The Chennai Formula Racing Circuit's inaugural night race showcased a historic weekend for Indian motorsport. Gabriela Jílková and Fabienne Wohlwend continued their standout performances in Indian Racing League: while the former took a back to back podium, Wohlwend and her teammate's consistency has propelled them to the top of the championship standings.
Indian motorsport witnessed a historic weekend in Chennai as the first ever night race on a street circuit was held at the new Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, a 3.839 km street course in the heart of the city that offered a scenic stage for the second round of the 2024 Indian Racing League as well as Indian Formula 4 championship.
Just one weekend after the season opener at the permanent Madras International Circuit - where Gabriela Jílková climbed the podium in race 2 - it was again another landmark weekend for female racers in the series, as Fabienne Wohlwend clinched the top of the car championships and Gabriela Jílková secured a back-to-back podium, with a second place in race 1 that topped her third place in the curtain raiser.
As per the series format, six women are competing in the series, which is one of the few motorsport championship globally to require each team to line up a female racer.
Alongside Wohlwend and Jílková, both returnees to India's premier racing series, Caitlin Wood collected her first top five after being denied a point-scoring finish in her debut due to a technical issue; Laura Camps was back in the points and held on to sixth despite a gearbox failure, and both Angelique Detavernier and Emily Duggan made good progress throughout the event, on the highly technical and demanding circuit.
Jílková and Wohlwend, both battling for podium positions at Madras and eventually finishing third and fourth, were again among the protagonists of the second round on the streets of Chennai and fought hard at the top of a tightly contested race 1 which Jílková started from pole.
Despite an initial delay caused by the understandable logistic challenges of the brand-new racetrack, the event provided plenty of action between practice sessions on Saturday and qualifying and both races on Sunday, with a slightly altered schedule.
Jílková, Wohlwend, Camps, Detavernier and Wood were drafted in the Group A, while Duggan would be racing in the Group B.
Group A drivers were the first on track Saturday evening for a 30-minute practice session. Raoul Hyman set the early pace but later caused a red flag after stopping on track. Once the session resumed, Jílková moved to the top of the timing sheets; Laura Camps also showed impressive pace, setting a purple sector in the second half of the session and eventually finishing in P10 after brushing the wall. The Spaniard, however, missed out on the crucial final moments due to big track development, and likely had potential for a top five.
Ahead, Jílková was among the fastest drivers on track and ultimately topped the charts with a 1:42.054. Wohlwend ended in P3, with Camps in P10, Wood in P11, and Detavernier in P12.
Sunday morning’s free practice for Group B saw track conditions improve as drivers got closer in pace. Alvaro Parente led the session, with Wohlwend’s teammate Ruhaan Alva, Rajeev, Ali Mohsin, and Bohra all within one second. Emily Duggan made steady progress, logging consistent laps as she tried to close the gaps.
Group B drivers were first out for qualifying, with Duggan making strides and finding significant time to finish P11. Alvaro Parente claimed pole, with Nikhil Bohra and Rishon Rajeev close behind, with the top four covered in one second.
Qualifying for Group A drivers went underway in the afternoon, with Fabienne Wohlwend, Gabriela Jílková, Laura Camps, Caitlin Wood and Angelique Detavernier tackling the fast and technical Chennai Formula Racing Circuit for the 10 minute session that would shape the grid of their sprint race.
Jílková set the early pace and remained in front, eventually posting a 1:39.268 despite an off at Turn 1. Hyman couldn’t match her time, finishing second ahead of Jon Lancaster. Wohlwend improved on her final run, taking fourth. Camps faced gearbox issues and finished P11, while Detavernier placed P12. With the result, Jílková became the first female racer to take pole position in the Indian Racing League.
The first IRL race under the lights saw a Goa Aces front row; it was however a tricky start for Jílková, who lost out to Hyman after some wheelspin. Wohlwend also lost a position to her teammate Yoong, as the two had contact but both continued without damage. The driver from Liechtenstein however dropped behind Kumaran, in sixth.
Laura Camps’ car immediately hit trouble again with recurring gearbox issues, losing significant time to the pack. She however managed to pass Gowda.
Ahead, Jílková was under pressure from Lancaster, who eventually passed her. She then had to defend from Yoong and, when Wohlwend made a pass stick on Kumaran, both Rahr Bengal Tigers drivers tried to find a way past the Goa Aces pole sitter.
Disaster struck for Detavernier, who pitted on lap 3 with technical issues and eventually retired.
Wohlwend attacked Yoong, leading to a three-way battle for the podium. Fabienne’s move temporarily gave Jílková some breathing room to defend her position, before a red flag was waved due to a stray dog on the track.
Back under the safety car with 17 minutes remaining, the green flag waved one lap later. Hyman managed the restart well, while Jílková attacked Lancaster but had to back out. Wohlwend and Yoong were also engaged in a hard-fought battle just behind them.
Wood and Camps moved into P8 and P9, as the safety car had benefitted Camps, allowing her to catch back the pack.
Gabriela Jílková made a great move to pass Lancaster for second; Yoong also got stuck in, and the cars went three-wide in an action-packed moment of the race that saw Lancaster and Jílková making contact, with the former ultimately forced to retire.
Hyman took advantage of the situation and opened a gap at the front, with Jílková now in second, followed by Yoong and Wohlwend. Fabienne resumed her chase of teammate Yoong. With 5 minutes to go, the three-car fight for the podium reignited, though Hyman had opened up a comfortable lead. Kumaran was closing in on the trio, but his car slowed on the main straight with just 3 minutes left.
In the final laps, Jílková picked up the pace again, leaving Yoong and Wohlwend behind. Fabienne tried to snatch the podium on the final lap but couldn't quite find a gap.
Raoul Hyman took the chequered flag for a historic win on the streets of Chennai, followed by Gabriela Jílková in second, securing a Goa Aces 1-2. It was Gabriela's second consecutive podium after her third place in Madras.
Alistair Yoong held onto third, with Fabienne Wohlwend in fourth, marking her second consecutive P4 this season. Caitlin Wood secured a very positive fifth place, showing great progress over the weekend. Laura Camps continued to battle technical issues and, despite not being able to fully fight her way forward, still crossed the line in a solid sixth.
Alvaro Parente started from pole position ahead of Nikhil Bohra in the final race of the weekend on the new Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, now fully illuminated under the lights in a setting that resembled the Singapore Marina Bay circuit.
It was heartbreak for the Rahr Bengal Tigers as Bohra’s car, with not enough time to fix a technical issue, was missing from the grid.
Parente came under threat at Turn 1, allowing Rishon Rajeev to take the lead. Shah also went straight into the runoff at Turn 1 but retained third place. Emily Duggan made a great start, moving up from ninth to eighth, although she lost a position to Sanjay on lap 1.
Parente attempted to fight back, going side by side with Rajeev, but went deep and fell to fifth. Alva moved up into third as Parente soon cleared Rabindra, and the top four broke away. Emily Duggan continued to battle further down the field in P9, as she defended against Dinesen and Ali Mohsin.
A big four-car battle for the podium ensued, with Shah passing Rajeev, and Parente overtaking Alva at the same time, just seconds before the safety car was deployed due to Ali Mohsin coming to a halt. This provided an opportunity for Duggan to catch back up.
The restart came with 16 minutes to go; Parente and Rajeev immediately fought for second position, while Shah managed a good restart and gained a second’s advantage. Alva tried to join the battle for third but had to back off. Duggan retained ninth from Reddy.
Shah set the fastest lap, extending his advantage, although Parente responded and reduced the gap to under one second by lap 7. Laura Camps’ teammate, Anindith Reddy, pitted on lap 6 with technical issues and lost 4 laps before eventually retiring.
Rishon Rajeev was not giving up either, with three drivers now battling for the win as Alva fell a couple of seconds behind. Angelique Detavernier’s teammate, Sanjay, made great progress and moved up into fifth.
In the final minutes, Shah was under massive pressure as the quick Portuguese driver Alvaro Parente closed in. Parente made a decisive move with one minute to go, gaining the top spot. Shah then had to defend against Rajeev, who saw his car slow down and fell into the clutches of Ruhaan Alva on the final lap.
After a dramatic second IRL race, Alvaro Parente became the fourth different race winner in four races this year, ahead of Sohil Shah and Rishon Rajeev, who initially survived the late attacks by Rahr Bengal Tigers’ Ruhaan Alva to take third. However, positions were switched post-race as Rajeev was handed a penalty for an incorrect grid position at the start.
Emily Duggan had a clean race, logging solid laps and making significant improvements throughout the weekend to claim 2 valuable points in ninth place.
With his third-place finish, Alva added crucial points to Wohlwend’s tally: the duo’s consistency has propelled them to the top of the car championship standings. They now lead by five points over their teammates Bohra and Yoong, as the series will head back to Madras International Circuit on 13-15 September for the third round of the season.
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