Archive for the ‘Motorsport’ Category
Armaan Ebrahim finished in the top 10 at Silverstone
Armaan Ebrahim finished at 8th and 9th in the two races over the weekend at Silverstone. He was the star performer for the Indian contingent F2 as both Ajith Kumar and Parthiva Sureshwaran achieved finishes in their first race of their F2 career.
Ajith Kumar who finished at the bottom of the pile (18th) in the race one, improved one position to finish 18th in the race two ahead of France’s Benjamin Lariche. Parthiva Sureshwaran though finished at identical 16th in both the races. Ajith would be extremely pleased with his efforts as he was able to complete both the races successfully and was able to beat one of the drivers in race two. Both Ajith and Parthiva have not been driving professionally for some time now, so it would have been a relief for them to finish both the races.
For Armaan though this was a good race and he ended up in points in the very first race of the season. He kept the Indian flag afloat in Silverstone and would hope that he can finish higher in the races to come. Parthiva and Ajith though would want to improve and try to finish in the top 15 in Marrakech on the 30th of April when the 3rd and 4th round of this year’s championship gets underway.
Good luck to all the three drivers and I hope that we get few podium finishes this year.
Ajith Kumar's decision to take a break from movies to concentrate on racing is a bold move
Actor Ajith Kumar recently decided to pursue his dream of racing and is currently participating in the Formula two world championship. He declared that he is going to take racing little bit more seriously starting this year. Well to be frank that’s a bold decision. We all know that he tried his hand few years back and met with some success in the same but was back with the movies after that. I was reading some comments by few readers on a popular website who were ridiculing his decision and wishing him a failure in his endeavor. This shows how grown up these people are. It’s easy to sit in front of a computer and type away on your keyboard and criticize someone’s effort to be different.
All of us know that moving out of your comfort zone is not that easy. Ajith Kumar is a super star in Tamil cinema. He has his own fan following and supporters. He is a big name in the industry, so it would have been easier for him just sit back and go through the motions like most of us do in our respective fields. But he has decided to be different and is following his passion for racing. How many of us have the guts to do the same? How many of us have the courage to come out of our cozy jobs to follow our interests and passion? The answer would be a grand zero.
But we will make fun of someone who does, as it’s easier to criticize somebody who dares to be different. We have certain happiness in declaring someone a failure without even appreciating the effort that individual has put in. We have been taught from our childhood that if someone doesn’t win in something he is a failure and we grandly follow that yardstick in every field. As far as I am concerned there are few things which go beyond success and winning.
Harsha Bhogle, one of the best sports presenters in the world was a graduate from the reputed Indian Institute of Management. He did not end up in a stereotypical management job as most of the guys doing MBA end up in; instead he followed his passion with sports journalism and presenting. He loved cricket and he followed his interests.
Not a lot of us get to follow our dreams and interests. We are stuck in a typical 9-5 job, uninterested but keep doing it for the sake of our family. When someone dares to be different, we need not encourage them but can be without ridiculing their efforts. Ajith is just an example I took to drive home the point. Anyone who can leave their comfort zone has to be extremely courageous. Ajith surely is doing that right now.
Congrats to him for following his dream and hope that he has a wonderful season in Formula two this year.
11th placed Armaan Ebrahim was still the best Indian driver on view at Silverstone
The Indian contingent had a disappointing testing at the Silverstone earlier this week. The Indian drivers Armaan, Parthiva and Ajith finished at 11, 17 and 20th respectively ahead of the season opener this weekend.
Armaan Ebrahim who finished 5th at Snetterton ended 11th in the combined standings at Silverstone and still remained the best Indian driver by a distance. Parthiva gave a slightly improved performance at Silverstone as his 17th place finish was fractionally better than his 20th place finish at Snetterton. Ajith though showed his rustiness as he finished last at 20th. Ajith has not been driving for a long time now, so his lack of practice needs to be taken into account.
No such excuses for both Armaan and Parthiva though as they are both professional racers. With the season opener at Silverstone this weekend all the three drivers would want to put up a decent show. I hope that we see at least one top 10 finish this weekend.
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Ajith Kumar would want to put up a better show in the season opener at Silverstone next week.(Pic courtesy - Formulatwo.com)
The formula two season began this week with the testing at the Snetterton on 6th and 7th of April. This was the first chance for the new drivers to test out their cars ahead of the season opener on the 16th at Silverstone. The Indian drivers had mixed results at the testing as Armaan Ebrahim finished in top 5 but Parthiva Sureshwaran and Ajith Kumar were seen at the bottom of the standings at 20 and 22 respectively.
Armaan Ebrahim led the Indian charge at Snetterton with a 5th place finish
This was just the beginning of the season and both Ajith and Parthiva would want to quickly adapt to their cars and would want to give better performances in the season opener next week. The season gets underway with the Free Practice on the 16th and the eventual race on the 18th of April next week. Hope to see the Indian drivers put up a very good show in the first race of the season. I will surely be following their progress throughout the season.
It seems like motorsports will be my top priority this year with lots of Indian participation in both F1 and F2.
HRT elated as both drivers finish
Posted on: April 6, 2010
Karun Chandhok lead HRT finishes over the weekend at Sepang
Hispania Racing Team (HRT) achieved what they were set out to do in the Malaysian Grand Prix when both their drivers completed the race. Karun Chandhok finished his second race in a row and this was the first race finish for Bruno Senna. Both the drivers were very satisfied with the results.
Karun Chandhok who finished 15th at Sepang was very happy with the result.
Speaking after the race he said, “I am fantastically happy to have finished my second race today after our difficult debut in Bahrain. I kept out of trouble and pitted on lap 17. On lap 45, I had a tricky moment, passing Trulli’s Lotus. A great thank to the team who did a fantastic job. To finish was very difficult today but I am happy to have done it.”
Bruno Senna who completed his first race this season was really pleased with the efforts of the team to get both cars to finish.
“I had a good start and gained as much as I could. I am really pleased for the team to have finished the race with both cars. It has been another positive weekend for the team taking a good step forward.” , he said after the race.
The team Principal Collin Kolles was visibly elated as his team was able to finish both the cars only in their third race and was all praise for both the drivers.
“A fantastic day for the team completing our first two-car finish in only our third race, with no pre-season testing. Bruno Senna had a good start while Karun Chandhok had a bad one. But Karun could find a good pace then and both drivers had reliable races. Again we have made a great step forward. We reached our goal with two cars finishing the race. Congratulations to the team who worked again hard to achieve this result. Now we have to work on more developments for the next Grand Prix in China.”, he said.
So the HRT team has achieved their first goal but now would want to do better in the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix. Both the drivers would be confident with their cars after a good race at Sepang and would want to carry over the confidence to the rest of the season.
Ajith back on (Race) track
Posted on: March 31, 2010
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Tamil Superstar Ajith Kumar (Thalai) to race in Formula 2 this year
Ajith has decided to give his passion of racing another go as he is competing in Formula 2 championship this year. We all know Ajith’s immense love for motorsports and Karun Chandhok’s entry to Formula 1 has inspired our “Thalai” to give his racing career another chance. Ajith though quickly dismissed any intentions of him trying for formula 1 and is much happier to be racing in Formula 2 right now.
He also says on his exclusive interview with Rediff that he is going to take racing career seriously this time. He said that he is going to concentrate on racing for the majority of this year and has plans to do just one movie with Gautham Menon later this year. Ajith has already raced in Formula Asia and Formula 3 before and he also had couple of podium finishes in the competitive British F3 championship.
Ajith was thrilled about his prospects with Formula two this season,
“I am really excited about racing in F2. I have a great regard for Jonathan Palmer – thanks to him and his efforts Formula Two is the next best thing to F1. Coming from India with a population of 2 billion, I want to take motor racing in this country to the common man. Right now, it is still a niche sport largely popular in the urban areas. Given my profile as a film star, I hope to use my status to popularise the sport in India.” he said
So best of luck to Ajith and I hope that he has a great season. It will be great to see our “Thalai” get couple of podium finishes this year.
You can follow Ajith’s progress this season at official formula 2 site. You can also get more information about his racing career at Ajith Kumar profile on the same website.
Karun Chandhok was absolutely delighted as he achieved the first finish for his team HRT in the Australian Grand Prix. He finished last in the race but a finish nonetheless for the Hispania Racing team. Karun who hit a bump and had to retire in the first race of the season seemed very satisfied with his efforts in Australia,
“A great thanks to the team. To finish was very difficult today, and all the more satisfying because of that. I dedicate this race result to all the mechanics and engineers who worked so hard since Bahrain, without any pre-season testing. This is a fantastic day for the team and a great step forward. I am proud to have ended our first race.”
He was confident that they will be able to finish higher in the races to come. His teammate Bruno Senna though wasn’t that lucky as he had to retire following a hydraulic failure. He was visibly frustrated but remained hopeful that his team would be able to finish both the cars next race.
“I didn´t intend my second Grand Prix to end with a hydraulic failure, but that´s racing. I made a good start and was in 14th after the big crash in front. It’s fantastic for the team to make it to the finish and we have got a great deal of data to work from for Malaysia. I hope we can finish with two cars next race.”
The next race begins in about 4 days in Malaysia and the HRT team will have their work cut out in getting both cars up and running. The fact that one of their drivers completed the race would give them much needed confidence for the remainder of the season. And as Senna said the team will be hoping for both the cars to finish in Malaysia.
Hispania Racing team who had a disappointing beginning to the season when both their racers were unable to finish in Bahrain said that they are aiming for finishes in Australia. Karun Chandhok hit a bump and crashed out and Senna could only complete 17 laps as an engine failure forced him to retire.
Speaking to the media the team principal Colin Kolles said “We have worked extremely hard since the Bahrain season opener, We have worked long hours and successfully with Bridgestone, Cosworth and Xtrac learned from our first laps with the car and found a good basis from which to start preparation for our second Grand Prix in Australia in a few days. “
“We have successfully repaired the damage sustained by Karun Chandhok’s car and focused on building our car’s reliability. Our goal is to improve steadily and the next step is to work towards our first race finish. I am confident we will achieve this goal very soon and having seen how we came together as a team in Bahrain I can see just how much potential and commitment we have”, he added.
Karun Chandhok who had a disappointing start to his F1 campaign seemed optimistic with his chances in Australia.
“I am really looking forward to my second F1 race this weekend,” he said. “I have never driven in Melbourne, but I am a very quick learner. I was able to work on a team’s simulator before the Grand Prix so that will help my familiarisation a little bit! Our next step with the team’s engineers is to make the car reliable for the race. The secret of good racing preparation is to complete as many laps as possible on Friday to see where we are with the car. Finishing the race would be a fantastic achievement we will strive for.”
Bruno Senna who was forced to retire due to an engine failure after 17 laps hoped that HRT will have a better finish this weekend in Australia. Bruno Senna who has already won on this track albeit in Formula 3 seemed really confident ahead of the second race of the season.
“We need to continue building on what we achieved in Bahrain,” said the Brazilian. “We put two cars together and ran successfully in Bahrain. Now we must continue to work as a team. I came early to Australia to acclimatise to the time difference. I love Australia more and more, as I spend more time here! I have already driven on the Melbourne track, back in 2006.”
“I did the F3 support race for F1 back then and had a fairly successful weekend. I won! Now, I must work with the team to continue learning about the car. I have enjoyed working long hours with the team so far and I will be giving my all as I really want to progress and guarantee them good results.”
Source: Formula1.com
Ecclestone says no to any changes in the Refueling regulations
The refueling regulations implemented for the 2010 F1 season received quite flak from the media and the teams alike after the first race of the season. The reason for the outburst was due to the fact that there were no refueling stops which enabled the teams to strategize in the past and it made interesting viewing as it also paved way for teams to overtake.
Putting paid to any hopes of reinstating refueling Bernie Ecclestone said that there will be no rule changes for this season and the teams have to live with the same. He said that the rule change now is impractical owing to the designs of the 2010 cars.
Speaking to the media Bernie Ecclestone said,
“We cannot change the rules. It would take far too long and it’s too difficult. F1 is now a democracy. And all the teams voted for these rules, so now they must also deal with them.”
Even though every team has criticized the refueling regulations Ecclestone found a supporter in Vijay Mallya, the owner of F1 team Force India when he said that the teams have to give the new rule a chance.
Speaking to the media Mallya was quoted saying,
“We need to give the regulations a chance to prove themselves and for people to learn how to use them,” he said. “To change everything after just one race is a knee-jerk reaction, let’s see how it goes in Australia and Malaysia and make an informed decision about whether we do need to react to improve the Formula One show. If we do then at least we have more information to make a proper call.”
It seems like most of the drivers and team bosses are not happy with the current regulation but Ecclestone has clearly said that the rule is written in stone and cannot be changed this season. So the teams will do well to come out with a strategy to deal with the same instead of complaining. Hopefully the teams will be better prepared in Australia than they were in Bahrain and I guess the qualifying might become more important this season.
Alonso celebrates after his victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa make it Ferrari one-two
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa made it a dream beginning for Ferrari when they took the top two positions on the podium on Sunday in Bahrain. Alonso, a former champion with Renault, had a fantastic start to this season with a win. Michael Schumacher, making a comeback to competitive racing after a four year layoff and racing for team Mercedes, finished 6th.
It was not all smooth sailing for the Ferrari team though, as Sebastian Vettel racing for Red Bull was in control of the race before an engine failure forced him to retire. Alonso took advantage of Vettel’s misfortune to claim the first position and Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) also benefited, as he finished on the podium in third behind Massa.
The Indian contingent got off to a disastrous start when Karun Chandhok, representing Hispania Racing Team (HRT), hit a bump on the track and was forced to retire after a crash. Karun later apologized to his team about the mistake and said that a lack of time time on the track was the reason for the crash. Tonio Liuzzi, representing Force India, finished in the points when he finished in the top ten, giving the Indian fans something to cheer about.
This race belonged to Ferrari and Alonso as, but the new regulations have sparked a few controversies and the F1 bosses had plenty to say about it.
Refueling Regulations slammed by the media and teams alike
The new regulations for this year’s championship received quite a bit of flack from the media. According to the new regulations, starting this season there will be no refueling stops, which according to most of the drivers will make catching up almost impossible. This was done to get the on -the -track overtaking back to F1, but did not go well with the teams and drivers.
The press called it a “Bore-rain Grand Prix,”as they felt the change in regulation reduced the race to something of a procession. The McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh said that Formula 1 needs to consider immediate rule changes to spice things up on the track. The drivers joined the bandwagon too, as Mark Webber and Alonso slammed the changes, and Michael Schumacher said that it would be almost impossible to overtake due to this change and can only happen if the driver in front of you makes a mistake.
Only time will tell for both Ferrari and the regulations, but change is certainly going on this season, whether everyone likes it or not.
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