Jagmeet Gill: Engineered to win

17:51

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Rally Raid

An engineer and a management graduate, Jagmeet Gill takes the chequered flag at Raid de Himalaya 2013

Jagmeet Gill with his trusted Gypsy (Image credit: Sandeep Sahdev)

Doctor-engineer syndrome has grappled psyche of Indians since ages. Jagmeet Gill also got bit by the bug but eventually found his calling in the form of octane power. The 30-year-old Electronics Engineer.

Gill won the Adventure Trial 4W category at the prestigious Raid de Himalaya’s 2013 edition. And to prove that wasn’t a flash in the pan, he backed it up with a win at the Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally at Dehradun in December of 2013.

We caught up with the Punjab University Management graduate to know what made him trade the excel sheet with gear ratios, this is what he had to say.

How did you get involved in racing?

I was enroute Leh with my friends in 2007 and I saw Raid de Himalaya taking place. I was always fond of cars and driving, and that was the moment when I decided to start rallying.

Tell us about your experience winning the Raid in Adventure Trial category.

I won the overall adventure category in 2013 with a record penalty of 3 min 46 sec. This is the best time in the history of adventure category for 6 days of raid. I was leading in the results for all 6 days. It is one of the greatest win I’ve had and I’m really happy for that.

Why Adventure Trial and not X-Treme 4X4?

My first rally was in Oct 2008 which was the Raid de Himalaya. First timers are allowed only in the Adventure category and not in X-treme. Later, I started performing well in the same category and was picked by Team Maruti in 2011, hence, I continued with Adventure Trail. However, I do have plans to participate in the Xtreme category in future; hopefully, Maurti will soon give me that opportunity.

You said you recently got Grand Vitara, how is driving the Grand Vitara different than Gypsy? Which one do you prefer?

Grand Vitara is better for Desert Storm where top end speed is needed for open sections. It is more comfortable to drive and is the best machine Suzuki has to offer. However Gypsy is much more tough and easy on maintainence. It’s well-suited for rallies like Raid de Himalaya.

In your dream garage, which cars will we find?

Presently, I have an American motorcycle, an European sedan, a Japanese SUV and an Indian off-roader. Certainly would like to add an Audi R8 and Range Rover Sport in the future.

Has the sponsorship scene changed over the years? Is it better than what it was when you started out or still the same?

Sponsors are still tough to come for new comers, and also for people who have some years of experience. However the scene has improved over the years and it’s much better than what it was when I started rallying. Now, we have manufacturers like Maruti, Mahindra and Tata, and also JK tyre and Yokohama promoting the sport. I personally believe that the sponsors still have to come a long way in promoting rallying in India.

In India, can racing be a full time career option?

Yes, it can be, only if the sponsors shell in more to promote the sport and trust their drivers to perform well internationally too. 

What more needs to be done in India to ensure the growth of Motorsports?

Better infrastructure for training, more awareness for Motorsport activities, more sponsors and most importantly, recognizing Motorsport as a sport by the Government of India. Presently, of all the Indian states, only Maharashtra recognizes Motorsport as a form of sport.

We certainly hope that Jagmeet’s wishes come true and more and more sponsors start supporting Motorsport events as well as the athletes; and hopefully, soon enough, the Government of India will recognize Motorsport as a form of sport and entertainment.

We wish him all the best for his future endeavors and hope to see him racing with the big boys at Raid de Himalaya, in the X-Treme category, soon enough.

If you have any thoughts about the state of Motorsport and/or sponsorship in India, feel free to share your views in the box below.

Disclaimer: The article was first written by the author for RedBull.com

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Sebastian Vettel's FB status after the Italian GP

08:48

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F1

Image Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Our reporters happens to be friends with the the triple world champion Sebastian Vettel on Facebook. Here's what he posted right after winning the Italian GP.

Do let us know what you think about Kimi Raikkonen being BJP's 2014 PM candidate? Do you think he's better than Narendra Modi and Lal Krishna Advani? Tell us in the comments below.

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Who will drive for Ferrari in 2014?

02:35

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F1

Image Credit: GEPA / Red Bull Content Pool

A lot of talk has been going around about Ferrari's second seat. Felipe Massa has been besides himself since he got knocked out by the spring in 2009. In fact, the same rumours circled the Brazilian last year too but he eventually managed to save his seat for 2013 managed. However, it looks highly unlikely that he'll be racing in red uniform in 2014 too, if at all.

So, what are the option?

Contender 1: The Iceman

The biggest clamour has been about Kimi Raikkonen regaining a Ferrari drive. But the question is, would Fernando Alonso welcome Kimi with open arms? The last time Spaniard was paired with a certain championship-winning-potential British driver, Eurozone went in financial crisis. In 2007, Alonso went to the extent of saying that if not him, he'd rather see another driver take the championship than his teammate Hamilton. In the eventuality, Kimi took the title by one point. Given the fact that Alonso has enjoyed the no.1 driver status with the Italian team for four seasons now, the big question is: Will Alonso be to drive alongside an equally talented driver without any dispute?

Raikkonen's contract with Lotus runs out at the end of 2013 season. While the Enstone based team would love to keep him with them, there are question marks about their technical and financial feasibility. Also, Kimi is hungry for a title and want a team that can deliver him a championship winning car.

Contender 2: The Incredible Hulk

Nico Hulkenberg is one of the most talented young drivers who's been tipped by many as a future champion. Ever since he exploded on the F1 scene, he's been praised by one and all. People have often said that with a top team, he has all the potential of being a champion. And what better way to display your caliber than in front of the big bosses at Ferrari's HQ. The German qualified in P3 in a Sauber that has otherwise lacked pace for most part of the season. Nico managed to finished the Italian GP in P5 - ahead of the other cars on the grid barring the Ferraris and Red Bulls.

Why Kimi makes sense?

He's one of the five Formula 1 champions on the grid right now, and probably the only one who's got a floating seat for 2014. While he's not used to "No. 2" tag, he's shown that he CAN be a team player. This was at display at 2008 Brazilian GP when the Finn let Massa pass without any team orders being transmitted, since he knew that his Brazilian team mate had a better chance of winning the champion, which Massa lost by just one point under controversial circumstances. 

It's widely known in the F1 fraternity that Kimi is the last person to get into petty politics and create a divide within the team. Hence, if he were to partner Alonso, the Italian team enacting Mclaren 2007 or Red Bull 2013 is pretty unlikely.

Why Hulkenberg makes sense?

Hulkenberg will neither expect a superstar status at Ferrari, nor would he wouldn't mind obeying the team orders and letting a certain Spaniard pass, if and when the need arise. He'd come to the team with complete understanding that he's the "number 2" driver and hence, there are virtually nil chances of any off-track friction between him and the mighty Alonso.

He is the young talent that can be further nurtured to fit in the team for long term and can be Ferrari's future champion, if not the immediate one; exactly the way Red Bull made a complete racer out of the young Vettel.

An unconfirmed report in a German magazine has stated that Ferrari has told Sauber that they'll give them 2014 engines at a discounted rate if they can take Massa off their hands. Given the fact that Massa has been at Sauber before getting a seat at Ferrari, it might not be completely ridiculous to think that he might go back. A Massa-Hulkenberg swap might just happen!

With the 32 year Alonso getting impatient and with some factions of Ferrari board already fond of the Nico, it might make sense to actually give him the opportunity.

Why Massa makes sense?

Though he's not been in the best of the form, Felipe Massa has grown comfortable being the team's second driver. He's the perfect team player and he seems to be having Alonso's backing too. In a recent interview Alonso said that he'd be happy if Massa stayed. 

Since Raikkonen is the front runner for the Ferrari seat and if we compare his and Massa's performance at Ferrari, the Brazilian consistently outperformed his teammate during 2008 as well as 2009 before being hit on the head by an 800 gram spring and missing the rest of the season. Also, if Kimi were to get on board, it would be a task to sign those multi-million salary cheques for both - Alonso as well as Kimi - two of the most expensive drivers in F1. However, if there's one team that can afford to pay both of these drivers, it's Ferrari.

Why Kimi & Nico both make sense?

Because, "Mama Mia." Alonso is the only driver on the grid who can punch above his weight and can extract 200% out of the car. For this very reason he's been able to get close to Sebastian Vettel despite having a car that 's ideally only as fast as Lotus. But, since Alonso is not satisfied getting close to Vettel's rear wing, he wants to win and Ferrari hasn't been able to provide him a car that can make him. And during this Saturday's qualifying, his frustration was evident over a controversial radio message where he was heard telling the pitwall in Italian, "You're really idiots. Mama Mia, guys." Though he maintains that he said "geni" (geniuses) and not scemi (idiots), there's enough doubt to believe that he might have said "scemi", since the slipstream effect in qualifying didn't really worked as expected and he qualified P5 while his towing partner qualified a place ahead in P4. 

Though Alonso has a contract with Ferrari till the end of 2016 but he's showed in the past that if he's unhappy with the team, a piece of paper won't stop him from leaving. However, while he did leave McLaren after 2007 season, full 2 years ahead of his contract term; he probably won't do the same this time. At that time, Renault wanted the Spaniard back for 2008 season and Alonso was always more fond of Favio Briatore than Ron Dennis. For 2014 though, there's no Favio and there isn't another team that can provide him a capable car. After last week's announcement of Daniel Ricciardo replacing Mark Weeber, Red Bull doesn't have any vacancy. And looking at the current situation, McLaren just won't pass the muster. There's no way either Ross Brawn, Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso wants a repeat of 2007 and hence, Nico Rosberg doesn't need to worry about his seat at the Mercedes. That only leaves Lotus as an (improbably) option. Being the ex-Renault outfit, one could argue that Alonso might go there and feel at home; but it's highly unlikely that Alonso would leave Ferrari for Lotus.

Hence, the likelihood of Alonso-Raikkonen and Massa-Hulkenberg swap happening is as bright as F1 cars going all-LPG.

So what will it be?

In my opinion, we'll be seeing Raikkonen in Ferrari colours once again. Let's face it, everyone wants this to happen.

As for Massa, if he doesn't retire from F1, he might head back to Sauber and Monisha Kaltenborn will gladly accept the family & friends discount on those 2014 Ferrari engines.

As we stand today, in my opinion, this could happen:

Raikkonen will join Alonso at Ferrari

Massa will go to Sauber and if the engine discount story is true, his salary will pay dividends.

Hulkenberg will take Kimi's seat at Lotus.

Webber will punch Vettel after the Brazilian GP 2013.

Take it from me, Alonso - Raikkonen partnership might just turn out to be Ferrari's Los Galacticos.

If you disagree or are simply angry with my transfer speculations, write to me in the comments below. 

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