Motorsport Reviews

Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci crossed the chequered flag to claim his maiden MotoGP victory, after a climactic battle with reigning world champion Marc Marquez. Petrucci secured his first-ever win at his home ground in Mugello, after a few near finishes earlier in the season. The last laps of the Italian Grand Prix formed most of the excitement as Petrucci led to victory by a gap of just 0.043s over Marquez. Coming in third was Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso taking the last place on the podium.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won the 2019 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix in a climatic last set of laps. The reigning world champion dedicated his win to three-time world champion Niki Lauda, who passed away earlier this week. Coming in second was Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing but received a 5-second penalty and has been pushed down to P4. As a result, Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari is now promoted to P2 followed by Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas at P3. The Monaco GP also marked the 300th Grand Prix start for veteran driver Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo who finished 17th.

Audi Abt's Lucas di Grassi was crowned the winner of the 2019 Formula E Berlin e-Prix, his second win of the season. The driver took moved into the lead quite early in the race and retained the position till the end denying the win to pole-sitter Sebastien Buemi of Nissan e.Dams. Championship leader Jean Eric-Vergne of Techeetah finished third after starting eighth on the grid and making his way back up. It was however, a disappointing day for Mahindra Racing as it salvaged the day to pick up a single point, at the circuit where the team picked up its first-ever win the series.

JK Tyre will once again back the National Karting Championship in 2019 after a hiatus of two years. For the 2019 season though, the Karting Championship is all set to become bigger than ever with more rounds and categories added as part of a complete transformation. JK says the entry-level series will be more affordable and accessible to young motorsport enthusiasts with promoters and organisers Meco Motorsports having repackaged and upgraded the championship to mak the drivers future ready. The National Karting Championship has been a stepping stone for several racers in the country including Armaan Ebrahim, Aditya Patel, Arjun Maini, Karun Chandhok and more.

The week started on a sombre note with the death of three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda. The legendary F1 driver left for the heavenly abode leaving behind stories of inspiration for an entire generation, some of which may seem downright fiction. The most famous of which is the crash at the Nurburgring in 1976 that almost killed him. He was all of 27 years then, and was given his last rites on the hospital bed while being treated for severe burns. But, racer that he was not only emerged from that accident but was back in the racing seat in six weeks against the advice of his doctors. Stubborn, arrogant but extremely resilient!

It's a sad day for the world of motorsport that has lost one of its most iconic figures. Former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda has died at the age of 70. The three-time world champion passed away overnight, his family confirmed after battling a number of health issues over a year. Lauda had received a lung transplant eight months ago that required him to stay in the hospital for over two months, while he was also admitted in the hospital once again earlier this year due to a flu infection. It's also been reported that Lauda was undergoing kidney dialysis at his home in Switzerland prior to his demise.

Reigning world champion Marc Marquez of Honda secured another win this season after a dominant run in the 2019 MotoGP French Grand Prix at Le Mans. The Japanese factory team secured its 300th premier class win, 53 years after taking Jim Redman took its first-ever at Hockenheim. While Marquez made a strong run right from the opening lap, it was Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso who showed immense grit through the race to finish at P2, despite some close competition with teammate Danilo Petrucci in the final stages. Dovizioso fended off Petrucci by 0.158s to take second, while Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller and Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi rounded up the top five.

Mercedes continues to dominate the 2019 F1 season and took its fifth straight 1-2 finish in the Spanish Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton secured the win beating teammate Valtteri Bottas to the top position, while Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen secured the last place on the podium, his second this season. With the latest win, Hamilton moves into the points lead in the driver standings and is seven points clear of Bottas for the world championship.