Dubai-based Shahaan, who is just 16-years-of-age, will be the youngest and least experienced driver in the Kiwi championship when it commences in mid-January. Notably, he will also be the youngest competitor in the New Zealand GP on 11th/12th February which, back in the 1960s, was won by such racing legends as Sir Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Jackie Stewart.

After enjoying an impressive car racing debut during the recent Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series, where he out-performed a large number of experienced competitors and qualified eighth fastest out of 29 drivers on his first weekend, Shahaan is now looking to benefit from vital track time in New Zealand as he seeks to hone his skills ahead of the 2012 Formula Renault UK Championship.

Toyota Racing Series will field the largest overseas entry in the category’s history when it begins on 14th/15th January – what’s more, the level of competition will be fierce with drivers from top-line championships such as GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 taking part. Once again, the 15-race campaign will further enhance the category’s status as a key proving ground for aspiring Formula One drivers.

Competitors in the 2012 series will enjoy a large amount of seat time, covering more than 2,500 kilometres during testing and racing over the five consecutive race weekends which will take place across the length and breadth of New Zealand.

“I am really excited to race in the Toyota Racing Series, mainly because of the high level of drivers I will have the opportunity to compete against and learn from”, said Shahaan, “There is no other series in the world where a rookie can race against drivers with experience of GP2, Formula Renault 3.5 and other senior championships.”

The Toyota Racing Series, which boasts full FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) status, will take place over five back-to-back weekends between mid-January and mid-February with the opening three races to be contested on 14th/15th January at Teretonga Park, Invercargill.

From there, the increasingly popular championship will travel to Timaru International Raceway, Taupo Motorsport Park and then Hampton Downs in Auckland. The grand finale of the season, the 57th New Zealand Grand Prix, will be held on 11th/12th February at Manfeild in Feilding.

“With our first race starting at Teretonga on January 14th and the series finishing just four weeks later at the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild on February 12th, the Toyota Racing Series now offers the most concentrated and intense international series in the world”, added TRS category manager Barrie Thomlinson.

Driver Profile
Full Name: Shahaan Sharokh Engineer
Date of Birth: 6th September 1995
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Height: 170cm
Weight: 66kg
Website: www.shahaan.com

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

The 22-year old Auckland based driver competed in the final round of the 2011 TRS championship at Taupo in March – finishing in fourth place overall – in preparation for the upcoming season; which is set to be the most competitive yet with a bumper international contingent and a tightly compressed series schedule.

“It’s a real pleasure to be a part of this championship and to be back behind the wheel again. The TRS Management and ETEC Motorsport have been a tremendous help in securing my place on the grid, and there’s nothing in this world more motivating for a driver than a simple opportunity. With the economy the way it is, each and every one of us is lucky to have one.”

Lester recently completed a successful two day pre-season test at Manfeild alongside fellow local drivers Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy and Chris Vlok, as well as Malaysian ETEC team mate Melvin Moh, in preparation for the opening round of the Toyota Racing Series at Teretonga Park in Invercargill on January 12-15.

The move into single seater racing is somewhat of a career role-reversal for Lester, with many drivers taking the ‘wings and slicks’ path from a young age and progressing into GT & touring car racing later in their careers.

Lester insists however that this is an important part of his development as a driver;

“One of the first people to recommend the TRS to me was Chris Amon. His support and mentoring over the past 12 months has been terrific and I value his input as I work towards a sports prototype drive overseas.

“I’ve got to say that after tasting the TRS at Taupo in March, we couldn’t have made a better move.”

The 2012 Toyota Racing International Series is structured with five events over five consecutive weekends, with the championship working its way up country from Invercargill to Timaru, followed by events in Taupo, Hampton Downs and Manfeild.

Among many exciting new additions to the championship, the coveted New Zealand Grand Prix title will be decided in the final of the 15-race season, adding extra incentive and pressure on the large field of young drivers – something Lester hopes to take advantage of as the championship unfolds;

“I’m one of the old men of the series this year! While my recent experience behind the wheel has been limited, I pride myself on having a good race brain and a cool demeanour. These young guys are all blisteringly quick and have a lot of backing behind them, but consistency and experience is an area I hope to excel in over the course of the championship.”

“That motivation and the solid pre-season testing has my mind focussed on one thing and one thing only, and that is to win the championship and get my career back on the right track.”

Lester will compete with the support of championship winning Engineer Andy Neale, with ETEC’s five car line up also including Malaysian driver Melvin Moh, returning British rising star Josh Hill, Indian Shahaan Engineer and Victor Sendin of France.

Lester is supported in his campaign by the New Zealand Motorsport Trust and partnered with Counties Toyota, TradeZone Industrial, Ports of Auckland, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Nutrition, Opti-Flex, R Redpath Limited, Webdesign, iSign it, Sony Electronics, Loaded Sports Drink and Zero Water.

Facu Regalia showed today his good shape during first day of GP3 collective testing at Jerez, in spite of he had problems in the morning, due to mechanical issues. But, in the afternoon, Argentinean driver improved to achieve second fastest time ahead of almost thirty cars.

Regalia, who was making his debut with Lotus ART – team led by Frédéric Vasseur and Nicolas Todt and with a long career in motorsport-, had a hard start of the day, mainly related to gearbox problems. “It was a shame because when my car was fixed, morning´s season was almost finished. I just completed a few laps”, Regalia explained afterwards, but who tried his best during the afternoon. “Because of our problems, we started after lunch time on new tires, and it was useful to be second since the beginning, and having a good fight with Daniel Abt on track to be first”, Regalia said later and, obviously, he was happier with his performance.

At the end, Lotus ART´s driver improved his lap times to set a best time of 1:35.587, which meant a second place during afternoon´s session. “Today was a very positive day for us, and I feel happy with our work. Despite our problems, we knew how to manage them and in the end we could overcome them. We were second, a fantastic position if we think there were almost 30 cars on track. On the other hand, to work with Lotus ART was good for my learning”, Regalia finally explained. Tomorrow, a new day and Regalia is going to drive “with Status GP. I hope to avoid any kind of problems and to finish on top”.

While the outfits that are already part of the Series are confirming their commitments and in some cases are willing to increase the number of cars they line-up, other top-notch teams from different championships are targeting an entry in Auto GP.

Team Ghinzani is one of them, as team boss Piercarlo Ghinzani revealed in an official press release from the team: “Entering Auto GP would be a great opportunity, as I strongly believe that nowadays the championship is the best value for drivers that are exiting from F3 and looking for the next step of their careers. Enzo Coloni and his staff managed to create a sort of little World Championship, and it’s having quite a big impact on drivers. Furthermore, we know the car very well as it’s the same we used as Team Italy in the first three season of A1GP, clinching wins, podiums and pole positions. That’s why I think that entering the Series is the right choice for us”.

Ghinzani’s words are particularly important because they come from a man with a nearly 40-years experience in top-notch motorsport, first as a driver and then, from 1992, as a team owner. Being among the most winning Italian teams, with a list of achievements that includes successes and podium finishes in the Italian F3 and A1GP (racing as Team Italy from 2005 to 2009), Team Ghinzani would be a welcome addition to the Auto GP grid.

Enzo Coloni: “I was particularly happy when I heard from Ghinzani that he was very interested in an entry in our Series. As our careers in motorsport started more or less in the same years, we know each other from a long time and we have a relationship of mutual respect and regard, meaning that working together in Auto GP would be a pleasure.

Then, from a performance standpoint, it’s worth to underline that Team Ghinzani already knows this chassis, as they were racing as Team Italy in A1GP, and even if the car has changed from those times, I’m sure that such knowledge will be an help for the team. If they really enter the Series, I’m sure that they will be quick straight out of the box”.

The 19-year-old has spent this year competing in Japanese F3 for the SGC by KCMG team, recording a breakthrough win and scooping an additional five podium finishes. He remained with the squad for his first taste of Formula Nippon, enjoying two days of running at the Fuji International Speedway on Monday and Tuesday (November 28/29).

Although at the controls of a significantly faster machine than he is used to, Thompson quickly settled down to business in the 3.4-litre Toyota V8-powered car, delivering competitive times within a few laps of hitting the circuit. Growing in confidence throughout, he was able to outpace his experienced team-mate by a considerable margin whilst also putting a clutch of series regulars and a former DTM and GP2 campaigner in the shade.

Formula Nippon is notoriously tough for rookies to get to grips with thanks to the technical nature of its Swift FN09 chassis and the presence of several world-class drivers amongst its ranks.

Despite this Thompson made a strong impression on his team, who handed him extra time behind the wheel after his impressive performance on Monday. This level of trust bodes well for the Irishman as he seeks to take the next step up the motor racing ladder.

Gary Thompson: “Firstly, I’d like to thank Toyota, KCMG and SG Changi for giving me the chance to take part in this test. Their support has been invaluable and I’m truly grateful for it.

“The car is really fun to drive: it’s seriously quick, but at the same time you can grab it by the scruff of the neck and really attack it.

“I was able to settle in to a rhythm quickly, which was great. Initially the high-speed corners were a challenge but by the end I feel I was very strong in them. I think I stood up to the increased physical demands of the car too, so that’s very positive.

“Though the test went well we still aren’t making Nippon our priority for 2012 as this was more of a learning experience. That said, if the right offer of a seat came along I certainly wouldn’t rule it out as I’m very keen to get the opportunity to go racing in one of these cars. Formula Nippon remains one of my long-term goals and I’m thrilled to have made a positive first impression.”

Thompson’s focus will now switch to firming up his plans for next season as he bids to build on the momentum his career has gained during the past 12 months. With a maiden Japanese F3 win to his name and now a successful Formula Nippon test under his belt the Dubliner will be looking to go from strength to strength in 2012.

Follow Gary Thompson on:
Web: www.garythompsonracing.com
Twitter: @GThompsonRacing
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GaryThompsonRacing

Undertaking his car racing debut in what has widely been regarded as the most competitive Finals Series (formerly the Winter Series) in the category’s history, the 16-year-old karting graduate was the only single-seater rookie and the youngest driver on the near-capacity 29-car grid at Snetterton (5/6 November) and Rockingham (12 November) but shone with a series of excellent performances.

Joining Formula Renault UK’s top team Fortec Motorsports for his maiden campaign, Shahaan picked up his pace throughout testing ahead of the first four rounds of the Finals Series at Snetterton 300 Circuit and stunned the paddock in his maiden qualifying session with the eighth fastest time.

In spite of an unfortunate grid penalty for rounds one and two, due to yellow flags being shown at the time he set his best lap, Shahaan raced through the order brilliantly and outperformed drivers with experience of Formula Renault UK, Eurocup Formula Renault, Formula BMW and Formula Ford.

Serving up tremendous overtaking moves in horrendous wet conditions, far belying his inexperience, the talented Indian newcomer finished 13th in his first race – out of 29 competitors – and then took 14th place in race two.

During rounds three and four on the second day at Snetterton, he secured a pair of top 12 finishes to cap a superb first ever weekend in cars. More than that, both results were achieved despite starting way down the order in an uncharacteristic 26th position in each instance due to missing the entirety of the second qualifying session because of a faulty wiring loom.

Moving on to the incredibly challenging Rockingham International Super Sports Car Circuit this past weekend for rounds five and six, Shahaan quickly got up to speed once more with qualifying again taking place in tough, damp conditions along with the added complication of early fog.

Racing through to 14th position in the first race to post his fifth points-scoring finish from five starts, Shahaan eclipsed all of his previous outings in the last round of the championship by climbing his way into ninth place and on course for a truly memorable conclusion to the Finals Series.

India’s freshest motor racing star on fast track to success…
Matching podium finishing pace, the teenager lapped with a best time of 1m17.955 seconds as he reeled in the cars ahead but on lap 14 – with only three further laps remaining in the race – Shahaan was unfortunately punished heavily for the smallest of errors with a disappointing retirement.

Building in confidence all the time and eager to push for an even better result than ninth, at the exit of the fifth corner he just caught one of the remaining damp patches on the track and was powerless to prevent his car spinning off onto the infield.

“I just pushed a bit too hard trying to catch the cars in front”, he said after round six, “I wanted a bit more than ninth place as the pace was really good and I felt really comfortable with the car. The adrenaline rush was tremendous as I realised I had just a few laps left with a top 10 in hand.

“I was confident of catching the three cars in front but I just caught the damp patch and spun. It’s a real shame but it’s still been a very strong and positive weekend. Overall I’m really happy with what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time over the last two weekends, it’s been fantastic.”

So impressive has the young Indian’s debut car racing campaign been, Fortec Motorsports has declared its desire to sign Shahaan to a contract for the main 2012 season which is expected to get underway in Britain at the beginning of April.

Team owner Richard Dutton commented: “Shahaan did an amazing job and showed true race spirit in his first few races in a race car, we look forward to learning more of what Shahaan can show us and are happy to continue into 2012 with him.”

Perhaps most impressive of all though is the fact in 12 days of testing and racing in challenging, wet weather Shahaan incurred no damage whatsoever to his car – proving his terrific natural car control and tremendous awareness on circuit.

The chief aim over the past two weekends has been to achieve maximum track time and to learn about starts and racecraft. In doing all of that with a commitment and maturity of a driver of far senior years, India’s freshest star of the track has made a significant first impression…

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

“This was simply an utterly disappointing weekend; there is no reason to call it anything else,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “My shot at a decent result more or less disappeared already on Thursday, but Macau is a very special venue and it’s never over until it’s over. Unfortunately, though, things didn’t get much better in the races, and although we had an efficient car on the straights, we struggled a bit with the set-up in the mountain section. We were fast enough to battle for a top five result if we would have stayed out of trouble, but at the end of the day things sometimes just don’t turn out the way you want them to.”

Rosenqvist posted the eighth-fastest time in Friday’s qualifying session – just one tenth shy of fifth place and 0.7 seconds adrift of Pole-setter and regular Formula 3 Euro Series rival Marco Wittmann – but had to see his efforts come to nothing due to the penalty from Thursday. The crash in the finale then brought the Swede’s event to a premature end. Victory in the classic street race outside of Hong Kong went to Spaniard Daniel Juncadella – another of Rosenqvist’s Formula 3 Euro Series competitors.

“I am obviously everything but satisfied with the outcome of Macau, but overall it’s still been a very good season,” Rosenqvist concludes. “I continue to learn something new every time I climb into the car, and we’ve been among the quickest in Formula 3 Euro Series more or less all through the campaign. I am now looking forward to a chance of recharging the batteries for an even stronger performance in 2012 – we will definitely be back!”

Felix Rosenqvist can look back at a season which, coupled with the RTL GP Masters of Formula 3 triumph, has seen the Swede claim one victory, ten podiums and five fastest laps in his first Formula 3 Euro Series campaign.

The reigning GP3 Series Champion, also a race winner with Woking-based Double R in the British Formula 3 International Series this year, held third on the opening lap and ran three-wide with pole position starter Marco Wittmann and 2011 British F3 Champion Felipe Nasr through the first turn.

On the outside line for the right-hander at Lisboa, Bottas had to settle for third and although unfortunately slipping behind reigning F3 Euroseries Champion Roberto Merhi on lap two at the same corner the Double R racer produced a very strong performance. At the start of the ninth tour the Safety Car was deployed due to an incident so racing ended under caution at the end of lap 10.

Arriving late in Macau on Thursday, 17th November, following a Formula One test outing with the AT&T Williams F1 Team at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, Bottas’ troubles were compounded when a further delay meant he also missed the first part of opening qualifying.

Even so, with seriously limited track time, the Finn’s class shone through and he steered his Dallara-Mercedes HWA to fourth fastest during the all-important dry second qualifying session on Friday, 18th November, within just 0.4 seconds of pole position. This then became third on the Qualification Race grid when Merhi was penalised.

“Valtteri did a great job today, it’s a shame he couldn’t stay ahead of Merhi but starting on the second row for tomorrow is good”, said Galaxy Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, “The pace is obvious, he set the second fastest lap today, so we can definitely fight for the win from there. Considering the difficulties he had missing first practice it’s been a fantastic effort so far.”

Team-mates Marko Asmer and Mitch Evans both face a very tough challenge during the GP itself, the Estonian ending today’s encounter in 18th place – having run as high as seventh before sidepod damage ruined his straight-line speed – while New Zealander Evans finished in 22nd on his first time in Macau after starting at the back of the grid due to engine problems in qualifying.

Asmer, making a welcome return to Macau, was just 0.8 seconds shy of Bottas’ qualifying time to place him 12th on the grid for today’s race despite having had no regular race programme for the past couple of years.

The 2007 British F3 Champion was unfortunately handed a three-place penalty due to erroneously straying over the pit-lane exit marker line in qualifying. This was actually nullified though when other drivers were also handed a variety of penalties.

Climbing superbly into seventh place on the opening lap, Asmer used all of his experience to fantastic effect but after incurring sidepod damage he was powerless to prevent a drop down the order to an eventual finish of 18th position. He will therefore have another incredibly difficult race ahead of him tomorrow, starting on the ninth row of the Grand Prix grid.

Evans’ debut weekend in the former Portuguese enclave began with dire misfortune when his engine had to be changed due to a failure, caused by over-revving, before he had even had a chance to post a time during second qualifying.

Leaving the teenage Kiwi in 30th and last place on the grid for today’s encounter, he actually started 28th due to the varied penalties for others and produced a superb opening lap where he gained half a dozen positions and then proceeded to climb up the order further.

Unfortunately, contact to the rear of his Dallara-Mercedes from Richard Bradley on lap six forced Evans down an escape road and ruined all of his great work although he was able to recover into 22nd – meaning he will begin his first ever Macau F3 GP from the 11th row of the grid and ahead of several experienced drivers who encountered their own difficulties.

“Mitch had a lot of bad luck during the build-up to today and again in the race when he was taken out, he did a great job though and we’ve got high hopes he’ll come through the order well again tomorrow”, added Hieatt.

“Marko had a great start and first lap, really drove well, but then the damage to the sidepod made his car like a brick in a straight line. He’ll have a tough time tomorrow from 18th on the grid but he has the experience and ability to turn it around into a good result.”

The 58th Macau F3 Grand Prix will begin at 15.30 (local time) tomorrow, Sunday, 20th November.

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography

Following rain earlier on in the week, conditions remained dry for the start of today’s Qualification Race, for the ten lap sprint around the challenging Macau circuit. Nasr made the perfect start from fifth on the grid and benefitted from the stalled car of front row man Antonio Felix da Costa to catapult into second place. Huertas also made a good start and briefly climbed to fourth, before settling for fifth at the end of lap one.

Jaafar lost out in the chaotic mid field at the start and dropped to 24th, while Magnussen had already made up several places in 22nd having started 29th.

At the front Nasr was chasing down race leader Marco Wittmann, but had the charging Roberto Merhi right behind him by the end of lap two. Nasr held station though and coped well with the pressure to keep the F3 Euro Series champion behind him.

Huertas was also enjoying some close racing and had closed in on GP3 champion Valtteri Bottas for fourth, and by lap five was close enough to put the Finn under intense pressure. Nasr meanwhile had responded well to the pace from behind and set the fastest lap of the race so far on lap five.

Facing a completely different battle was Magnussen, who had demonstrated pace good enough to qualify seventh, but was fighting his way through the field following a grid penalty. The British F3 vice champion was 20th, just ahead of Jaafar in 21st.

After managing to pull out a small gap, Nasr was under pressure again from Merhi, who set the fastest lap of the race on lap eight, while behind them the pack continued to shuffle with Jaafar moving up to 18th ahead of Magnussen in 19th.

Attention remained firmly focused on the leaders though, as the British and F3 Euro champions Nasr and Merhi fought closely for second. Merhi made a move up the inside at Lisboa on lap eight, but Nasr defended well and maintained position.

A big accident for Jimmy Eriksson brought racing action to a halt on lap nine. The driver climbed from the car unhurt but the incident brought out the safety car. With debris strewn across the track, the race finished under those conditions, with Nasr taking second in his Volkswagen powered car, with Huertas fifth. Jaafar crossed the line in 17th, with Magnussen 19th, the positions the Carlin quartet will take on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Reflecting on a tense afternoon, Nasr said, “From the start I got two places straight away, after Sims crashed and da Costa stalled. I was third into the first corner and managed to get a good tow from Bottas and we were three wide into Lisboa. I was in the middle so I didn’t have the right line to come out first and I was cautious not to make contact. I managed to come out in second though and then I just focused on keeping the car out of the walls so we could have a good position for tomorrow.

“Both Wittmann and Merhi were very quick; Wittmann had a strong car in the middle sector, but I was fast in the final sector and was able to close on him there and pull away from Merhi a little. I think we need to look at the data to see how we can improve further so we are even strong tomorrow, but second place is a great position to start from in Macau.”

Fifth placed man Huertas was also pleased with his race, “I was distracted at the start by da Costa stalling, which is how Merhi got past me, but my pace was really good, especially in the early stages. I nearly got past Bottas, but I didn’t want to do anything stupid. I think the pace between the front runners was very close today. We improved the car a lot from qualifying and we will try and do the same before tomorrow. Anything can happen around here and I’m in a good position to take a top result tomorrow.”

Trevor Carlin added, “Felipe did a fantastic job today. He made a great start; striking the balance between being aggressive and not risking too much. He withstood the pressure from Merhi extremely well and deserved to be on the podium today. To have two cars in the top five today is a great result for the team, following an impressive race by Carlos. It was a difficult task for Jazeman and Kevin today, but they both brought the cars home in one piece. Obviously tomorrow the drivers will have a completely different approach, and I’m sure we’ll see considerably less caution and more incidents! Nevertheless Felipe and Carlos have shown that we have a good car here, so we’re feeling confident.”

Tomorrow’s race will take place at 15.30 local time (07.30 GMT).

“I would like to say a very big thank you to Marussia Virgin Racing for this fantastic opportunity today,” said Adrian. “It’s been a great experience and I’ve learned a lot. This morning I began with some CSL (constant speed limiter) runs on the straights so the team could conduct some aero measurement work and then I got into the programme properly”.

“I ran two sets of new tyres and just began chipping away at the lap times as I learned more about the car and how it reacts. Overall I’m pleased with the day and it’s been a huge experience for me.”

The 20 year-old has already successfully tested twice for the John Booth-led F1 team, carrying out aero-testing at Idiada Proving Ground in Spain and RAF Cottesmore in Leicestershire, clocking up around 350km collectively.

However Tuesday’s test was more than just an appraisal of outright pace. The team had prepared a detailed evaluation programme designed to examine every aspect of a driver’s all-round potential, including decision-making, quality of feedback and an appreciation of engineering procedure.

The programme also facilitated the testing of 2012 developments, including gearbox and engine installation parts. John Booth, Team Principal of Marussia Virgin Racing was pleased with the performance of his GP3 racer Adrian, and fellow racer Charles Pic.

“Both Adrian and Charles followed a very similar programme, which was designed to ease them into circuit running in an F1 car,” said John. “We’re very happy with how both of them have performed today. Both used the Soft Pirelli tyre, with Adrian perhaps slightly disadvantaged by the track temperature and Charles by only using one new set.

“We specifically chose to use the same tyre compounds as used by the race drivers last weekend to give the drivers a better reference, rather than using the Supersoft compound which has clearly been shown to be the quicker tyre over one lap today. All in all, a good job from both drivers.”

Adrian will now conduct a testing programme over the coming weeks, including two days at Motorland, Aragon in a Formula Renault 3.5 car on 29/30 November, as the BRDC Rising Star continues to evaluate his options for 2012.

To watch the video from Yas Marina, please visit the Marussia Virgin Racing website at the following link:

http://www.marussiavirginracing.com/news/503/