INDIA in F1

Tag: Team MRF

  • Team MRF takes P10; tests tyres and collects useful data

    Team MRF takes P10; tests tyres and collects useful data

    Tuscan (Italy), 14 March 2021: It was a successful outing for Team MRF Tyres in terms of testing tyres and collecting data at the Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio with new star recruits Paolo Andreucci and Francesco Pinelli finishing P10 here on Sunday.

    Team MRF Tyres entered this rally in order to gain more valuable data for the development of the next generation of MRF Tyres. Andreucci/Pinelli piloted a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo this weekend and finished 10th after setting two top-6 stage times on Saturday. The field was very competitive, though, featuring an extensive list of Italian stars and WRC drivers and the gaps throughout the field would be very small.

    The Ciocco Rally, as it is known, took place on Tuscan roads in Northern Italy, starting with Shakedown and a 1.98km Super Special Stage on Friday, before nine stages and 94km of competitive rallying on Saturday.

    The rally was the first round of the Italian Rally Championship and took place entirely on tarmac.

    Andreucci and Pinelli’s pace was evident on Friday with taking second place in both the Shakedown and Super Special Stage.

    The attention turned to gaining data, and the wider development program for MRF Tyres. The times, however, would still be competitive through the Saturday running.

    The Saturday action saw three stages that would be repeated three times. Each loop consisted of Massa-Sassorosso at 6.90 km, Careggine at 14.90 km and Molazzana 1 at 8.68km.

    The weather would be affected by a windstorm currently going through Europe but that could not deter Team MRF Tyres.

    However, the development exercise was the top priority and the team were able to run through a variety of scenarios throughout the day. As was the case in 2020, this rally was about tyre development.

    The development program demonstrates Team MRF Tyres’ commitment to top-level European rallying.

    This result comes after a strong run in the snow and ice rallies of Finland with Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen and before the start of the European Rally Championship and Italian Rally Championship – Gravel (CIRT).

    Paolo Andreucci, Driver, Team MRF Tyres, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, said: “I am happy to start the rally with Team MRF Tyres. The team has an aggressive development strategy and we were working to obtain data for the tyre development. Our participation in the rally was aimed at collecting data for the subsequent development of the tyres.”

    “It was a challenging rally with lots of wind and cool conditions and it was good to start the relationship before the gravel season started. It was my first rally with MRF Tires and I learned a lot about how it works.”

    “During the rally, we made some choices aimed at analysing the behaviour of the tyres on slippery surfaces. The feedback was positive, especially in the wet. I can’t wait to work hard during the season.”

  • 8th straight win for Naren-Ram; Karandip-Jaidas survive 40-foot drop

    Chandigarh, 21 Sept 2003: Defending champion VR Naren Kumar ande co-driver V Ram Kumar of team MRF won all the four rounds this season and well on his way to another title as he won the overall title in the MAI Power M1 Challenge Rally, the fourth round of the MAI Indian National Rally Champioship here on Sunday.

    This is the 8th straight win for the pair continuing from the previous season as they finished ahead of teammates Vikram Mathias and co-driver Sujith Kumar with over a minute to spare.

    Naren Kumar, the 29-year old from Coimbatore, had an easy time on Sunday after overnight leaders Karandip Singh and co-driver Jaidas Menon, also of Team MRF, suffered a 40-feet roll on Special Stage-10 following a brake failure.

    “Since I led Mathias by over two minutes, I eased off totally and did not take any risks. But I was determined to make up the 13 seconds and our approach was to go absolutely flat out and make at least three to four seconds on each of the Stages today. But once Karandip was out of the rally, we decided to take it easy and finish the event,” said Naren, who, in fact, had made three seconds on Karandeep after the first stage on Sunday.

    Meanwhile, Mathias, after failing to finish the Chikmagalur and Nashik rounds of the INRC and skipping the Kochi leg, did well to pick up his first points of the season.

    “I am happy with our performance in this event and it was a relief to finish after a string of DNFs,” said Mathias talking about the first two rallies he Did Not Finish (DNF).

    Karandeep, 29, from Chandigarh, looked certain to clinch the title last night when he established a 13-second lead over Naren.

    “We were doing about 100 kmph on a downhill stretch in SS-10 when the brake tube cut leading to loss of fluid. There was nothing I could do and we crashed down a 40-foot drop,” said a disappointed Karandip, who was looking to score a win on home territory. Both the drivers escaped because of the Roll Cage which is mandatory for all rally cars.

    Naren and Mathias were the only two from Team MRF to complete the rally as former National champion N Leelakrishnan and co-driver Farooq Ahmed pulled out on Sunday with mechanical problems to join teammates Arjun Balu and co-driver Kumar Ramaswamy in the casualty list.

    Veterans Samir Thapar and co-driver Gurinder Singh Mann, both making a comeback after several years, finished third overall in a Maruti Esteem, ahead of championship leaders in the 1400cc category, Lohit Urs and co-driver MK Bopanna.

    Provisional final results:

    Overall: 1. VR Naren Kumar/V Ram Kumar (Team MRF) (1hr, 43mins, 46secs); 2. Vikram Mathias/Sujith Kumar (Team MRF) (1:44:02); 3. Samir Thapar/ GS Mann (1:46:25;) 4. Lohit v Urs/ MK Bopanna (1:47:31); 5. Jiby Maliakkal/Nikhil Pai (Gulf Oil) (1:51:43); 6. Rajiv Suri/ Rajeev Mehta (1:58:22).

    1600cc (Honda City V-Tec): 1. Naren Kumar/ Ram Kumar, 2. Vikram Mathias/B Sujith Kumar, 3. Jiby Maliakkal/Nihil Pai.

    1400cc (Maruti Esteem): 1. Samir Thapar/Gurinder Singh Mann, 2. Urs/Bopanna.

    Rally Star Cup: 1. S Ram Prashanth/ Thiru Murthy (1:51:18); 2. Ranjith Ballal/ Shanmuga (1:51:41); 3. Yogeshwar Gill/Harkanwal Cheema (2:05:23).

  • Naren Kumar, Ramkumar begin season with a win; Reds sweep top-six spots

    Coimbatore, 31 March 2002: Strong contenders and local stars VR Naren Kumar and navigator D Ramkumar of Team MRF led a sweep of all the top-six places by the `Reds’, topping the stage times on the outskirts of the city, in the Servo Mill & Monsoon Rally, 2002, the opening round of the Motorsports Association of India’s (MAI) Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) here on Sunday.

    Naren and Ram, the defending Asian Zone Rally Champions, had an overnight lead of 12 seconds over teammates Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep S Rao from Bangalore. But the narrow lead proved to be too short as Sagar attacked the stages right from the word `go’ and in the very first stages not only made up the 12 seconds, but managed to take a lead of 40 seconds and to add to the complications for Naren, his Honda City suffered technical problems. But Naren carefully guarded his second place till then. And after the Service break after Stage 2, took care of the struts, Naren and Ram, had no other way but go all-out to bridge the gap, if had to eye a victory. “We were a bit worried but judging the pace of others, we decided to attack and go all-out. The struts were worrying us, but after the Service stop, we took off,” said Naren.

    In the last three stages, Naren was fastest and garnered enough time on Muthappa and by the end of the five stages of the day, he not only bridged the gap but took a minute and four seconds lead.

    “We had something loose at the rear and the car was not handling well. By the time we could set it, we lost time to Naren. But it is still a good beginning for the season and we hope for a good year,” said Muthappa.

    Team MRF’s Karandip Singh and co-driver Jaidas Menon took the third place on the podium, a further 56 seconds behind Muthapopa. Former multiple-National champions N Leelakrishnan and co-driver Farooq Ahmed came fourth behind Karandip.

    Talented Karnataka duo of Vikram Mathias and BS Sujith Kumar were Overall fifth clocking 2hours, 16min and 37seconds, but importantly they won their class, the 1400cc category. Vijyant Chaudhry and Moosa Sherif finished 6th overall.

    “We were pushing hard to see whether we can match the 1600cc machines but gave up mid-way as we were keen not to win our class and avoid problems to the car,” said Mathias. They comfortably beat the Kerala duo of PG Abhilash and Sangeet Kumar, who were supported jontly by JK Tyres, Maruti Motorsport and Chettinad Sport.

    But it was the day Team Chettinad, as their pair of Jiby Maliakkal and Rohan Rego, the Rally Star Cup champions last year, bounced back after an incident in Stage 3 where thier car turned turtle, and with a stunning effort they took the final place on the podium in the 1400cc class.

    It was Q-Wait Oil’s Kerala duo of Dr Bikku Babu and Bonnie Thomas, who built on their Saturday’s lead and won the Rally Star Cup nurturing their car mixing caution with aggression. “We did have pressure yesterday, but today we went for a win making sure to bring the car home,” said Bikku Babu.

    Shamsundar V and PV Srinivasa Murthy of Team Blue Lines, who were sixth overnight in their class took the third place despite two punctures and rued missed chances of taking the second. But others were not so lucky. The Rally Star Cup, overnight leaders Lohitt V Urs and Bopanna MK pulled out due to technical problems and others to follow suit were Phillipos Matthai and Bhopesh Gadotra, who had suspension issues, and Arjun Rao Aroor and Dunstan JM D’Silva who could not finish due to mechanical problems.

    Of the 19 cars that started on Sunday, only 16 finished the rally. The second round will be at Nashik on June 15 & 16.

    Provisional results:

    Overall and Upto 1600cc: 1. VR Naren Kumar /D Ramkumar (Team MRF) (2hours, 13min, 13sec); 2. Sagar Muthappa /Sandeep S Rao (Team MRF) (2:14:17); 3. Karandip Singh /Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) (2:15:13); 4. N Leelakrishnan /Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (2:16:15).

    Upto 1400cc: 1. Vikram Mathias /BS Sujith Kumar (Team MRF) (2:16:37); 2. PG Abhilash / Sangeet Kumar (Team JK, Maruti, Chettinad) (2:21:43); 3. Jiby Maliakkal /Rohan Rego (Team Chettinad Sporting) (2:26:17); 4. Along Aier and Vikishe Shome (pvt) (2:30:09).

    Rally Star Cup: 1. Dr Bikku Babu /Bonnie Thomas (Team Q-Wait Oil) (2:27:12); 2. Manju JM/ Sudharshan Gowda M (pvt) (2:30:52); 3. Shamsundar V/ PV Srinivasa Murthy (Team Blue Lines) (2:33:11); 4. Thirtha S Patil /Lohit Anand (pvt) (2:34:37).