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Tag: Team MRF Tyres
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MRF Tyres secures fourth consecutive Italian Gravel Championship
Cingoli, 19 November 2024: MRF Tyres team of Alberto Battistolli and Simone Scattolin clinched their first Italian crown capping off the weekend in style coming out triumphant in the Marche-based rally, 17th Rally delle Marche, the final event of the 2024 season.
The Italian crew of Alberto Battistolli and Simone Scattolin won the 17th Rally delle Marche, claiming their first Italian Gravel Rally Championship of their career.
A fantastic season also saw Marchioro-Marchetti secure the 2WD title and Grossi-Cardinali triumph in the Pucci Grossi Trophy – ACI Sport Under 25 Cup.
The Indian team celebrated its fourth Italian Gravel Championship title in a row. Following three consecutive wins with Paolo Andreucci in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
An exceptional driving display, well supported by the team and the performance of MRF Tyres helped Battistolli and Scattolin lead from the opening stage to the finish, achieving their second victory of the season. This triumph sealed the championship with a final score of 71.5 points.
Driving the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, the crew showcased determination, performance, and resilience. Their late-season surge, including victories at Rally Vermentino and Rally delle Marche, overturned the standings and delivered their first national title. Despite intense competition, Battistolli managed to maintain focus during the final stages, balancing the need to push hard while avoiding mistakes.
MRF Tyres’s other official crew, Emanuele Dati and Daiana Darderi, also delivered a strong performance. Competing in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 for the first time, Dati adapted quickly and secured an impressive seventh place in the overall standings.
MRF Tyres’s season-long dominance extended beyond the top class. At Rally Vermentino, Nicolò Marchioro and Marco Marchetti, driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4, secured the Italian 2WD Championship with a round to spare as part of the MRF Rally Trophy Italia program. The success continued at the 17th Rally delle Marche, where Angelo Pucci Grossi and Francesco Cardinali claimed a remarkable victory in the Pucci Grossi Trophy – ACI Sport Under 25 Cup. Grossi, competing in his debut season with MRF Tyres, achieved this milestone in honour of his father, culminating an emotional season with a win in the Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.
Alberto Battistolli:
“This season has been a rollercoaster, but ending it like this is incredible. I want to share this success with Simone, the team, MRF Tyres, and everyone who supported us. Here at Rally delle Marche we gave everything, stayed focused, and pushed hard. The final stages were the toughest of my career, knowing we had to keep the pace and avoid mistakes to secure the title. It’s an amazing feeling and a fantastic way to close the year.”
Classification Campionato Italiano Rally Terra 2024 – Final Standings
1. Alberto Battistolli pt. 71.5,
2. Tommaso Ciuffi pt. 51;
3. Umberto Scandola pt. 50;
4. Enrico Oldrati pt. 46;
5. Jaakko Lavio pt. 38
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Team MRF’s Andrea-Virginia win final round, Rally Silesia: Euro Rally
Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi take their first European victory after a solid and mature performance against two-time FIA ERC champion Hayden Paddon.
Katowice (Poland), 14 October 2024: Team MRF Tyres’ Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi (ITA) notched up a creditable victory in the 8th Rally Silesia- Rajd Śląska, the final round of European Rally Championship 2024 here on Sunday. The MRF duo in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 became the eighth different winner of the eight round 2024 FIA European Rally Championship.
The Italian crew, who finished second in the previous championship round at the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, delivered an outstanding performance, allowing Mabellini to claim his first European career victory. This is a significant result, marking the first time in 13 years that an Italian has won a European rally outside of Italy. With this result, Mabellini finished the season in fourth place, missing out third by just a few points, while contributing significantly to Team MRF Tyres’ second-place finish in the teams’ standings.
Mabellini’s success was built over time, with strategic teamwork ensuring the right tyre choices at critical moments. The Italian driver was in contention from the start, securing second place in the opening show stage and becoming the only driver to challenge former WRC driver Hayden Paddon, the two-time European champion. The turning point came on Day 2, with Mabellini’s victory on SS11, propelling him into the lead after an intense battle fought down to the tenths of a second.
The key moment came three stages from the end: after a mostly dry rally, changing weather conditions and the rain made tire choice crucial. Team MRF Tyres made no mistakes, with Mabellini driving with both speed and precision, showing maturity, and extending his lead from a narrow 1.9-second margin to an 18.3-second gap by the finish.
“I’m extremely happy. I want to thank Team MRF Tyres for believing in me from the start. We’ve worked hard together, and achieving this result is a huge satisfaction for all of us. A big thanks also to Virginia, who understands me perfectly, guides me, and without whom I wouldn’t be able to give my best, and to everyone who supported us from Italy. It’s been an incredible weekend, a season finale to remember. We’re enjoying this moment,” said Mabellini.
Also crossing the finish line in Katowice were Team MRF Tyres’ Amaury Molle (B) and Alex Dubois (FRA) in the Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. The Belgian driver returned after his accident at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín two months ago, delivering a consistent performance. Molle worked on regaining confidence and consistency, posting impressive times, including seventh on SS11, run in very uncertain conditions.
“It’s been a weekend full of positives. I know it will take time to fully regain my rhythm and the confidence to push at 100%, but I felt a great connection with the car, and Alex and I did a good job, improving stage by stage. We made a small mistake on the final stage but that doesn’t change our outlook on the weekend’s result. Thanks to Team MRF Tyres for this opportunity; now we have the winter to prepare and focus on our 2025 season,” said Molle.
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Team MRF Tyres crowned European champions again
Chennai, August 19, 2023 Team MRF Tyres are the new 2023 FIA European Rally Champions. Team MRF Tyres scored a historic double as they secured this year’s title with two rounds to spare of the eight round 2023 FIA ERC Championship.
Team MRF Tyres is the winner of the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams for a second year after it reached the penultimate event of the season with an unassailable advantage*.
Team scores enough points before the start of Barum Czech Rally, to get their 2nd Team Championship title.
Points scored by Simone Campedelli, Efrén Llarena and Mārtiṇš Sesks during the first six events of the 2023 ERC season were enough for Team MRF Tyres to celebrate another momentous achievement on the international motorsport stage.
Vivek Ponnusamy, Team Representative who heads up MRF Tyres ERC participation, said: “History is not made, it is repeated and I’m incredibly happy and proud for the entire team right from the MRF Tyres management, the engineers, the tyre technicians, drivers and co-drivers, it’s a great achievement.
“Coming to Europe as an underdog and performing at this level of competition and to win the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams back-to-back is phenomenal and I’m over the moon. Even if this weekend’s rally has not started, we are already drenched in champagne so it’s a very good feeling.”
Team MRF successfully defended its 2022 team’s crown in what has been a hard-fought season with MRF Tyres taking on, and winning, against the established Global MNC rally tyre manufacturers. Having dominated in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championships for 9 wins, MRF Tyres set its sights on rallying in the top levels of European competition and joined the FIA ERC in 2020. With an intensive product development strategy, MRF Tyres soon started winning stages, rallies, and championships. This second championship win in the ERC is proof of the quality, performance and resilience of MRF Tyres.
Team MRF Tyres entered the 2023 FIA ERC season with high hopes after a championship winning performance in 2022 and it was immediately clear that any result would have to be earned, as the field was one toughest in years.
The season started well with a podium for Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernandez in the Rally Islas Canarias. After the podium success in Spain, the season moved to the fast gravel stages of Rally Liepaja and Rally Poland and Martins Sesks with Renars Francis would dominate these two fast rallies. Both rallies demanded absolute precision and confidence from the driver and the tyre, with the MRF product performing faultlessly throughout the events.
The back-to-back wins put Team MRF Tyres in the prime position for the Team’s Championship, which was further solidified with another podium in the first Royal Rally of Scandinavia. With solid points, including vital Powerstage points for Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton at the Rally di Roma Capitale, the goal of a second Team’s Championship was achieved. To underline MRF Tyres’ success, the second team, the MRF Tyres Dealer Team sits third in the standings, having taken podiums with Mads Ostberg and Patrik Barth, along with stage wins for Andrea Mabellini and Virigina Lenzi.
With two wins and two podiums in six rallies for Team MRF Tyres, it has undoubtedly been a year of sheer dominance.
The team, however, will not back off in its pursuit of success in top line rallying in Europe. There are two rounds of the FIA ERC remaining, and the commitment to competition has never been stronger. The 2023 Team’s Championship sits alongside 2022 FIA ERC driver’s and team’s championship, along with championships from the Italian gravel and tarmac championship from 2021 and 2022 and the 2021 Finnish Rally Championship.
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Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, MRF Ltd.
“I am extremely proud of the success achieved by MRF Tyres in the 2023 FIA European Rally Championship. As India’s leading tyre manufacturer we looked to take India to the world stage and compete in the toughest rally competitions in the world. We knew it would take dedication and determination to succeed and to do it once was a challenge, to back up that success in 2023 proves the talent and skill of the entire team at MRF Tyres. I would like to extend my congratulations to the team and I look forward to our future challenges.”
Martins Sesks, driver, Team MRF Tyres
“We came into this year knowing that it would be a challenge. In the FIA European Rally Championship, you have to earn every result, as the quality of the teams and the drivers is very high. I have been proud to represent MRF Tyres in the Championship and being able to stand on the top step of the podium after winning at home in Latvia and in Poland, has made me extremely proud. I would like to thank and I would also congratulate everyone at MRF Tyres for this Championship success.”
Efrén Llarena, driver, Team MRF Tyres
“I am proud to have been a part of Team MRF Tyres for the last couple of seasons and to be a part of their championship title success. As a team, we have put in so much hard work and we are always trying to improve, trying new ideas and looking for the extra tenths of seconds. You just have to look at the dedication of everyone at MRF Tyres, and you understand that this Championship didn’t come by chance, but by hard work. I would like to thank and congratulate the entire MRF Tyres team.”
Simone Campedelli, driver, Team MRF Tyres
“It has been a tough and rewarding season with MRF Tyres and it has been great to be a part of the Championship success. The testing and effort that has gone into the success from the entire team is clear. The success we have achieved across Europe makes it clear that MRF Tyres will play an important role in the future of European rallying. Congratulations to everyone in the team.”
*Subject to confirmation of the results by FIA
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Team MRF Tyres finishes 2nd in Rally Islas Canarias, leads ERC driver table
Chennai, 15 May 2022: Team MRF Tyres finished second on the podium in the third round of FIA European Rally Championship on Sunday.
The Team MRF Tyres frontrunner, Efrén Llarena, languished outside the top ten after Thursday evening’s superspecial, but he and co-driver Sara Fernández hauled their way up the leaderboard after winning the first stage on Friday.
The pair scrapped with fellow podium-sitter Yoann Bonato on the final day and ended the finale on identical times, pinching the runners-up spot on countback thanks to their SS2 result.
Llarena now tops the drivers’ championship by five points from Nil Solans with five rounds to go.
“We knew it would be difficult to come here, but we tried our best,” explained the Spaniard.
FIA ERC
Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández of Team MRF Tyres finished on the podium in the third round of the FIA European Rally Championship and took the first tarmac stage wins in the Championship on the Rally Islas Canarias. Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández proved the rapid pace of the latest generation of the MRF tarmac tyre, taking multiple stage wins.
It was a thrilling podium fight. Incredibly, Llarena and Fernández tied for second place with Yoann Bonato. By taking the podium and with powerstage points, the Spanish duo now lead the European Rally Championship.
Efrén Llarena said: “It was a great rally for us, and I am so happy to have taken the first tarmac stage win for Team MRF Tyres on tarmac in the ERC. To finish on the podium is a great achievement and to lead the championship is proof of how much development and effort everyone at MRF Tyres has put into the product!”
Team MRF Tyres’ Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton took a fighting top-five after going ‘full-turbo’ in their quest for success. The Italian duo also took their first FIA ERC stage win for Team MRF Tyres on stage five.
Norbert Herczig and Igor Bacigál capped off a great weekend in FIA ERC for Team MRF Tyres by finishing inside the top 10.
The next round of the FIA ERC is Rally Poland on 10-12 June.
Italian Rally Championship – Gravel
Paolo Andreucci and Rudy Briani took a hard-fought win for Team MRF Tyres in the Rally Adriatico, the second round of the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel. The duo took four stage wins in the nine-stage rally, which was held in Urbino in Italy.
Andreucci and Briani took the win by over 12 seconds, to continue their winning form. The pair have won both rallies this year in the Championship as they defend their 2021 title.
Paolo Andreucci, said “It was a great rally and the car felt great! I am so happy for Team MRF Tyres. It was not all easy as I hurt my ankle in service, but I put some ice on it and I was determined to go even faster. To win the first and second rounds of the Championship is great, and I am looking forward to more development and rallying with MRF Tyres!”
Jacopo Trevisani and Andrea Marchesini, of Team MRF Tyres finished tenth in the rally, gaining pace throughout the 70 km event.
The next round of the Championship is Rally San Marino on 9-10 July.
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Double delight for Team MRF Tyres: Italian Gravel Rally
Chennai, 12 Sept 2021: Team MRF Tyres secured second and third places on the podium as MRF Tyres also won the Female Championship in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (CIRT).
Team MRF Tyres continued its podium winning form in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (CIRT) and the Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino. The fifth round of the CIRT saw seven stages and 68.08km of competitive action with Paolo Andreucci/Rudy Briani in their Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, Simone Campedelli/Gianfrancesco Rappa in their VW Polo GTi R5 and Tamara Molinaro/Piercarlo Capolongo in their Citroën C3 Rally2 propelling Team MRF Tyres to podium finishes.
Going into the rally, the team was in a strong position after winning the previous round and had high expectations of a good result and gathering important tyre data.
The rally started well for Team MRF Tyres with the first two stages, Telti being run twice on Friday night. Campedelli/Rappa had won SS2, while Andreucci/Briani were equal leaders of the rally at the end of the day. Saturday had the bulk of the competitive action and the fight was intense.
Podium for Andreucci Paolo, left, and Briani Rudi, of Team MRF Tyres. Photo: INDIAinF1.com Andreucci/Briani pushed hard, winning SS4 Oschiri 1 and SS7 Monte Olia 3. Throughout the rally, they were inside the top three on every stage, ensuring they were in the mix. Campedelli/Rappa were also putting in a strong performance winning SS3 Monte Olia 1 and finishing second on the rest of the day’s stages.
These performances ensured that the gaps at the top of the timesheets were tight. Going into the final stage, the top three were separated by less than 10 seconds with Team MRF Tyres drivers fighting hard with Umberto Scandola/Danilo Fappani.
By the end of SS7, the final stage of the rally, Team MRF Tyres drivers fought to within 3.5 seconds of the win, with the top three being separated by incredibly small margins.
A technical problem for Campedelli/Rappa after the final stage saw them check-in to a time control late, taking a 20-second penalty in the process. However, the podium success for Team MRF Tyres could not be denied with Andreucci/Briani taking second and Campedelli/Rappa finishing third.
Paolo Andreucci, Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, “It was a great rally and I am happy to be able to take a podium position with Team MRF Tyres. The car worked well throughout the rally and we were always at the front. “We were able to take another podium position and get more data for the tyres. Thanks to the team for the weekend and I am looking forward to the final round of the season.”
Meanwhile, Molinaro/Capolongo ran a strong rally in their Citroën, maintaining their 100 percent winning form in the Female category. The result allowed the pair to take home the Female Championship, one round before the end of the season. Bringing the car home on every stage with consistent pace, they were able to finish inside the top 10 in the CIRT and, in addition, took fourth position in the Under 25 category. Tamara Molinaro, Driver, Citroën C3 Rally2, said “We had some technical issues during the rally so we lost time with that. It was a challenging rally but we gained a lot of experience and won the Female Championship with one rally to spare so that is fantastic. A big thanks must go to MRF Tyres this year as well! The tyres worked well through the rally and allowed us to get this result.”
One round remains in the CIRT with the 12th Liburna Terra Rally taking place on 5-6 November. Team MRF Tyres will be in action again this week with the fifth round of the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship as Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera join Team MRF Tyres to drive the Hyundai i20 R5 in the Azores Rallye.
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Czech dream ends early for Team MRF Tyres: ERC
Zlin (Czech Republic), 29 August 2021: Team MRF Tyres’ visit to the FIA European Rally Championship’s Barum Czech Rally Zlin ended early after showing good pace.
The rally got to a good start for Jari Huttunen and Mikko Lukka in the Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 by taking fifth spot in the qualifying session.
The duo would take the fifth starting position and drove safely through the first night stage in the streets of Zlin.
The event was able to welcome spectators to both the stages and the service park, providing a carnival atmosphere.
Saturday’s stages started well, with the tyre development program front of mind. The potential of the tyres was shown through top six stage times.
However, the rally came to an end on Stage 7, the 18.86 Hošťálková stage. An off damaged the rear side on the driver’s side. It also damaged the engine, and that was too great to repair onsite within the timeframe allowed.
Team MRF Tyres will be back in action in the FIA European Rally Championship with the Azores Rallye from September 16-18.
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Jari Huttunen, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
“We were enjoying the Barum Czech Rally Zlin for Team MRF Tyres. We were going through our plan to get more data for the tyre. Unfortunately, we crashed on SS7 and the damage was too great to repair on site and we have to retire. Both Mikko and I are ok and want to get back behind the wheel. I feel bad for the team. The MRF Tyre was performing well to that point.” -
Breen-Nagle take first podium for MRF in ERC
Talsi/Liepaja, 3 July 2021: With a second place finish at the Rally Liepaja, Team MRF Tyres today registered their first ever podium since entering the European Rally Championship in 2020.
It was a hard fought podium with Craig Breen and Paul Nagle battling against Europe’s best throughout the day.
The day’s action saw six stages and 90.92km of action in warm and sunny conditions on roads around the Latvian coastal town of Liepaja.
The Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 started the day in second place, involved in a great fight with Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (VW), Efrén Llarena/ Sara Fernández (Skoda) and Alexey Lukyanuk/Dmitriy Eremeev (Citroën). Just 13.4 seconds separated the four cars.
The day started with the 18.42km Neste stage. The roads on Saturday differed from the previous day with a harder surface being presented to the drivers.
Breen and Nagle came in third in the stage with a time of 9:18.2, just 3.4 seconds off the lead.
The pace was repeated on the second stage of the day, with Breen/Nagle taking second just 3.1 seconds off the stage win on the Invest in Liepaja! stage.
Third on stage nine, solidified Team MRF Tyres second place going into the final service. With just three stages remaining, Breen and Nagle sat in second 15.2 seconds off Gryzain/Konstantin in the lead and 16.0 seconds ahead of Lukanuk/Eremeev in third.
After final service, the need to push still existed. All of the drivers were at 100 percent, and there would be no room for mistakes.
SS10 saw a repeat of the Neste stage with Breen/Nagle coming home in fifth, 3.9 seconds off the stage win.
The eleventh stage would be a new one for the rally with the 9.93km blast setting up a setting up a grandstand finish.
Breen and Nagle were able to bring the car home third on the final stage to finish second in the overall standings as they stood at the final stopline.
The result demonstrates the advancements that Team MRF Tyres have made in the development of their tyres.
In Rally Poland, just the second gravel rally for Team MRF Tyres, Breen and Nagle took the first stage wins on gravel for MRF Tyres.
In Latvia, the first repeat rally for MRF Tyres, the team takes the first podium.
MRF Tyres customer cars Michal Pryczek/ Jacek Pryczek (Subaru Impreza N15) and Igor Widłak/Daniel Dymurski (Ford Fiesta Rally 3) ran strongly over the day.
Pryczek/Pryczek finished third in the ERC2 category and Widlak/Dymurski also finished third in the RC3 category.
Team MRF Tyres will be out in the next round of the European Rally Championship with the Rally di Roma Capitale on 23-26 July.
Quotes
Craig Breen, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
“We had to push all rally long. There was no room to relax this weekend. This series is so strong and you have to fight for the podium.”“Team MRF Tyres has achieved so much in this campaign and a podium was a big part that was missing. To achieve a podium for Team MRF Tyres is very satisfying.”
“The Hyundai i20 R5 felt so good through the rally but we had to push the entire way. The entire team at MRF Tyres should be proud of what we have achieved in a short amount of time.”
“We entered the European Rally Championship a year ago and Rally Liepaja is only our third gravel rally. It is a great result.”
*Results provisional -
Team MRF Tyres on the podium at Länsirannikon Ralli
Lindholm/ Hämäläinen finish third in the Finnish Rally Championship round. Grönholm and Linnaketo retire after showing good pace
Avanti (Finland), 30 May 2021: The Länisrannikon Ralli saw the Finnish Championship move from winter to summer conditions. It was the first time that Team MRF Tyres has competed on Finnish gravel after achieving podium finishes in the winter conditions.
The rally consisted of a planned 101.61km of competitive action spread over 13 stages.
Lindholm and Hämäläinen got the event underway in the best possible style on Friday, taking the stage win on the 7.5km Halisoja test. Grönholm and Linnaketo came home third.
The good times from SS1 were backed up on SS2 with Lindholm and Hämäläinen taking the stage win on the 9.49km Ohensaari test. Grönholm and Linnaketo were in the top 10 too, coming home in seventh on stage.
The final stage of the day was the 6.29km Hujala test and it was a third stage win from three for Lindholm and Hämäläinen. They lead the rally by 3.7 seconds ahead of Mikko Heikkilä and Topi Luhtinen.
Meanwhile, Grönholm and Linnaketo sat in fourth, just 23.4 seconds off the lead after the first day.The Friday stages were held on tarmac and the rally moved to gravel on Saturday for 75km of action.
The first loop consisted of the 6.42km Vintala test before moving to the 8.13km and 14.21km tests of Mahlio and Saukonoja. These stages are used just once.It was an ultra-competitive morning on the fast gravel stages with Lindholm and Hämäläinen demonstrating that the MRF Tyre could compete at the front and that a top result was going to be possible.
Even though this was the first rally that Team MRF Tyres has competed on Finnish gravel, the duo strengthened their grip on the podium in what was a very competitive field.
However, the team would be down to one car after a crash for Grönholm and Linnaketo. After showing great pace, they carried a little too much speed into a corner late on the third stage of the day. The crew was uninjured, but their rally was over.
The remaining stages see two runs through the 5.15km Vanha Karuna stage, 13.40km test of Pöylä, and the 5.27km test of Juntola. The final stage is a short 1.93km shootout at Avanti.
Lindholm and Hämäläinen continued to set top times through the day, achieving a top-five result on each of the remaining stages.
MRF Tyres is competing in Finland to test ourselves against the fastest rally drivers in the world and this was evident with the tough fight for the podium positions.
By the final loop, Lindholm and Hämäläinen were in a three-way battle for third with Aleksi Röyhkiö/ Ville Mannisenmäki and Juha Salo/ Mikko Markkula. It was a tight finish and coming into the final loop, the final 1.93km stage was cancelled.
This meant that SS12 would host the last stage of the rally and Team MRF Tyres was able to achieve a podium, 0.6seconds ahead of Röyhkiö/ Mannisenmäki and 8.3 seconds ahead of Salo/Markkula.
Team MRF Tyres has now achieved two third-place finishes and a fourth-place finish in the Finnish Rally Championship in 2021 with Emil Lindholm.The next round of the Finnish Rally Championship takes place at Seinäjoki with the SM Pohjanmaa Ralli on 18-19 June.
Team MRF Tyres will be rallying next weekend in the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel (CIRT) with a three-car effort for Paolo Andreucci/ Francesco Pinelli, Simone Campedelli/ Gianfrancesco Maria Rappa, and Tamara Molinaro/ Piercarlo Capolongo.
Emil Lindholm – Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, 3rd
“Team MRF Tyres and I did well on the asphalt. I think driving gravel rally tires on the asphalt is what it should be like to drive a rally on asphalt: fun. Gravel tyres prefer asphalt than on a hard-coated gravel road, and still, you get to drive a lot and skate a car in curves. A fun experience!”“We aimed for the podium and we got there. This morning’s special stages were challenging when the ground was a bit damp. The setup worked better for us in the warmer afternoon stages.
“The development from MRF Tyres is impressive. In just over a year, we have reached a situation where we can compete to win the rally, and once again we took stage wins and a podium. It’s a great achievement and the development will continue!”
Niclas Gronholm – Driver, Skoda Fabia R5, DNF
“It was really difficult today, I really didn’t have the confidence and couldn’t maximize the potential of the car and the MRF Tyres. In the end, I heard a pace note wrong and went a bit too fast into the corner and ended up on some loose gravel and drifted into a tree. But at least it was fun and we had good pace while it lasted!” -
Simone Campedelli joins Team MRF Tyres for 2021 ERC
3 March 2021: Team MRF Tyres welcomes Italian ace Simone Campedelli to the team for the 2021 season. Campedelli will take the gravel rounds for the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship (FIA ERC).
Campedelli has made a name for himself on the Italian stages, taking four titles in his career including the Italian 2WD Championship, Italian Junior, Italian Tarmac and the Italian Gravel Trophy. His 2020 saw him take a win and two-second places in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship.
The natural step is into the FIA ERC and Campedelli will compete at the front of the field in a VW Polo R5.
He joins Team MRF Tyres on the back of Italian legend Paolo Andreucci, with both drivers bringing vast experience and knowledge to the team
Campedelli will start his ERC at Azores Rally in Portugal in May. Rally Poland and Rally Liepaja in June and July follows before the final gravel event in Portugal take place in September with the Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras. If all goes well may be few ERC Tarmac rounds on the cards.
The pace and potential were shown in 2020 will be built on with Campedelli, who will be out to gain valuable data for the next generation of MRF Tyres.
MRF Tyres has a strong and reliable customer product and is committed to developing the range of tyres that can be used in rally competition across the globe.
Further announcements for the 2021 campaigns will be made in due course. The next outing for Team MRF Tyres will be the SM OK Auto Ralli, the second round of the Finnish Rally Championship with Lindholm/Korhonen on 5-6 March.
Quotes
Simone Campedelli, Driver, Team MRF Tyres
“I am really looking forward to this year. I am part of a big team with big ambitions this year. I will use my experience to test and to try to get the best results possible for Team MRF Tyres. I know that they are looking to me to help develop the tyres as well. This is a big responsibility.”“It is a big opportunity to rally outside of Italy and contest the ERC rounds this year. Team MRF Tyres showed that they have the pace and they are committed to improving their product and I am excited about these challenges.”
“Having a manufacturer like MRF Tyres in rallying is very important in Europe. They are a big company and are committed to motorsport. I am proud to be able to join them and I look forward to working with the team. I would also like to thank my long-time supporters, ORANGE1. Their continued support has allowed me to make this move to the ERC.”
Mr. Arun Mammen (MRF Tyres Vice-Chairman & Managing Director)
“We at MRF Tyres are proud of our commitment to motorsport and our rally activities in Europe are a part of this. As the first Indian manufacturer to join the European Rally Championship in 2020, we proved how competitive we are and that we are dedicated to always improving our products.”“I am pleased to be able to welcome Simone Campedelli to Team MRF Tyres. He joins a very skilled and dedicated team and I am sure everyone at MRF Tyres will follow him and be eager for success. I am proud to see MRF Tyres commitment to the European Rally Championship.”
“Welcome to the MRF family, Simone and best of luck for the 2021 season.”
About MRF Tyres
MRF Tyres was established in 1946 and now employs over 16,000 people and has revenue of around US$2.5 billion making it the biggest tyre supplier in India. MRF Tyres supplies rally and race tyres around the world. MRF Tyres entered the European Rally Championship for the first time in 2020 taking stage wins and took a podium position in the team’s first snow rally in the Finnish Rally Championship. It is part of a long motorsport heritage for the company that has seen multiple Asia Pacific Rally Championship titles, open wheeler success, national rally and racing success.About the European Rally Championship:
The FIA European Rally Championship, established in 1953 is one of the oldest and most prestigious rally championships in the world. Crews rally across eight rounds from March to November with four tarmac and four gravel events.The 2020 ERC calendar is as follows:
Round 1 – Azores Rallye (6 – 8 May)
Round 2 – Rajd Polski – Rally Poland (18-20 June)
Round 3 – Rally Liepāja (1-3 July)
Round 4 – Rally di Roma Capitale (23-25 July)
Round 5 – Barum Czech Rally Zlín (27-29 August)
Round 6 – Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras (23-25 September)
Round 7 – Rally Hungary (22-24 October)
Round 8 – Rally Islas Canarias (18-20 November) -
Data and development the focus on challenging day for MRF team: ERC
Gran Canaria, 28 Nov 2020: The weather was the deciding factor in the Friday running of the FIA European Rally Championship and the Rally Islas Canarias. For Team MRF Tyres and driving duo, Craig Breen and Paul Nagle it provided an ideal opportunity to test and develop the tyres.
The day’s running saw nine stages and 98.78km of action with Breen/Nagle starting in 15th after their very strong time in qualifying.
However, the weather became a lottery with very strong winds affecting the stages and each competitor experiencing a different version of weather, some wet, some dry and some with something in-between.
The Gran Canarias tarmac was always going to be a different and new experience for MRF Tyres. With this rally ending the first year for the team in the FIA ERC, the tarmac on the island is very different to what the Championship has experienced earlier in the season.
Normally the flowing roads would offer a very high grip and high abrasion test. In the wet, the surface was greasy. The changed conditions meant that the opportunity to test and develop for these conditions could not be missed and that is where attention turned.
At the end of the day Breen/Nagle sat in 15th position 2:14.3 off the lead. To prove the challenging conditions, Breen/Nagle spent much of the day in a battle with fellow WRC star Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger and fastest qualifier Mikolaj Marczyk/Szymon Gospodarczyk.
There were highlights, when the conditions allowed the team to show the true potential, particularly on SS7, the 11.75km Artenara test where Breen/Nagle took the third fastest time.
Attention now turns to the 102.10km and eight stages that make up the Saturday running of Rally Islas Canarias.
It is the final competitive day of the 2020 FIA European Rally Championship season.
Team MRF Tyres came to the European Rally Championship to test, develop and measure ourselves against the best rally outfits in Europe. It has allowed aggressive data collection and development and has shown that MRF Tyres can come into a world-class competition and be competitive.
The final day of the season gets underway at 9:56 local time with the 14.17km Valleseco-Disa test. That takes place at 15:26 if you are in India. SS11 and SS17 will be livestreamed.
Follow Team MRF Tyres’ progress on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes
Craig Breen (Driver, Hyundai i20 R5)
“The conditions were very challenging today with some parts of the stages being wet and some being dry. It would change so quickly which meant getting the right setup was a difficult task.”“That meant that we turned our attention to getting data for the tyres. This is the first time that we have rallied on Gran Canarias and, for us, testing and getting data for the development for MRF Tyres is more important than an outright result.”
“Tomorrow it looks like the weather will be difficult to predict as well. We will continue to concentrate on our program of data collection.”
