacia on the final morning to claim eighth place, despite a late radiator scare.

    Eighteen-year-old Bulacia belied his lack of experience to finish second in the FIA WRC 2 category behind team-mate Guerra and in an impressive seventh overall. Mexican driver Ricardo Triviño was classified in 10th place in his Škoda Fabia R5.

    Poland’s Lukasz Pieniazek bounced back from his Friday retirement to reach the finish of his first event outside Europe in twelfth overall. The result enabled the unchallenged Ford Fiesta R5 driver to claim much-needed maximum points in theFIA WRC 2 Pro class, as he looked to close to gap on series leader Gus Greensmith. The Pole said he gained a lot of experience and confidence on the demanding Mexican stages.
    2019 Rally Guanajuato México – Final unofficial results (subject to scrutineering)

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hrs 37min 08.0sec
    2. Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 37min 38.2sec
    3. Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hrs 37min 57.9sec
    4. Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hrs 38min 35.0sec
    5. Kris Meeke (GBR)/Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 43min 14.2sec
    6. Benito Guerra (MEX)/Jaime Zapata (MEX) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 52min 43.5sec
    7. Marco Bulacia (BOL)/Fabian Cretu (ARG) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 55min 59.5sec
    8. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)/Miikka Anttila (FIN) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 56min 03.9sec
    9. Dani Sordo (ESP)/Carlos del Barrio (ESP) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hrs 59min 52.1sec
    10. Ricardo Triviño (MEX)/Marc Marti (ESP) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 4hrs 07min 21.8sec
  • Ogier-Ingrassia remain firmly on track for fifth victory: WRC Rally Mexico

    Ogier-Ingrassia remain firmly on track for fifth victory: WRC Rally Mexico

    Ogier and co-driver Ingrassia on track for their fifth victory on Saturday. An FIA image

    Citroën’s Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia remain firmly on track for a fifth victory on Rally Guanajuato México after another pulsating day’s action over nine special stages on Saturday. Toyota’s hard-charging Ott Tänak, third placed, begins to turn the screw on M-Sport Ford’s Elfyn Evans, second, with an advantage of only 2.2 seconds. In the WRC 2 category, local hero Benito Guerra holds a massive lead.

    The Citroën C3 WRC crew will take an advantage of 27 seconds into the remaining three gravel stages on Sunday, as they bid to reduce Ott Tänak’s early season lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Ogier managed his pace to perfection to stay out of trouble and is at the top of the standings for a second day, despite sliding into the barriers on the first run through Léon’s super special this evening.

    Estonia’s Tänak, who began the morning in fourth position, 37.1 seconds behind the defending World Champion, went on a charge in the heat of a Mexican afternoon. After passing team-mate Kris Meeke – when the Ulsterman suffered a puncture and a suspension upright issue – the Toyota Yaris WRC driver began to pressurise Elfyn Evans as the afternoon progressed. The Welshmen held on to his position at the end of the day but a mere 2.2 seconds separate the two heading into Sunday.

    Thierry Neuville admitted that he was struggling to find his rhythm and the confidence to challenge for stage wins in his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, but the Belgian held fourth overall at the end of Saturday, 3min 21.4sec. Kris Meeke, who had suffered a puncture and resulting rear-wheel damage in the morning loop, slid wide in the superspecial’s second run, dropped another 45 seconds and then limped around the final street stage stuck in second gear to finish fifth overnight.

    Mexican favourite Benito Guerra delivered a body blow to Bolivian youngster Marco Bulacia’s aspirations of preventing a home FIA WRC 2 victory with several impressive stage performances during the course of the day. Guerra returned to León at the end of Saturday in sixth overall and FIA WRC 2 leader, 3min 33.6sec ahead of Bulacia, who stopped for over three minutes in SS13.

    Among the FIA WRC 2 entrants, Chile’s Alberto Heller was in second place at the beginning of the afternoon before stopping on two occasions in SS14. He finished third of the category and 13th overall as Saturday came to a close.

    Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala began a charge through the tail-enders as the day progressed in a bid to catch the FIA WRC 2 runners. He held eighth at the end of the day.

    Mexico’s Ricardo Triviño ran strongly in ninth in his Škoda Fabia R5 while the Hyundai duo Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo were classified in 10th and 11th at the night halt.

    The sole entrant in the FIA WRC 2 Pro category on Rally Mexico, Poland’s Lukasz Pieniazek, returned to action on Saturday morning after issues on Friday and remains on course for maximum championship points. He classified 12th overall, over 6 minutes behind eleven placed Mikkelsen.

    Three stages bring the action to a conclusion on Sunday. The crews will tackle the 24.38km of Alfaro, then a new Mesa Cuata special of 25.07km that uses a large section of El Chocolate and will finish in the points-scoring Power Stage at Las Minas.
    2019 Rally Guanajuato México – Unofficial results after SS18  / Section 5:

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 2hrs 57min 21.4sec
    2. Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hrs 57min 48.4sec
    3. Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hrs 57min 50.6sec
    4. Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hrs 58min 37.1sec
    5. Kris Meeke (GBR)/Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 01min 58.5sec
    6. Benito Guerra (MEX)/Jaime Zapata (MEX) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 09min 27.4sec
    7. Marco Bulacia (BOL)/Fabian Cretu (ARG) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 13min 01.0sec
    8. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)/Miikka Anttila (FIN) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 13min 53.8sec
    9. Ricardo Triviño (MEX)/Marc Marti (ESP) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 19min 21.0sec
    10. Dani Sordo (ESP)/Carlos del Barrio (ESP) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hrs 19min 21.1s
  • Ogier sets the pace on drama-packed Day 1: WRC Mexico Rally

    Ogier sets the pace on drama-packed Day 1: WRC Mexico Rally

    Ogier leads after Day 1. An FIA image

    Mexico, 9 March 2019: Defending World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia defied their disadvantageous starting position to turn the heat up on their rivals with their Citroën C3 WRC after five afternoon stages on Rally Mexico’s Day One. M-Sport Ford’s Elfyn Evans survived the carnage to hold second and Toyota’s Kris Meeke is in third place.

    After a dramatic afternoon, which saw both Hyundai drivers Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo retire whilst holding first and second overall respectively – Mikkelsen was forced to stop in the stage and Sordo had an electrical fall-out – Ogier overcame a puncture to deliver a near-faultless display for Citroën to grab an overnight advantage of 14.8 seconds. The Frenchman said he was a lot happier with the grip and the conditions in the afternoon, which enabled him to manage his pace and keep a good starting position for the next day.

    It was a leg of mixed fortunes for the M-Sport team. Elfyn Evans delivered a solid performance in his Ford Fiesta WRC to hold second place overnight. Teemu Suninen, on the other hand, crashed in this morning’s El Chocolate stage, his Ford Fiesta coming to rest hanging off the side of the track with front and rear damage.

    Kris Meeke was Toyota Gazoo Racing’s shining light on an event where the Yaris WRC has struggled to achieve good results in the last two years. The Brit held third overall at the end of Day One, 6.3 seconds behind Evans.

    A fascinating duel developed between Meeke’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala and fellow Finn Esapekka Lappi for fifth. The duo traded stage times, but it was Latvala who sneaked ahead in Ortega 2 to head the Scandinavian challenge. He was promoted to fourth when Sordo was sidelined later on, but then suffered his own reported alternator issues on the road section to the last two stages and retired.

    Lappi was overtaken by Ott Tänak and reached the León Service Park in fifth while series leader Tänak and 2018 WRC runner-up Thierry Neuville were made to pay for their unfavourable starting positions – not to mention a flat tyre in the first stage of the day for the Belgian – to hold fourth and sixth.

    Bolivia’s Marco Bulacia and Mexico’s Benito Guerra became embroiled in a fascinating battle for the FIA WRC 2 honours. The 18-year-old held a 0.3-second lead over the local hero at the midday service and went on to finish the leg 9.8 seconds in front of the Mexican in seventh overall.

    Poland’s Lukasz Pieniazek – the sole FIA WRC 2 Pro entrant with a Ford Fiesta R5 – at to retire from Leg one with car damage in Ortega 2.

    Tomorrow the crews will tackle two loops of three gravel stages and three spectator specials.

     

    2019 Rally Guanajuato México – Unofficial results after Section 2 (end of Day One):

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 1hr 18min 33.8sec
    2. Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 18min 48.6sec
    3. Kris Meeke (GBR)/Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 18min 54.9sec
    4. Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 19min 10.9sec
    5. Esapekka Lappi (FIN)/Janne Ferm (FIN) Citroën C3 WRC 1hr 19min 12.9sec
    6. Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 19min 34.5sec
    7. Marco Bulacia (BOL)/Fabian Cretu (ARG) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 1hr 23min 49.9sec
    8. Benito Guerra (MEX)/Jaime Zapata (MEX) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 1hr 23min 59.7sec
    9. Alberto Heller (CHIL)/ José Diaz (ARG) Ford Fiesta R5 (WRC 2) 1h 25min 05.3sec
    10. R. Trivino Bujalil (MEX) / M. Marti Moreno (ESP) Škoda Fabia R5 1h 27min41.0sec

     

  • WRC Round 3: Rally Mexico to start on Thursday

    WRC Round 3: Rally Mexico to start on Thursday

    For round three of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship, the competitors travel to Rally Mexico (March 7-10) where high temperatures and high altitude provide considerably different challenges to those experienced in the opening two winter events in Europe. First held as a WRC event 15 years ago, the León-based gravel rally has proven popular ever since with its compact route and colourful atmosphere.

    Rally Mexico, the third round of the WRC begins on Thursday. An FIA image

    Mexico, 3 March 2019: Run in the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains, the rally climbs to a height of 2’700 metres above sea level, where the thinner air deprives the engines of oxygen, which can result in a potential power loss of up to 20 per cent. Ambient temperatures of up to 30°C add additional stress to the machinery. Teams take special measures to ensure the reliability of their cars, and the drivers must adapt their driving styles to the conditions.

    With three different manufacturers sharing the podium in both of the opening rounds – and two different crews on the top step – it has been a thrilling start to the season, and Rally Mexico promises to add another exciting episode to the story. Ten World Rally Car drivers will battle it out on the Central American stages, with Dani Sordo making his debut on the championship this year in the Hyundai i20 Coupé driven by Sébastien Loeb in the opening two events of the season. As part of his preparations for Rally Mexico, the Spaniard, who finished second in Mexico in 2018, competed – and won – Rali Serras de Fafe in Portugal last weekend, the opening round on gravel of the Iberian FIA European Rally Trophy.

    In the FIA WRC 2 Pro category, Poland’s Lucasz Pieniazek (M-Sport) will pilot a Ford Fiesta R5 car, alongside four FIA WRC 2 entrants: Benito Guerra from Mexico, Marco Bulacia Wilkinson from Colombia and the Heller brothers, Pedro and Alberto, from Chile.

    All of the stages can be watched live on WRC All Live on WRC+, with three stages additionally broadcast live on television: SS12 and SSS15 (El Brinco) and the rally-ending SS21, Las Minas Power Stage.

    THE 2019 ROUTE

    The Rally Mexico route features only minor changes compared to 2018. The event traditionally holds its stunning opening stage in the colourful town of Guanajuato on Thursday evening, where the crews take on the city’s narrow streets and former mining tunnels. Friday includes two runs over the rally’s epic “El Chocolate” test, the season’s highest point at more than 2’737m. Both Friday and Saturday’s itineraries feature a street stage in León and two runs around the city’s racing circuit. Saturday is the longest day of this year’s rally, with an extended Otates, the longest stage of the rally with 32.27 kilometres. The day also includes El Brinco, where the famous jump has been replaced by a man-made ramp in a dry reservoir which should contribute to a spectacular finish. On Sunday, the penultimate Mesa Cuata stage is new, using the opening half of El Chocolate before turning towards Guanajuato, where the Las Minas Power Stage will finish.

    RALLY DATA

    Total distance: 1,003.49 km
    Stage distance: 303.87 km (31%)
    Number of stages: 21