INDIA in F1

Tag: Women In Motorsports

  • Women In Motorsports India inducts Deepa Malik

    Women In Motorsports India inducts Deepa Malik

    New Delhi, 29 October 2021: Women In Motorsport (WIM) India has inducted well-know achiever and Special motorsports talent Deepa Malik into the Commission on Friday.

    “It’s no longer about women in power, it’s about women with horsepower. The governing body for motorsport in India; the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), instituted the Women In Motorsport (WIM) commission in January 2017.

    The aim of this commission is to engage, empower, educate and support all women who want to compete. Be it at as participants behind the wheels or behind the scenes in motorsport events, women’s motorsport has grown.

    Beginning at the grassroot level and moving onto the National stage and then enabling them to step up to the world stage by providing guidelines, training and license / certification in all areas of motorsport, the WIM has been doing its job diligently.

    Padma Shri Deepa Malik had the honour of taking part in the National Anthem ceremony at the start of the Formula One race held at the Buddh International Circuit in 2013. She is also the first Indian to receive a rally licence from fmsci for a modified rally vehicle and she went on to receive the Khel Ratna award among many other records including a swimming feat for crossing Yamuna.

    The high for the WIM was in 2019 when bike queen Aishwariya Pissay won the first place in the women’s category at the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme)  Baja World Cup and second in the juniors. Aishwarya, based in Bengaluru, is passionate about racing and even over the weekend won in Bengaluru.

    Women in Motorsports, Mira Erda (F4) and Aashi Hanspal (karting) joined online from Bengaluru. A photo grab from Zoom

    When the Corona virus pandemic broke out in 2020, Ashi Hanspal was chosen to represent India in the Girls on Track, a global talent development programme of the FIA (Federation International de l’Automobile) Women In Motorsport (WIM).

    In 2021,Dr. Sweety Purushotham, was selected, trained and certified by the FIA as a Chief Medical officer. Divya Miglani ,our first women Deputy Clerk of the Course in India, is also certified by the FIA, and trained by them as Circuit Race Director. This was in a year when there were so many restrictions across all sport in the world.

    The National Championships of Racing and Rallying scene was active during the 2020 season despite pandemic. In the Women’s category of the two-wheeler MRF MMSC National Racing Championship the category was won by Ann Jennifer.

    In the two-wheeler Indian National Sprint Rally Championship the winner in the Women’s category was Ryhana Bee, The two-wheeler Indian National Rally Championship winner was  Aishwarya Pissay and the JK Tyre National Racing Championship was dominated in women’s section by Anushriya Gulati. She was the rookie champion in the  Formula 4 LGB category.

    In 2021 Zena Lani Fernandez is the first girl to participate in the JK Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup riding a 650cc bike.

    The efforts of the WIM during the pandemic was to focus on training and instituting a welfare policy and sustainability programme. The WIM continued to involve women in motorsport with webinars by experts – ‘Tune into your mind and body’, ‘Emotional Intelligence’, ‘Training of Volunteers and officials’ and was invited by the FIM to host a global webinar on ‘Yogic breathing and Meditation in motorsport’.

    Further, Mira Erda was invited to participate in a FIA webinar on a career in journalism and Niharika Ghorpade ,on a discussion panel on F1 by FIA WIM in 2020.


    There are four dynamic women spearheading the Women’s Commission in  India , Sita Raina — her father was Suresh Kumar — the chairman of the Calcutta motorsport club and founder member of the FMSCI. She was the first woman councillor  on the board of FMSCI , first Chairperson of WIM and represents India on the FIA WIM board. She is also a director of The Peninsula Studios.

    Celebrated Para athlete Deepa Malik, Padmashri ,Arjuna Award and Khel Ratna awardee is also the chairperson of the Paralympic committee 2021 . Because of Deepa, WIM India will be inviting people with disability to train as Marshals and volunteers in motorsport.

    Anita Nanjapa, eight-time national champion as co-rider represents India on the FIM WIM.
    Renuka Kirpalani has National Podiums for Circuit racing and rallies. She is an Executive Editor of Video Content on a well known car network.

    WIM would like to Invite all girls and women who are passionate about cars, engineering and speed  to come and be a part of our community, starting as young as young eight years of age. Source: WIM Press Release

  • Athira Murali tops Talent Hunt as CYC selects 10 Lady drivers for INRC

    Athira Murali tops Talent Hunt as CYC selects 10 Lady drivers for INRC

    Bengaluru, 31 March 2021: Athira Murali, a popular Malayalam Auto vlogger, who made her INRC debut at Coimbatore in January winning the ladies class and taking a well-deserved 5th among 12 INRC4 drivers, is expected to become a regular feature in the Indian National Rally Championship, thanks to promoters, who conducted a Drivers’ School and a selection camp to pick up talented lady drivers for the upcoming season beginning with the APRC round at Chennai from April 23.

    Soon after her topping the selection trials among 25, Athira was picked up by Team JK Tyre, and the Kottayam lass will be taking part in the first round of INRC in Yellow colours. “I am so glad to be sponsored by JK Tyre and excited to wear the yellow colours. I will give my best in the upcoming round in chennai,” said Athira.

    The Champions Yacht Club (CYC) FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 will see over 10 women drivers and co-drivers line-up for the start for the first time after coming out on top in a nation-wide Talent Hunt conducted here at the Unite Off-Road Track.

    The one-of-a-kind selection and training programme was conducted by 2019 INRC champion Chetan Shivram. The Talent Hunt was supported by promoter Vamsi Merla.

    “We believe that Chetan Shivram Motorsports can be the architect and backbone of motorsports in the years to come, as long as we have support from promoters, the way Mr Vamcy Merla promotes and encourages talent. We would be happy to train and support enthusiasts entering motorsports irrespective of age or gender, as bringing more talent to the National level is our priority,” said Shivram.

    Twenty-five talented but unheralded women racers were shortlisted from across the country and were given beginners’ and advanced training in rally cars by ace rallyists Suhem Kabeer and Dhruva Chandrashekar before the ultimate shootout. The winners were judged on the basis of their lap timings in the final selection round which was supervised by an FMSCI jury team.

    Athira Murali of Kottayam emerged the winner and will be co-driven by her city mate George Varghese, with whom she made the debut in Coimbatore winning the Ladies Class. She would have also taken a podium in INRC4 but a slow car ahead of her prevented her from going further up.

    Renuka G of Andhra Pradesh who will have Chandni Kotian of Mumbai as co-driver came second in the selections with Ojasvi Mehta of Mumbai taking third place. Ojasvi along with Belgaum’s Isha Sharma are expected to make their debut in Chennai. Anupma Bindra of Gurgaon came fourth and she will go with co-driver Pallavi Yadav of Mumbai, and mother-daughter duo from Mumbai Shivani Parmar and Dr Vani Parmar will be the other ladies’ pair to get selected. Shivani came fifth in the selections.

    The will be accorded a fully-sponsored ride by the promoters of INRC which includes entry fee, rally-prepared car, rally tyres and accommodation.

    Renuka G, a software engineer from Vizag, stepped into rallying for the first time, thanks to the encouragement by Promoter Vamsi Merla. She first took part in the Ameo Cup in 2018 and has been a biker taking part in the Nationals. “It was a very exciting two days as I learned a lot about rallying. This is the first time for me in a rally car and it is very challenging to shift from tarmac to dirt tracks. I learnt a lot from handling the car to cornering from experienced drivers and it was a new driving style. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to the Chennai round,” said Renuka, who became freinds with Chandni Kotian and picked her up as co-driver. Renuka was all praise for Chetan, Dhruva and Suhem for the training and said that it was very useful to make the switch from racing to rallying.

    “I have experience in F4 cars and karting, but getting into a rally car is a new experience. I learnt many new things, the judgement when you take into corners and to handle the peculiar shifts… It was a new thrill for me to experience and all it happened because of Vamcy Merla,” said Chandni Kotian, a Mortgage Analyst from Mumbai.

    “The training and experience on the dirt track was awesome. It is the first time I ever stepped into a rally car  and am really happy to grab the great knowledge as a co-driver under the guidance of ace rallyists Suhem Kabeer and Dhruva Chandrashekar. I am looking forward to the INRC round, waiting for that moment to come. This is a great initiative by the FMSCI as women never get much opportunities to rally. I thank Vamsi Merla for bringing more talented women into Indian Rallying and I really enjoyed the two-day training under champion Chethan Shivram,” said Isha Sharma. She will pair up with Ojasvi. “It is a wonderful opportunity to take part in the Women in Motorsport Talent Hunt as I could meet 25 amazing women. The 2-day training and shootout were exceptional and life changing too. So glad to finish 3rd and get a shot at the INRC. From track-walk to understanding the basics of the car, I don’t think I could have got a better experience…, thanks to Vamsy Sir for giving us a chance to showcase ourselves and a huge shootout to Chetan Sir, Dhruva and Suhem for teaching us from the basics. Eagerly waiting for the first round to begin,” said Ojasvi Mehta, a 23-year MBA student from Mumbai.

     “My commitment towards supporting existing and upcoming `Women in Motorsports’ made me launch this initiative.  We had planned this last year as well but unfortunately due to the pandemic we could not go ahead with the camp. But with normalcy finally getting restored in the country we finally conducted the Talent Hunt this year and now here we are with 10 talented women finally getting the platform and the support they deserve,” Vamsi Merla said.

    Last year, the promoter paid the entry fee for six Lady drivers and also helped provide 50 per cent subsidy for transport of cars to over 15 drivers who needed it. “This is the first event of its kind in INRC and we have plans to make it a yearly affair. I am really looking forward to seeing these ladies on the track and hopefully this will mark a new beginning for women in Indian Motorsports,” Vamsi signed off.

    The first round of the INRC kicks-off with the South India Rally on April 23-25 in Chennai which also doubles up as the Asia round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

    Note: Updated with driver quotes on April 7, at 1.42pm.

  • Jamie Chadwick sets the pace in MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick sets the pace in MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick, who topped the free practice sessions on Thursday . Photo: Aditya Bedre.

    Dubai, 15 Nov 2018: Jamie Chadwick, the only female driver on the 12-car grid, put the marker down for the first round of the MRF Challenge championship by topping both the Free Practice sessions at the Dubai Autodrome, here on Thursday.

    Chadwick, 20, from Bath, England, came out on top in the two, 30-minute practice sessions, clocking a best of one minute, 59.218 in the first outing and 01:59.774 in the next around the 5.390 Kms circuit as she made her debut in the MRF Challenge on a high. She survived a tough battle with Czech Republic’s 16-year old Petr Ptaceck who was second fastest in both the sessions, clocking 01:59.581 (FP1)and 01:59.918 (FP2).

    Jamie Chadwick. Photo: Aditya Bedre

    Chadwick, who created history in 2015 when she became the first female and youngest winner of the British GT Championship, and Ptacek exchanged fastest laps in the closing minutes of FP-2. However, Chadwick went quicker on last flying lap to top the time charts. Less than a second separated the top eight drivers.

    “I learnt a lot today – new circuit, new car. I am happy with the way we ended up today in these conditions and I look forward to the races,” said Chadwick.

    In the first free practice session this morning, one second covered 10 of the 12 drivers, promising a close contest over the five races scheduled for the first round of the championship.

    Chadwick recorded her fastest lap of the session on her 14th and final lap as did the rest who all went quicker through the 30-minute practice. The top four, Chadwick, Ptacek, Defourny and Young, all posted sub-two-minute laps.

    For the lone Indian entry, Chetan Korada, 32, from Chennai, it was his first run at the Dubai Autodrome and he focused more on learning the tricky track with its blind crests leading into corners.

    Korada, who was 11th on the time sheets in both the sessions clocking his best laps of 02: 03.734 and 02:04.100, said: “It was my first run on this track and so, it was more about learning the circuit. However, with each lap, I managed to cut my timing. Overall, it was a reasonably good outing, all things considered. I hope to improve as we go along over the next couple of days.”

    The results (Free Practice):

    FP-1: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01min, 59.218secs); 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) (01:59.581); 3. Max Defourny (Belgium) (01:59.656); 4. Dylan Young (Australia) (01:59.697).

    FP-2: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01:59.774); 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) (01:59.918); 3. Danial Frost (Singapore) (02:00.115); 4. Andreas Estner (Germany) (02:00.276).