Latest news with #GauravGill
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Gill's vehicle breaks down, hopes to finish strong on Sunday
MEDAN (INDONESIA): After the first two stages on what was a bright sunny morning in Parapat, it looked like three-time APRC winner Gaurav Gill was going to run away with the Sumatera Utara Rally title. He had cruised with a lead close to 30 seconds and was ready to carry the momentum into the third stage. However, an unexpected mechanical failure at the start of special stage 3 meant he had to retire for the day on Saturday. The brand-new Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, which Gill was driving, came to a stop about 300 meters into SS3 when a throttle body failed. "We were fastest on SS1, and there was good rhythm and precision for me in stage 2 as well, which worked well. We made some changes to the tyres and suspension. After stage 2, we had almost 38 or 39 seconds lead, quite a big lead. Unfortunately, at the SS3 start, the mechanical failure happened, just 300 metres into the round,' a disappointed Gill said, sitting next to his teammates. The rare mechanical failure dampened the mood a little in the Gill camp, but the Arjuna Award winner is confident of making a comeback and scoring some crucial leg points. "We can have some penalties added to the time format that runs, and we are eligible to continue all day tomorrow. If we can put in some really good time, we can actually be top-3. So I won't be surprised if we end up in a good position,' said Gill. Former rally champion and Head of Operations, JK Motorsports, Hari Singh echoed the sentiment. "Obviously, a big setback for us after putting in so much effort and the cars arriving at the very last minute. It is disappointing when we have a winning car and a winning driver. The combination was perfect, but that's rallying. You win some, you lose some," said Hari Singh, who is JK Racing's team manager at this event. Meanwhile, Nikeetaa Takkale, India's only female driver at the event, had a good day on the track. Competing in Indonesia for the first time, the Pune-based driver delivered a faultless performance and is on course for a rare triple podium in the third round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship's (APRC) Asia Cup, held about 32 kilometres from Parapat. She is leading her class, the RC4 and the Ladies class. She is also likely to bag a podium in the Junior APRC. In RC3, Goa's Vaibhav Marathe, co-driven by experienced Ashwin Naik of Mangaluru, topped his class in a Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo, finishing seventh overall. Bopaiah KM was the best Indian finisher and sixth overall. Provisional results (Saturday Leg 1): APRC Overall and RC2 Class: 1. Ryan Nirwan/ Adi Indiarto (01 hour, 01min, 43.7seconds); 2. Musa Arjanshah/ Mohamad Herkusuma (01:02:05.8); 3. Aldio Oeken/ Respati Adhi (01:02:18.5); RC2 Class Indians: 6. Bopaiah KM/ PV Srinivasa Murthy (Kodagu/Bengaluru) (01:09:27.9); 8. Abhin R Rai/ Srikanth Gowda (Kodagu/Chikkamagaluru) (01:14.55.4); 10. Gaurav Gill/ Florian Barral (Delhi/France) (1:25:27.8) (DNF in SS3) (Penalty awaited). APRC RC3: 1. Vaibhav Marathe/ Ashwin Naik (Goa/Mangaluru) (01:14:15.6); APRC RC4: 1. Nikeeta Takkale/ Sudhindra Gopalakrishna (Pune/Bengaluru) (01:21:20.3); Ladies Class: 1. Nikeetaa/Sudhindra.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Fast & Fabulous 2025 brings supercars and fashion together for a unique show
The first edition of 'Fast & Fabulous: The Supercar Catwalk' was held in Mumbai recently, with fashion and supercars sharing the ramp in equal measure. The event saw exotic cars from across the country doing a special catwalk with the likes of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, and more in attendance. The event saw exotic cars from across the country doing a special catwalk with the likes of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, and more in attendance. Supercars Cruise On The Fashion Ramp The event kicked off with a showcase of about 20 supercars, including the Ferrari 12Cilindri, Lamborghini Huracan, Porsche 911 Carrera S, McLaren 750S and Artura, Ford Mustang, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari 296 GTB, Jaguar F-Type, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Audi R8, and more. Also Read : Lamborghini Temerario GT3 unveiled, drops hybrid, adds racing upgrades There was also a modern-classic lineup with rare finds like the Saab 9-3, Triumph Spitfire, a fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz SL, Jaguar XKR, an E46 BMW M3, and more. The organisers kept some of the rare exotics for the end, like the Mk1 Toyota Supra, Nissan GT-R, and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, which received the loudest cheers from the audience. From a rare find like the Saab 9-3 to the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the stage had something for all enthusiasts Furthermore, there were two Formula cars - the Formula 4 and Formula 4 - at Fast and Fabulous 2025, with title sponsors JK Tyre, announcing the Indian Racing Festival, which is set to begin on August 15, 2025. The event also saw Indian motorsport icon and Arjuna awardee Gaurav Gill in attendance, who made quite the entry on a side-by-side. The Fast and Fabulous 2025 saw a unique blend of supercars and fashion sharing space on the same stage The supercar catwalk was followed by an actual rampwalk with sponsor Raymond showcasing its complete new range of men's fashion at the event. Interestingly, two custom Hot Rods, owned by Gautam Singhania, MD - Raymond Group, graced the stage alongside the apparel during the fashion show. The first edition of Fast & Fabulous was promising, and we only expect the next edition to grow even further with more supercars and even rarer exotics making their way to the stage. Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2025, Best SUVs in India. First Published Date:
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Calm before storm: Gill braced for tricky challenge
MEDAN (INDONESIA): Just as the teams and drivers assembled at the dais of the Sopo Tamaro hall on Friday for the ceremonial start of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, the mention of the one person's name led to a huge cheer — Gaurav Gill. The 43-year-old Indian is a three-time APRC winner and is now on a quest to establish his authority in the Sumatera Utara International Rally and win his fourth title. A well-established figure and a favourite going into the event, Gill is as excited as he was when he tried to drive his uncle Upkar Gill's car — when Upkar and Hari Singh, former rally drivers, had stepped out of the house — as a teenager. From that moment on, motorsport has been Gill's first and long-lasting love. "This has been my life, and the excitement level has never dropped, and it will never drop," says Gill, sitting in front of the Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, which is getting ready for the event on Friday. "When you love a sport or whatever sport you want to do, you choose to do it with utmost passion and 100% commitment. I still feel like I'm doing my first race. I'm still committed to win as much as I wanted to win when I was a young kid," he adds. Gill had skipped the first two rounds of the FIA-APRC because of some logistical issues, but is not too worried about the miss as he still has a chance of qualifying for the final round in Japan. However, it is not going to be easy. The weather in Parapat is unpredictable, and the terrain — which goes through tea plantations — can be tricky as well. Gill, coming in with a reputation based on his past performances, only adds to the pressure. The Arjuna awardee, however, is tranquil. "I tell myself to go hard or go home. That's my mantra in life. Because of my past races here and around this region, I've been looked upon to be on the podium, which is a good confidence-booster for me. This is how I take it. I don't take it as any pressure. I take it more like I've got a job to do and I must do it as best as possible," he says, before adding, "I think the bigger challenge is the terrain here rather than me adapting to the car. That is even bigger because it's so unpredictable that we can go out into the race with sun out, blaring heat, and in one hour, it could turn into a complete thunderstorm or a downpour and change the track conditions, completely flip it. Having said that, luckily, I have some good experience. Even today, when we went out for testing, you can see the car is full of mud. So, luckily we had a lot of mud in the morning, so we got a feel of how it's going to be, and then it dried out, so we had a feel of a little bit dry also." As Gill, with Florian Barral as his co-driver, looks to end the seven-year wait and win back the APRC title, he is one of the five teams representing JK Tyre and Vamcy Merla Motorsports. Gill is delighted to see the support he and the other Indian drivers are getting from Vamcy Merla. "It's amazing to see him supporting so many people. Not only me, but he is supporting other drivers as well. I just wish that he sticks around with us as long as he wishes to, and we will do our job when it comes to winning for him," he signed off. (The writer is in Indonesia at the invitation of Vamcy Merla Motorsports).
News18
3 days ago
- Automotive
- News18
Tennis player-turner pro rally driver, Gaurav Gill eyeing his fourth APRC title
Medan (Indonesia), Aug 8 (PTI) Gaurav Gill once loved sending down booming serves on the tennis court but as years went by, zooming cars down the treacherous tracks became a passion for India's most decorated rally driver, who is a bonafide Asia Pacific Rally Championship legend. Returning to the APRC circuit after seven years, Gill must have had a feeling of deja vu, having won his maiden round at this very country at Makassar 17 years back in 2008. Gill will start as a favourite while the combo of Team JK Tyre and Vamcy Merla Motorsports unleashes a formidable five-car challenge at the event. As he took a trip down the memory lane, Gill recollected his journey from courts to the dusty tracks that made him one of India's foremost champions in motorsports. 'Actually, I was a very successful tennis player. I was a seeded player (at junior level) and I was pursuing it since I was 6 years old. My uncle Upkar Gill was quite a successful driver. Seeing him and multiple time National Rally champion Hari Singh drive, I grew interest in motorsport," Gill told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of the Sumatera Utara Rally, the third round of APRC which began here on Friday with the ceremonial start. 'They used to come to my house, and they were very young at that time and for us they were like, wow, you know, these are Gods. I want to be like him, that's how children looks upto elders. 'I had race cars in the house. So, obviously for me, it's a natural progression as a child to get behind the wheels and move in that direction. It motivated me to be a race car driver as I actually found it to be a very flamboyant career." An Arjuna awardee in 2019, only athlete from motorsports till date, Gill won the APRC title thrice in the past in 2013, 2016 and 2018. 'Because I can achieve whatever I want to achieve is for my self-satisfaction. But when this happens, it is happening for the community. It is not only for me," Gill said. While motorsport is a costly passion, people are making careers out of it, said Gill. 'I would like to say it (Arjuna award) was not just for me. It was for the motorsport. Because you get recognition for the sport. Everyone understands that this is not only an entertainment or a racing weekend for some rich kids or rich boys. You make a career out of it. Work hard for it." Gill counted the sacrifices which a rider or a driver needs to make in his arduous journey. 'I have gone through so many accidents, crashes, surgeries, yet I am here racing again. It is a lot of sacrifice in life. Staying away from family just like any other sport," he said. Gill said if an individual aspires he or she can make a career in motorsports, like any other sports. 'It is a sport, it is a career that you can choose. You can make a full-time career out of it. And if you click well, it pays way more than anything else also at the top level or at par with some competitors also easily if you can. It depends on what kind of discipline you are in," he said. 'Like I did, I made a full-time career out of it. The grid is tripled now. From where we were, we started with 20-25 cars and in the grid today we have 75 cars." Asked about his future plans, 43-year-old Gill said he will quit the day he feels someone is ready to take his place. 'Well, I want to keep driving as long as I want because this is what I love to do. Like I said, I still drive like I stole it. I am still as passionate as I was. I will continue to drive as long as I wish to because I know I can drive at the top level even now in terms of speed." 'But yes, if I see any talent coming up, I will always be available to help them or maybe give up my seat to let them drive also," he said. The 43-year-old is one of the favourites to win the title here, but he remained practical. 'Well, actually, the car is new but I've driven this kind of spec car before. So, it's not entirely new but, like I said, it's been a bit of a time gap since I drove it. I think the bigger challenge is the terrain here rather than me adapting to the car," he said. 'That is even bigger because it's so unpredictable that we can go out into the race with sun out, blaring heat and in one hour it could turn into a complete thunderstorm or a downpour and change the track conditions, completely flip it." PTI SSC SSC KHS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 08, 2025, 19:00 IST News agency-feeds Tennis player-turner pro rally driver, Gaurav Gill eyeing his fourth APRC title Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
