INDIA in F1

Tag: Shreyas Hareesh

  • Nithila, Shreyas, Sartak… Young brigade on new path; Sethu, Mathana excel

    Nithila, Shreyas, Sartak… Young brigade on new path; Sethu, Mathana excel

    Coimbatore, June 04, 2023: Rajiv Sethu, Mathana Kumar and Vignesh Goud notched a double apiece in their respective categories as the Rolon Round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023 concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday. 

    NextGen riders, Shreyas Hareesh, the India MiniGP 2022 champ, Nithila, the school girl from cycling fame, slowly demolishing the motorcycle world, and the MotoX magnet

    Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate), determined to resurrect a sagging career, swept the honours in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category while Mathana Kumar did much the same in the other top-end class, the Pro-Stock 165cc Open. Both had won Race-1 on Saturday quite comfortably and it was a virtual re-run in the second outing today. 

    Hyderabad’s 19-year-old Vignesh Goud (Race’ists Motorcycle Club) was equally commanding in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category as he won both the races this weekend while Puducherry’s Lani Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) took the honours in the Girls (Stock 165cc) class after starting from P5 on the grid. 

    Sethu, 24, who moved from Honda to Yamaha this season by joining multiple champion Rajini Krishnan’s RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate team, immediately made his mark on debut in the 301-400cc category by winning both the races. 

    In fact, Sethu, who started from pole position, had more than enough straight-line pace as he again held off Pune’s upcoming teenager Sarthak Chavan who joined Petronas TVS Racing team this season, while Hyderabad’s Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing) completed the podium for a repeat of yesterday’s Race-1. 

    “This double means a lot to me. I won just one race last season (in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category). And now, I have started 2023 with two wins! In a way, this weekend could be a turning point in my career and I hope I will enjoy more success going forward,” said Sethu who has had an up-and-down career with forays at the Asian level fetching desired results. He went winless in the 2021 National championship season though finishing on podium in eight of the 10 races and scored just one win in 2020 that was in contrast to the six in 2019 when he ended second in the championship. 

    In the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race today, the Pacer Yamaha duo of Mathana and Prabhu Arunagiri, who had finished in that order in yesterday’s Race-1, looked poised for another 1-2 finish. However, Arunagiri packed up after nine of the 14 laps due to mechanical issue while Sarthak Chavan who was running second, also retired with clutch problem in the 11th. It left Mathana all on his own in the front as he finished a comfortable winner ahead of Bengaluru youngster Chiranth Vishwanath who did well to hold off his Petronas TVS Racing team-mate and the more experienced KY Ahamed. 

    Earlier, Vignesh Goud did as he pleased for another fine win in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category for a double. He enjoyed a good start from pole position and quickly opened up a handsome lead that kept increasing as the race progressed. He eventually spared almost four seconds to Mysuru’s Tasmai Cariappa (Pacer Yamaha) who was followed home by Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) from Bengaluru.  

    The fast-improving Puducherry rider Lani Fernandez rode a fine race to win quite handily after starting from P5 as she sliced through the top half of the field to hit the front and never looked back. Finishing second behind her was pole-sitter Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) and Jagathishree Kumaresan (One Racing) was third. 

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Alwin Sundar (Chennai) started the day’s proceedings with a comfortable win in the 301-400cc Open (Apache RR310), starting from pole position. Finishing second behind him was Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) who made five spots while Senthil Kumar C (Coimbatore) was third. Alwin went on to win Race-2 to also score a double with Senthil Kumar coming in second and Yesuadiyan third. 

    Bengaluru schoolboy Copperam Hareesh Shreyas also achieved a splendid double in the Rookie category with another comfortable victory. Fellow-Bengalurean Savion Sabu finished second ahead of Nandanan (Chennai). 

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: Chennai’s Kavin Quintal, for the second time this weekend, destroyed the NSF 250 field to complete a double. Having won the first race yesterday with great ease, Kavin’s dominance was even more pronounced in the second outing today over 14 laps.  Finishing a distant second was Rakshith Dave (Chennai), while Prakash Kamath (Steel City) was third. 

    The results (Provisional): 

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 14 laps): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) (17mins, 10.905secs); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Petronas TVS Racing) (17:15.035); 3. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad, KTM Gusto Racing) (17:18.203). 

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 14 laps): 1. Mathana Kumar S (Tiruchi, Pacer Yamaha) (18:16.308); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (18:18.409); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (18:18.812). 

    Novice (Stock 165cc) (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Race’ists Motorcycle Club) (14:38.296); 2. Tasmai Cariappa PC (Mysuru, Pacer Yamaha) (14:42.038); 3. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru, Axor Sparks Racing) (14:45.305). 

    Girls (Stock 165cc) (8 laps): 1. Lani Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) (11:49.553); 2. Ann Jennifer AS (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (11:52.201); 3. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:52.295). 

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR 310) (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Alwin Sundar A (Chennai) (12:51.163); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (12:56.063); 3. Senthil Kumar C (Coimbatore) (12:58.807). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Alwin Sundar (12:55.616); 2. Senthilkumar C (12:56.035); 3. Manoj Yesuadiyan (12:59.942). 

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200) (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Copparam Hareesh Shreyas (Bengaluru) (13:58.187); 2. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (14:02.196); 3. Nandanan (Chennai) (14:02.500). 

    Media (Apache RTR 200) (8 laps): 1. Deepak Vishnu D (Kochi) (12:27.379); 2. Ananya Aswathi (Pune) (12:27.462); 3. Alshin K Thomas (Pune) (12:29.841). 

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (Open, NSF 250) (Race-2, 14 laps): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (17:11.908); 2. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (17:50.057); 3. Prakash Kamath (Steel City, Rourkela) (17:51.107). 

  • Shreyas wins last race; After a triple victory, Jinendra crashes in Race 4

    Shreyas wins last race; After a triple victory, Jinendra crashes in Race 4

    Bengaluru, 28 August 2022: Kolhapur’s Jinendra Kiran Sangave won three of the four races while local lad Shreyas Hareesh topped the other in the two-day FIM MiniGP World Series India 2022 rounds which concluded at the Meco Kartopia circuit here on Sunday.

    Hyderabad as venue for Rounds 2 and 3, was shifted to Bengaluru due to rains. Rounds 4 and 5 will also be held at Meco Kartopia on September 3 and 4. Each round comprises two races. The series is restricted to riders in the age-group of 10-14 years on single-make Ohvale mini bikes.

    Jinendra, 13, who had won a double in Round-1 here last month, repeated the feat in Round-2 winning both the races on Saturday with Shreyas Hareesh and Chennai’s Nandanan Mahendran finishing second and third, respectively. The riders finished in the same order in the first race of Round-3 held on Sunday, but in the next outing later in the day, Jinendra crashed in the very first lap, but managed to rejoin to finish third behind Shreyas and Nandanan.

    Nithila Das, topped among the girls, finishing in the top-5.

    After three rounds, Jinendra leads the series with 141 points, ahead of Shreyas (125), Nandanan (94) and Kochi’s Muhammed Zain Correya (64).

    The results (all 15 laps):

    The dominant trio – Jinendra Sangave (centre, winner of three races), flanked by Shreyas Hareesh (left, who won one race) and Nandanan Mahendran, who finished on podium in all four races, in Rounds 2 and 3 of the FIM MiniGP World Series India 2022 held at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru on August 27 and 28 respectively.

    Round-2: Race-1: 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (16mins, 09.931secs); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (16:13.057); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (Chennai) (16:28.164). Race-2: 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (16mins, 07.864); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (16:07.949); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (16:32.601).

    Qualifying (top 4): 1. Jinendra Sangave (01:04.572); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (01:04.646); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (01:05.503); 4. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (01:06.868).

    Round-3: Race-1: 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (16:30.852); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (16:31.104); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (16:35.155). Race-2: Shreyas Hareesh (16:07.031); 2. Nandanan Mahendran (16:15.289); 3. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (16:17.996).

    Qualifying (top 4): 1. Jinendra Sangave (01:03.585); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (01:03.705); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (01:04.239); 4. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (01:05.853).

    About FIM MiniGP World Series India Series

    The FIM MiniGP World Series India, comprising a total of 10 races spread over five rounds, is part of the global programme run across 15 countries, and initiated by the FIM, the World governing body for two-wheeler racing, in conjunction with Dorna Sports, promoters of the FIM MotoGP.

    The FIM launched the MiniGP Series in 2021, as part of the Road To MotoGP programme, aiming to create an equal platform for young riders around the World to begin their motorcycle racing careers. All riders compete on equal Ohvale GP-0 160 machinery (Mini bikes), manufactured in Italy, while Pirelli is the official single tyre supplier for all the FIM MiniGP World Series.

    The top two riders based on points at the conclusion of the India series will represent the country in the FIM MiniGP World Series finals to be held in Valencia, Spain, in November.

    Main Sponsors: Vidiem, Ohvale India and RMS Motorsport. Helmets: MT

    Support partners: Tech & Tantra (organiser); AJ Customs (design & graphic); Garage77 (technical support).

    Series Sponsors: Pirelli, Motul, Dell’Orto. Series supported by: FIM, Fmsci, DornaSports, Road to MotoGP

  • Jinendra Sangave wins MiniGP historic races; Shreyas wins hearts

    Jinendra Sangave wins MiniGP historic races; Shreyas wins hearts

    Bengaluru, 23 July 2022: Kolhapur’s Jinendra Kiran Sangave displayed calmness and plenty of skill to create history as he won a double in the first Road-to-MotoGP international event for young riders under-14 years in India, the FIM MiniGP World Series India 2022 at the Meco Kartopia circuit, here on Saturday.

    Jinendra, 13, held off Shreyas Hareesh, who is popularly known as “The Bengaluru Kid” in both the 15-lap races with Chennai’s 13-year old Rakshith S Dave, trailing the front-running duo in third place. The trio dominated the field through the weekend with some fearless riding and filled the podium spots in both races.

    “I am thrilled and very happy to have won the first round. This is new bike and new championship and I am learning to improve my riding skills and adapt to the bike. This bike helps me to dream,” said a visibly pleased Jinendra, who switched over to Hindi, unable to control the emotional delight. It was a treat to watch both the rivals on track meet after the race. “I am not disappointed. I tried my best. It is not my day. Actually I would have crashed,” said the 11-year old Shreyas, who spoke like a mature rider, but he never misses a chance to have fun with his co-riders. The amazing maturity he showed on the bike, with great control and balance, to avoid a high side is proof enough that he would go places, if groomed properly. His great save in Race 2, two corners after the blind left, speak volumes about his riding skills. This is a perfect launch for the Bengaluru kid, who gave himself a birthday gift, three days ahead of July 26. But he would be having three more years in this championship which is wonderful prospect to go after his MotoGP dream.

    From left: Shreyas Hareesh, 2nd, Jinendra Sangave, winner and Rakshith Dave, 3rd in both the inaugural two races in the MiniGP India series at Meco Kartopia on Saturday.

    The surprise packet of the day, was 12-year Nithila Das, from Bengaluru. A champion cycling talent, her foray into motorsports went unnoticed at the National Road races at the Madras International Circuit in the TVS one-make championship as the only girl. But on Saturday, the Trivandrum-born 6th standard student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Bengaluru, is the lone girl among four who competed, to complete both the races in sixth and fifth positions, respectively. Rest of the three girls, were allowed to do only three laps each as they failed to come within the time of the fastest rider’s 115 per cent, a rule that is place for safety reasons.

    Jinendra and Shreyas, who had qualified for pole position, put on a thrilling contest marked by slight contacts at high speeds, but both displayed tremendous skill to stay astride their respective Italian Ohvale mini bikes. Jinendra’s calmness eventually helped him to get past Shreyas.

    Jinendra Sangave, defended well and cleverly outfoxed the young rival to win both the races in the inaugural MiniGP India series round at Meco Kartopia on Sunday.

    The Bengaluru schoolboy, who, despite posting fastest laps in both the races, paid the price for small errors, while surviving a huge moment in the second outing when he averted a potential high-side.

    The pace in the second race was particularly stunning. As in the first race, Shreyas led at the start but yielded ground to an aggressive and a bit more experienced Jinendra who never held back in attacking the corner or exploiting the slightest of openings Shreyas presented.

    The weekend programme was compressed for an early finish in view of the inclement weather with spells of showers and consequent safety issues on a wet track. Thus, both races were completed on Saturday.

    The FIM MiniGP World Series India is part of the global programme, comprising a total of 15 countries, and initiated by the FIM, the World governing body for two-wheeler racing, in conjunction with Dorna Sports, promoters of the FIM MotoGP.

    The FIM launched the MiniGP Series in 2021, as part of the Road To MotoGP programme, aiming to create an equal platform for young riders around the World to begin their motorcycle racing careers.

    The results:

    Race-1 (15 laps): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (16mins, 39.078secs); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (16:39.261); 3. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (16:52.251).

    Race-2 (15 laps): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (16:00.218); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (16:01.277); 3. Rakshith S Dave (16:24.502).

    Qualifying (top 4): 1. Shreyas Hareesh (01:03.369); 2. Jinendra Sangave (01:03.641); 3. Rakshith Dave (01:04.103); 4. Nandanan Mahendran (Chennai) (01:04.603).

    Caption: Podium – Winner Jinendra Sangave (centre), second-placed Shreyas Hareesh (left) and third-placed Rakshith Dave at Meco Kartopia on 24 July 2022.