INDIA in F1

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  • Krish Gupta: Profile of a budding racing driver

    Krish Gupta: Profile of a budding racing driver

    Chennai, 14 November 2024: The atmosphere was electric at the Madras International Circuit as the curtain fell on the National Karting Championship finale. While the spotlight was on the podium finishers, the newly-inaugurated Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA) also captured attention. Named after Mika Hakkinen, the two-time Formula 1 World Champion, who inaugurated the facility just a week prior, MIKA set the stage for the emergence of fresh talent in Indian motorsport.

    Among the standout performances that evening was an inspiring display by 18-year-old Krish Gupta, a rising star in the Senior Karting category. Starting from P19 in the final race, Krish battled his way through the field to finish an impressive fifth—a feat that earned him recognition despite not making it to the podium. This determination and resilience have marked him as one to watch and the commentator did not miss his marauding march that day. “amidst all these winners there is a fine performance today,’’ he announced. “It was Krish Gupta who started last and finished fifth.”

    Rising Through the Ranks

    Hailing from Mumbai, Krish began his karting journey in 2021 at Ajmera Indikarting. He quickly joined the Rayo Racing Academy, where his natural talent and commitment to the sport flourished. Over the past three years, Krish has secured 22 podium finishes, including 8 wins, and clinched four karting titles across junior and senior categories.

    In 2024, he competed in the Senior Max category of the Meco FMSCI National Rotax Max Championship. Despite challenges, including mechanical failures and racing incidents, Krish’s skills were on full display. Notably, he qualified on pole in the fifth round with a lap time of 51.315 seconds and won the first heat before a series of incidents placed him at the back of the grid for the final. Undeterred, he delivered a remarkable comeback, finishing in the top 10 overall standings in the championship.

    “It’s been a fantastic season,” Krish shared. “While the results didn’t always go my way, I’m proud of my performances and excited for what’s ahead.”

    “Krish is a very promising talent for India. In a very short while he has grown tremendously. His talent combined with his hard work and dedication will take him far.

    “He is now recognised as one of India’s best. He has proved himself at the Asian level with his nomination from the Asian Rotax Championship to represent India and Asia at the World Rotax Championship,” said Rayomond Banajee, a multiple national champion and mentor of many National champions. He is a respected figure in the Indian motorsports administration and in nurturing of fresh talent. This reporter has covered many of Rayo’s magnificent victories over the years.

    A Global Stage: The Rotax Max Grand Finals

    Krish’s talent earned him a good opportunity to take part in the prestigious Rotax Max Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy, where he competed in the challenging DD2 category representing fmsci and India. Sharing the track with global karting legends, including four-time British champion Macauley Bishop, was a defining moment for Krish.

    “The Grand Finals were unforgettable,” he said. “Every lap was a challenge, and racing against the best in the world was a dream come true. Meeting Macauley Bishop was inspiring and a reminder of the heights I aspire to reach.”

    Reflecting on his journey, Krish emphasized the lessons learned and the memories made. “This experience has deepened my passion for the sport. I’m determined to train harder and aim for the front.”

    Professional Karting Journey

    Season 2022

    Krish debuted in the Indian Rotax Max Challenge senior category in 2022, a season marked by competitive grids and valuable learning experiences. He displayed promising pace, with six top-five finishes, including a standout performance in the wet during Round 4, where he climbed from 14th to 2nd.

    His international debut came in the IAME Asia Series in Malaysia, where he finished a respectable 8th under mixed conditions.

    Season 2023

    Building on his rookie season, Krish’s 2023 campaign showcased significant progress. Competing in both domestic and international championships, he earned his first international podium with a strong 3rd place in the IAME Asia Series. On home soil, he achieved his first national pole position in wet conditions at the Rotax Max Challenge Asia Trophy in Pattaya, Thailand.

    Season 2024

    Krish’s 2024 season began with a podium finish in the Rotax Max Challenge Asia Trophy in Thailand, marking his first international podium. Back in India, despite technical setbacks, he displayed resilience, finishing 2nd in Round 3 of the National Championship.

    Looking Ahead

    Krish Gupta’s talent and dedication are evident, and his journey showcases the potential of this young Indian racer. As he continues to hone his skills and push his limits, Krish is poised to make a mark on the global stage, if he does not lose focus and nurtured properly. With the right support and guidance, this budding star is on track to go places.

  • Raiden, Nirvaan take top-2 slots in Novice class at Sepang

    Raiden, Nirvaan take top-2 slots in Novice class at Sepang

    Sepang, 26 July 2019: Indian kart racers from Team Rayo Racing, Raiden Samervel, and Nirvaan Chandna put up a fine show bagging first and second in the Novice Category of the fourth round of the AutoInc Asia Max Challenge 2019 at Sepang, Malaysia, last Sunday. Both teenagers participated in the Micro Max category and finished 12th and 13th overall, respectively.

    Qualifying saw Timofey Mikhaylov grab overall pole position with a lap time of 55.141 seconds. Thirteen-year-old Nirvaan posted a lap time of 56.623 seconds, to emerge quickest in the Novice category. Teammate Raiden was a mere 7 hundredths of a second behind, with a lap time of 56.696, second out of the six novices on the grid.

    The Heat 1 saw the two Indians start eleventh and twelfth and in a relatively straight forward race, Raiden managed to get ahead to finish ninth, one second ahead of Nirvaan in tenth.

    Heat 2 proved to be a big setback for the weekend. The duo started well, with Nirvaan managing to move ahead. Unfortunately, he made contact with another racer ahead, launching his kart into the air and he landed in the path of Raiden. The two collided & fell right down the order to last & eventually finished at the tail end.

    The finals had all racers start on the basis of their Pre Final result, which saw Raiden start eleventh, while Nirvaan started fourteenth. The very close & competitive mid grid meant that there was little the duo could do to move up the order. Although Raiden improved his lap time marginally he finished twelfth, 1.3 seconds ahead of Nirvaan in thirteenth. In the novice category, the duo was first and second, ahead of Eason.

    “It was unfortunate that the incident in heat 2 played an important role, in them not being able to produce a good result in the final. I would have been happier if they could have translated their pace from practice into the races. However, considering that it is only their second race weekend at this level and that they outperformed all other novices, it is a credible performance.” said Steve Hodges, Technical Director of Rayo Racing, who accompanied the racers to Malaysia.

    Action1

    “Racing at the Asian Rotax at the 1.2km Sepang circuit in Malaysia was very exciting. I was up against the best and it was a great learning experience. Winning the Novice Category was a moment I will never forget!” said 12-year-old Raiden Samervel.

    Nirvaan Chandna added “The race weekend was a good learning experience, especially driving on the Sepang international kart circuit, which is quite a fast track. Racing against so many racers from around Asia also taught me a lot. I intend to work harder and do better.”

    “The two racers have been training hard. This exposure is good for them & I am confident there is a lot more to come from both racers” said Rayomand Banajee of Rayo Racing.

  • Karter Akshay passes away in a road accident; Aaroh excels in Pro-Sr class: Pune IndiKarting

    Karter Akshay passes away in a road accident; Aaroh excels in Pro-Sr class: Pune IndiKarting

    Pune: Overwhelming response saw 119 karters take part in India’s last karting race of the season, the IndiKarting Go-Kart Race as participants from across all categories revved up their engines and showcased their talent here on Tuesday.

    The successful event was, however, marred by some sad news, later that night put the entire racing community into grief. A pal of gloom engulfed as news came in that Akshay Patil passed away in a road accident. Akshay finished runner-up in the Pro-Senior Category. In case of any type of accidents, it is important to first contact motorcycle accident lawyers in Green, Waters Ogle and McCarter, who can help us proceed with the legal procedures.

    The Pro-Junior and Senior classes saw some refreshing new faces. Reigning National Champion Aaroh Ravindra, had technical issues and qualified well down the order in 8th. Akshay Patil from Pune drove a brilliant Race 1 to climb from fifth to win the race while Jonathan Kuriakose and Aaroh Ravindra came second and third respectively. Race 2 was the reverse grid, where Aaroh showed his class starting from seventh, steadily climbed up the order in the 16 laps to win the race ahead of Rahul Deshpande and Monish Jain. In case of accidents, click here now to get legal help. There are ways to get legal help even after bowling injury and other accident cases.

    Eventually, it was Aaroh who received the overall winner’s trophy, with Akshay Patil and Rahul Deshpande runner-up & third respectively, in the Pro Senior. Jonathan Kuriakose won the Pro Junior followed by Neil Gandhi from Mumbai. The personal injury lawyers from Malloy Law Offices, LLC can assist with injury cases.

    The Pro-Cadet witnessed intense competition and very exciting racing across all three races. So close were the overall results that the three racers were tied on points at the top. Pune’s Sai Shiva Sankaran with a victory in the last race was first, ahead of Pune’s Ranvir Singh, who also won a race. Mumbai’s Hoshmand Elavia came in third. The injury lawyers located in Framingham area is what one needs to deal with the legalities of any injury related case.

    The Senior Amateur category meant for racers without prior success was as usual hotly contested. Sarvesh Bode from Pune, Mumbai’s Sujosh Sen, and Mohd. Raza Sheikh from Pune sealed the podium.

    The Senior Open witnessed the highest number of entries with 21 participants. Karthik Muthuswamy from Bangalore won a really close race ahead of the Bhui brothers from Mumbai – Aman, and Suraj.

    Aman Singh Bhui (Chandrabhan Sharma College) won the Inter-College category ahead of Akshay More (Bandodkar College) and Asad Kadegaongar (Coplen University, Singapore). Pratham Chaoudhary (Fountain Gate) won the Inter School category ahead of Rohaan Aggarwal (Cathedral and John Connon, Mumbai). Kshitij Mahajani (Bishops) was third.

    Suraj Bhui of Amrit Elastomers won the Corporate Category ahead of Jatin Vora of Jet Airways and Arish Daver from Indigo Airlines. Mayank Kundu won the Senior Plus category ahead of Mohd. Raza Shaikh and Kejas Shah. Mithlesh Jain won the Women’s Category ahead of Aishwarya Dhumal and Naomi Aggarwal. The Master Category saw a close fight too with Arish Daver emerging winner ahead of Clive Joshua and Kejas Shah.

    The entire racing fraternity was shocked with grief, when early next morning news came in, of the tragic passing away of Akshay Patil in a road accident. Akshay finished runner-up

    IndiKarting races at Pune attracted 119 entries. A photo by Rayo Racing

    in the Pro Senior Category and was a much loved and popular racer who will always be fondly remembered by the racing fraternity.

    eom/Rayo Racing Release

  • Commanding show, including a hat-trick, gets maiden title for Aaroh Ravindra; Rayo Racing tops

    Commanding show, including a hat-trick, gets maiden title for Aaroh Ravindra; Rayo Racing tops

    Aaroh Ravindra and Aanjan Patodia (right) with their trophies on 15 Oct 2017 in Bangalore. Photo by Rayo Racing

    Bengaluru : Aaroh Ravindra from Rayo Racing, clinched his maiden National Karting Championship, with a 2nd place finish in Round 5 of the Meco FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship.

    The Mumbai youngster has consistently dominated the championship ever since his victory in round 1 at Hyderabad. He completed a hat-trick of victories at the end of Round 3 and already had a commanding lead of 27 points in the National Championship by then.

    Aaroh qualified 2nd as the weekend began, after Nirmal USB of M Sport clinched pole position with a lap time of 54.694, a mere 2 hundredths of a second ahead of Aaroh. Manav Sharma was third. Heat 1 saw Nirmal lead from pole & win the heat, while Aaroh won the 2nd heat, ahead of Nirmal.

    The pre final saw Nirmal from Chennai, once again start from pole & win ahead of Aaroh & Manav. Aaroh’s earned enough points in the pre final, to be practically assured of the title, irrespective of the outcome of the final. However, Aaroh was not content with merely finishing.

    he final saw Nirmal pulling away as soon as the green flag dropped, while Aaroh fell to third. He regained second, coming out of corner 2 but lost ground immediately to Akash. Soon, it was Rayo Racing 2nd & 3rd as both Aaroh & Aanjan overtook Akash on lap 3. Mid-way through the race, Nirmal picked a puncture which promoted the Rayo Racing duo into 1st & 2nd. Aanjan being quicker, soon passed Aaroh for the lead & won a really close race. Aaroh crossed the line a mere 0.3 seconds behind Aanjan, while local lad Akash finished 3rd, ahead of another Bengaluru lad – Danesh Vakharia from Rayo Racing.

    Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade from BPC racing won the junior finals ahead of M Sport Racing boys, Shahan Mohsin from Agra & Yash Aradhya from Bengaluru. Bengaluru boys sealed the Micro Max podium as Ruhaan Alva of Birel Art won the finals ahead of Rohaan Madhesh of Peregrine Racing & Rishon MR from Birel Art.

    Aaroh’s domination in the Senior National Championship saw him pick the award for most wins in the entire championship. His worst finish of the season being a 2nd place, he won the National Title with a lead of 33 points & earns himself a ticket to represent India in the World Finals at Portugal in November.  Aaroh’s participation in the series came as a result of his sponsorship from Tata Motors, JK Tyres, Rayo Racing & IndiKarting after finishing runner up in the JK Tyre IndiKarting National Series last year. The winner of that series – Aanjan Patodia, finished 3rd overall behind Nirmal USB in spite of not finishing a couple of races. He tied on points with Rayo Racing Teammate – Danesh Vakharia.

    Yash Aradhya of M Sport, with 2 victories in the season, won the junior title by 9 points from Chirag Ghorpade & Shahan Mohsin. Arjun Rajiv won the Micro title by 8 points, ahead of Ruhaan Alva & Rishon MR.

    “It was an amazing start to the year, with a hat trick of victories. A double runner-up finish in the last 2 rounds was not bad either. It has been hard work by everyone involved & I really want to thank Steve for his efforts, as well as all our sponsors & my family for their support” said an ecstatic Aaroh after the prize distribution ceremony.

    He continued, “I have had very limited track time over the last 2 years due to the lack of a budget. The World Finals are going to be tough competing against the 72 best drivers from around the world, but I will be working hard over the next few weeks to prepare in the best possible way.”

    As reported earlier, Aaroh Ravindra, Yash Aradhya and Ruhaan Alva, will represent India, in the World Rotax Finals in Portimao, Portugal from 5th to 11th November, as the champions from over 50 countries will vie for the title of World Rotax Champion 2017. Over 300 competitors will race at this prestigious World Finals.

    eom/with inputs from Rayo Racing

  • Aaroh Ravindra extends championship lead by a point: Meco Karting Nationals

    Bengaluru, 24 Sept. 2017: Rayo Racing’s Aaroh Ravindra extended his championship lead by a mere 1 point at the end of Round 4 of the Meco FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship. The Mumbai lad kept a cool head and finished both the pre – finals and finals in 2nd position.

    Earlier in the weekend, it was Bangalore racer Nirmal Umashankar from M Sport Racing who bagged pole position with a time of 54.864 ahead of Manav Sharma of BPC Racing. Aaroh could only manage third.

    Heat 1 and 2 saw Nirmal win ahead of Aaroh and Manav. This ensured that Nirmal started on Pole for the Pre-finals. As the green flag was waved, Nirmal got a good start and managed to block Aaroh, who in turn managed to block of Manav. The three racers fought throughout the 18 lap pre-final, but neither racer was able to make a move and the trio finished in the same order. The immensely close finish saw the top three cross the finish line within 0.7 seconds!

    The 20 lap final looked as though it would finish in a similar fashion, when the top three started in the same order. The trio quickly pulled away from the rest of the pack and once again none of the racers seemed to be able to mount a challenge in spite of being within the same second. On lap 15, Aaroh made a move on Nirmal into the U bend. However, he was unsuccessful and immediately paid the price as Manav seized second from Aaroh. Soon, Manav made a move for the lead and succeeded in holding position. Aaroh once again made a move on Nirmal and this time was able to make it stick. He soon went after Manav, but was unable to make a move by the chequered flag. Manav hence won his first race of the season, while Aaroh’s second place meant it was the first time this season he has not won the final. Nirmal sealed the third spot, in another extremely close finish that saw the top three within a second. Aaroh’s charge in the last few laps also saw him bag the fastest lap of the race and increase his overall lead in the National Championship by an additional point.

    The Junior Category too, witnessed close racing for the top 2 spots. Yash Aradhya of M Sport Racing started on pole in the final ahead of his team mates Sai Sanjay T and Shahan Ali Mohsin. A small mistake by Yash allowed his team mate to overtake and eventually it was Shahan who won ahead of Yash and Chirag Ghorpade from BPC Racing.

    The Micro Max Category saw Yashas More start on pole and win the final ahead of his Birel Art team mates, Rishon MR and Arjun Rajiv.

    “Although I was fast through the weekend, Nirmal seemed to be just a bit faster than me. Each and every race had all three of us finish extremely close. I wish I could have made my first move stick, in the finals, but second is not bad, although it would have been better to win. I must thank the team for the excellent setup that I had in the final and I am grateful to all my sponsors” said Aaroh after the race.

     

    eom/press release

  • Aaroh dominates National Rotax Karting

    Hyderabad, 20 June 2017: Aaroh Ravindra (Team Rayo Racing) from Mumbai, won the Senior final of the FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship here on Sunday.

    A press release from Rayo Racing said: Ravindra overcame multiple issues in practice and the heats to put up a stellar drive to finish on top. A DNF (did not finish) in heat 2 meant that Aaroh had to start in sixth place for the pre-final. A good start and skilled racing saw the 19-year old Mumbai youngster make his way up the order to win the pre-final ahead of Bangalore-based Rayo Racing teammate, Danesh Vakharia.

    His victory meant that he started the final on pole. A good start saw him build up a good lead. As the field settled down behind him, Nirmal Umashankar (Meco Racing) from Chennai and Manav Sharma (BPC Racing) from Faridabad emerged as the only challengers. Their battle with each other helped Aaroh stay out of danger and he coasted to victory ahead of Umashankar & Sharma.

    Aaroh’s drive is sponsored by IndiKarting, Tata Motors, JK Tyre & Rayo Racing, thanks to him being the runner up of the JK Tyre IndiKarting National Series Powered by Tata Motors, last season. “I practically had no practice on Thursday & Friday. The first time I actually went fast was only in the heats. It was fantastic to come from behind & win the prefinals. I must thank the team for the hard work under difficult circumstances. I must also than Tata Motors, JK Tyre & IndiKarting for also sponsoring” said an elated Aaroh who now leads the National Championship.

    The Junior & Micro Categories were dominated by Bangalore racers, Yash Aradhya (Meco Racing) & Ruhaan Alva (Birel ART) respectively. Both won the pre finals & finals as well.

    Final (Provisional) Results: Senior : 1.  Aaroh Ravindra. Mumbai (Rayo Racing); 2.       Nirmal Umashankar. Chennai (Meco Racing); 3.       Manav Sharma. Faridabad (BPC Racing).

    Junior : 1.       Yash Aradhya. Bangalore (Meco Racing); 2. Chirag Ghorpade, Bangalore (BPC Racing); 3. Muhammad Ibrahim, Pune (BPC Racing).

    Micro : 1. Ruhaan Alva. Bangalore (Birel Art); 2.  Arjun Rajiv, Bangalore (Pregrine Racing); 3.  Saathvik Raju, Bangalore (Pregrine Racing).

    eom/Rayo Racing press release