MAHINDRA BACK TO EUROPE TO BUILD ON RESULTS
2052013
Mumbai, May 2nd, 2013: Following its best-ever results in the opening two races in Qatar and the USA, the only Indian team in motorcycle grand prix racing is ready to keep on building its performance as the European season begins at Jerez this weekend (May 3-5).
Mahindra’s new riders and the brand-new Mahindra MGP3O machine have not only achieved double points in the two season-opening “flyaways”, but also recorded the marque’s first top-five finish.
That was achieved at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas the weekend before last, when Miguel Oliveira (18, from Portugal) claimed a fighting fifth, gaining two places on the final lap. A fortnight earlier Miguel was seventh in Qatar, and he places fifth overall in the points in the very competitive Moto3™ class.
Team-mate Efrén Vázquez (26, from Spain) claimed tenth and 14th places, securing an impressive full house of points for the team.
This was close to the perfect introduction for the new MGP3O racer, barely six months after the project was initiated, following intensive work by Mahindra engineers and Suter Racing, their partners in the project. The reward for the midnight hours is plain to see. Not only has the new bike been remarkably free from teething troubles, it is highly competitive even in its relatively undeveloped prototype form.
Nothing can be taken for granted in the Moto3 maelstrom, but team spirits are high for the third of 17 races on the calendar. Unlike the previous two circuits, Jerez lacks long straights and offers complex corner sets – which should play to the strengths of the MGP3O’s sweet-handling chassis.
Indian auto-industry giant Mahindra is the first from the sub-continent to participate in grand prix racing, and the team’s third year shows strong progress.
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I think we can be strong and competitive at Jerez. We have a lot of information from pre-season tests, so we can be a little more confident of our chances compared to the previous races. It won’t be easy, but I am hoping for another good result. The goal is to be consistent and fighting in the top six every weekend, and after only two races we are already doing that. This project is very new, and we can only get stronger.”
EFRÉN VÁZQUEZ
“This is the first of three home Spanish races for me, so you can be sure I will be trying my hardest. I was a little bit disappointed after the Texas race, because all weekend I couldn’t find a good feeling with the front tyre. To be closer to Miguel I need to solve this problem. That will be my first target at Jerez; the second to make sure Mahindra gets both bikes in the points again.”.
MUFADDAL CHOONIA – Mahindra Racing CEO
“Of course we are very excited by the results so far, and we hope to be fighting for top-three positions soon – but we also remember this is a very new motorcycle, and we are still at the early stages of development. At the same time Jerez should suit the MGP3O perfectly. I won’t make any extravagant predictions, but we’ll cross our fingers and push ourselves to give it our best.”
Ends
About Mahindra Racing
Mahindra Racing became the first Indian team to participate in the FIM MotoGP™ World Motorcycle Racing Championship in 2011 and the Italian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (CIV) in 2012.
Racing in the Moto3™ class in MotoGP, Mahindra Racing enters the 2013 season with its own new 4-stroke, single-cylinder 250cc motorcycle developed in conjunction with experienced Swiss firm Suter Racing Technology AG. Experienced Spanish rider Efrén Vázquez (26, from Bilbao) is teamed with exciting Portuguese teenager Miguel Oliveira (18, from Pragal near Lisbon) in the team.
In the 2012 CIV season, Mahindra Racing competed in the 125 GP Class and became the first team from India to win an international motorsport event, eventually recording six victories from eight races and securing the Constructors’ Championship. In 2013, Mahindra Racing will enter the Moto3™ class in CIV.
For further information please visit: www.mahindraracing.com
About Mahindra
The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.
A USD 15.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 155,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, financial services, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.
In 2012, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000 list, a listing of the biggest and most powerful listed companies in the world. In 2013, the Mahindra Group received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category.
Visit us at www.mahindra.com
For further enquiries
Ms. Roma Balwani
Chief Group Communications Officer
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd
Phone: +91 22 2490 1441
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Mr. Rupert Williamson
Mahindra MotoGP™ consultant
HPS Jardine
Phone: +44 1628 894 836
Mobile: +44 7774 295 147
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