Sarath Kumar of Mahindra Racing became the first Indian to secure a podium finish at an International motorsports event when he finished third at the CIV-Italian Championship in Monza.
- Sarath Kumar was originally placed 4th however, the 3rd place winner Andrea Mantovani was disqualified due to engine irregularities which allowed Sarath to take up the 3rd position finally.
- Sarath moved swiftly across and found a good pace to clock a fantastic time of 25:38:775
- This win enables Sarath to become the first Indian to score points in a competitive championship at Imola
- Mahindra’s second rider and winner of first two rounds Ricardo Morreti had a bad day and had to retire during the race due to bike related technical issues.
Current standings after the 3rd round 125GP:
a) Ricardo Morreti stands second with 50 points
b) Sarath Kumar moves up to 5th position with 22 points
Reacting on the occasion:
Sarath Kumar said, “A podium finish at the Italian Championship is a dream come true for me! I got off to a good start and was able to recover a lot of positions up to the 14th place. It was my first time in Monza, a circuit I am quickly getting accustomed to – it’s a really fast one! I want to thank all my technical staff, my manager and team Mahindra for their support.”
Ricardi Moretti said, “I was able to take the lead when at Variante Ascari the engine of my bike turned off. I was able to get back to the pits and after that to get back on track, but the problem emerged once again and I had to withdraw from the race. It was a very unlucky day on a track that we did not know, and that gave us many issues. I hope to change this DNF and do better in the rest of the championship because I want to be back to first place in the standings.”
Mufaddal Choonia, COO, Mahindra Racing said, “All of us at Mahindra Racing are absolutely delighted with Sarath’s achievement! We have had a good start to the season with our first two wins and are very pleased with the progress made by him. It’s unfortunate for Moretti, but we can make it up in the next round.”
By,
Saad Khan
Team BikeAdvice
