Drive Kenya Nov/Dec 2015

KENYA’S PREMIER AUTO MAG COMPLIMENTARY COPY

ISSUE 11 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

Tokyo Motor Show

The quirky and the classy

Driving In The Rain

Tips from the Kenya Car Guy

Guru Nanak Rally

Driver Results

Subaru STI 207 MotorSports: F1 Sochi, F1 Austin and F1 Mexico | Bikes: Trike and Satelis

Dear Reader, Greetings!

We hope this issue finds you getting ready for the festive month of December. For motorists, the last few weeks have brought mixed feelings. On a brighter note, the price of petrol fell by 10%, thanks to the folks at the Energy Regulatory Commission. On the other hand, the Government announced that they are planning to impose a 16% VAT rate on fuel products by next year, in order to raise tax revenues.

It was also announced that measures were being taken to charge an excise duty levy of Ksh200,000 on all vehicles, more than three years old. Car importers have reportedly said that this will raise the prices of imported vehicles upwards by about Ksh300,000. In fact, with the depreciation of the shilling, used car imports have declined dramatically according to reports in the Daily Nation, from 12,000 units to 4,000 units per month, as importers have adopted a wait-and-see attitude in the face of higher prices and taxes.

On the other hand, the Government could take the opportunity to promote the sales of new cars, by lowering the duty and taxes on these newer vehicles, as they have the latest safety features, are more fuel efficient and come with service warranties, but this is a grim expectation. As a nation, we should also look to expand the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturer’s plant to the next level, in order to reduce our substantial import bill.

On a lighter note, the Kenya National Rally Championship season saw its conclusion in October, with the flying-Finn Tapio Laukkannen, sweeping his fourth win of the season. In international Motorsports, Lewis Hamilton became the first Brit to secure back to back F1 titles and MotoGP was heading down to the wire, with a thrilling finale in Valencia, following huge controversy in Malaysia.

We also have a number of tips from the Kenya Car Guy, to help you navigate the rainy season as safely as possible, and Uncle Bob shares some more tips on child booster seats.

Our feature this month is from the exciting and quirky, 44th Tokyo Motor Show, which highlighted a number of advances in bike, trikes, fuel cell technology, electric vehicles and sensational speedsters from Mazda and Subaru, one of which is featured in our Drool Factor. Not to be left out, is the cute and quirky factor of vehicle engineering, unique to Japanese automotive culture.

We hope you enjoy the ride! And please support our Ad partners who help make this enthusiasts’ magazine possible.

Drive Kenya Team.

Contact us for more details and options: P.O.Box: 1911 – 00606 Westlands, Nairobi - Email: info@drivekenya.co.ke - tripletwoholdings@gmail.com Tel: +254 718 221 222 +254 732 221 222 - www.drivekenya.co.ke Published By: Triple Two Holdings Ltd. - Editorial & Design Team: Amit Kwatra, Amit Soni & Vivek Kothary

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Quality Car & Home Care Products DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 Available at all leading supermarkets

Contents NEW S & EDITORIALS

REVIEWS & FIRST DRIVES

4

The News

8

Classic Car: The Fiat Dino

6

The Kenya Car Guy

10

Bikes: Satelis 400 and Yamaha Trike

7

Uncle Bob

16

International Motorsport Results

22

Local Rally Results Front page photo credit: Subaru Media

Drool Factor

Subaru WRX STI 207

Pg 14

Tokyo Motorshow Quirky cars & Our Pick

Pg 12

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 3

IN

www.drivekenya.co.ke

THE NEWS

Total Kenya Awards Winners Of ECO ChallengeTree Project

The individuals, organisations and learning institutions who have planted the most trees under the massive TOTAL Eco Challenge campaign were recognized at the annual gala awards dinner organized by Total Kenya. The program is Kenya’s biggest tree planting project and is run under the slogan “Miti Ni Mali, Miti Tosha”.

The Eco Challenge was started in 2003, with the aim of inspiring and helping all Kenyans to plant trees in every possible place. The target was 100 million trees per year, every year, forever. Today, the Eco Challenge has more than 5,000 projects that have seen the planting of hundreds of millions of trees, since its inception.

The annual Eco Challenge awards scheme looks at the achievements of individuals, the small groups and even a whole army of tree planters over the past year.

Those recognized at the annual gala night, are the best of the best in terms of the number of trees planted and the effort put into the exercise.The recognized supporters include 40 tree ambassadors and 33 major trophy winners.

Kenya’s Premier Auto Mag

November/December 2015

EU Adopts Tougher Emissions Standards Amid Criticism

Digitally Connected Cars A Cost To Your Privacy?

The European Union has adopted tougher emissions standards for all new vehicle models, which it says, will more accurately reflect real driving conditions. Many cars currently present on the road, emit up to 400% above the technical limit of pollutants. The new rules aim to start in September 2017. The EU says that all new car models must pass Real Driving Emissions (RDE) tests. RDE tests are intended to better reflect world driving conditions, but critics say that the standards are still not strict enough, as car manufacturers will still have until 2019, to limit their vehicle emissions to twice the technical legal limit on all new vehicles and by 2020, the emissions from all new models must not be greater than 1.5 times the technical limit.

Wired Magazine’s Andy Greenberg, brings us another scoop in the realm of car hacking. Researchers at the Universities of Twente in the Netherlands and Ulm in Germany, have found that they can track new vehicles with the so-called “connected vehicle” wireless communication with just a few thousand dollars worth of equipment. The researchers were able to track the unique signatures in cars’ radio communications with 78% accuracy by region. “The vehicle is saying, ‘I’m Alice, this is my location, this is my speed and my direction.’

Everyone around you can listen to that,” says Jonathan Petit, one of the authors of the study quoted in Wired.

In their research ,the authors believe that every vehicle in a small city could be tracked for well under half a million dollars. Wi-Fi protocol could be mandatory by 2017 in the U.S. to prevent collisions.

Carmakers, critics say, can currently legally cut corners on emissions tests by using “golden vehicles”, which are specifically equipped to do well in these tests. The moves come amid a firestorm of criticism as car giant Volkswagen falsified test data for years. The German giant has recalled millions of cars after the discovery of ‘defeat device’ software that could cheat vehicle emissions tests. “The EU is the first and only region in the world to mandate these robust testing methods,” EU Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said. While critics denounced the move as being too lenient, “Allowing car manufacturers to completely disregard car standards for another five years, is terrible news for our environment and for consumer trust in European car brands,” said Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, EU Parliament member, in comments, to the AP.

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1200km Classic Car Challenge China Now in its 5th year, 51 different classic cars from 26 countries wound their way from Beijing to Shanghai on a 10 day, 1200km adventure trek in October.

The classics included the likes of the Aston Martin DB2, of which only 411 models were ever made, a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom 1, 1930 Ford Model A and the first luxury Chinese car, the 1959 Hongqi CA72 saloon by FAW Automotive, which was reserved for the Chinese elite at the time.

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 5

Each month, our car guy gives you solutions to the problems you face with your car.

Mobile: +254 733 666 597 - E-mail: info@kenyacarguy.com El Niño is here! We keep hearing the meteorological department warning us. Though it is hard to predict Nairobi’s rain, we thought it would be a wise precaution to share some safety tips on driving safely in wet conditions as this contributes to well over a million car accidents globally each year.

1) Proper tyre condition and maintenance Make sure that your tyre tread depth is correct by inserting a one shilling coin upside down into the tyre groove, if a large fraction of the coin isn’t fully in, it might be time to replace those tyres. Make sure that the tyre pressure is correct, including the spare This should be done atleast once a month.

water on the road. Your tyres have to displace close to four liters of water per second! Drivers must reduce their speed to under 50km/h on the highway and even slower on city roads, as even new tyres lose some traction. Other tips include avoiding the need to brake hard or turn sharply. Rember to also maintain a larger distance from the vehicle in front of you.

2) Be seen

5) If you skid

Safety starts before you even hit the road Make sure all your lights and turn signals are in proper working condition. This will enable other drivers to clearly see you on the road.

Incase of a heavy downpour, drive with your headlights switched on.

First of all, DON’T panic. Second, continue to look and steer in the direction that the car wants to go. Try and avoid slamming on the brakes as this will only further upset the vehicle’s balance and make it harder for you to control.

3) Replace windshield wipers

6) Be prepared

If they leave streaks or don’t clear the glass in a single swipe, change them. Visibility is of utmost importance.

It’s no mystery that rainfall and traffic go hand in hand. Given the chance, don’t be on the road while it’s raining, however if you must, be prepared. Carry with you some of the essentials which you may need in the event you are stuck in a traffic jam. Warm clothing, drinking water, cereal bars, and phone chargers are a great start for your car’s emergency kit.

4) Slowdown Hydroplaning is a phenomena where the tyres rise up on contact with a film of water on the road surface, even with as little as 21mm of

To send in your questions to the Kenya Car Guy Contact: info@drivekenya.co.ke

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Safety First!

What are the main types of boosters I can choose from?

By Uncle Bob Two main types of booster seats are available: High-back or chair-style seats that support your child’s rear, torso, neck, and head; and backless seats that raise her rear so that she sits higher in your car’s own seat. The type that’s best for your child depends mainly on what kind of seats you have in your car.

If your rear seat has a low back, you’re better off with a high-back model, which will provide your child with head and neck support in a rear collision. If your rear seats are high enough to support her head and neck but are deeply contoured, a backless model will sit more snugly on the seat and be less likely to tip over than a high-back model.

Some auto safety experts also recommend backless seats because they allow your child to sit farther back in the seat. (One caveat: Stay away from hand-me-down backless boosters that have a shield-style closure; these aren’t manufactured anymore and aren’t considered safe for children.)

What specific features will I find?

Whichever type of seat you choose, check to see if it has a positioning guide for your vehicle’s shoulder belt, which positions the belt across your child’s chest in the right place.

If it has a guide, make sure it’s one that allows the belt to retract easily.

Most high-back boosters come with clips on the sides; the best ones have clips at several heights to accommodate your child as he grows. A backless booster may come with a separate belt-positioning clip (even better if it’s attached to a strap so it doesn’t get lost) and handles or guides near your child’s hips, under (or sometimes over) which you route the lap belt and the lower end of the shoulder belt.

Some high-back boosters have padded “wings” that function as headrests, which are useful if your child still tends to fall asleep in the car. (If you have a car sleeper who rides in a backless booster, you can buy a special pillow that fits around his neck during naps or wedge a rolled blanket between your napping child and the side of the car.)

Some car- and booster-seat combos have a recline feature, but they’re not recommended because they put too much pressure on a reclining child’s groin in a crash. Also, keep in mind that the normal angle of recline for a car’s seat back is 20 to 30 degrees from vertical – any more than this and there’s a risk that your child could slide under the seat belt in his booster seat in a crash.

Your child’s size is another consideration. If he’s on the stocky side, look for a booster with a wide or adjustable base.

And if he’s tall or big for his age, look for one that has higher shoulder strap slots or a roomier base.

About the author: Uncle Bob is Kenya’s leading child safety expert and has been working with Parents’ to ensure that children who travel in cars are safely secured in an appropriate car seat. Uncle Bob also trains parents on how to properly install and use their childrens’ car seats.

You can learn more about Uncle Bob from the following links: Website: www.unclebobs.co.ke Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UncleBobsStrollers

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 7

Flickr.com/bleuvert02

Fiat Dino The Fiat Dino is a front-engine, RWD sports car, produced

by Fiat between 1966 and 1973. The Dino cars came to be as a result of Enzo Ferrari’s requirement to homologate a V6 engine for Formula 2 racing cars, as a result of new FIA regulations that had been drawn up in 1965 to be enacted in 1967. F2 engines were required to have no more than six cylinders, to be derived from a production engine, from a road car homologated in the GT class and produced in at least 500 examples within 12 months. Since Ferrari could not meet these requirements on their own, they partnered with Fiat.

Dino was the nickname of Enzo Ferrari’s son, Alfredo, who died in 1956. In his memory, V6-engined prototypes had been named Dino, since the late 50’s. The Fiat Dino was introduced as a 2-seater Spider at the Turin Motor Show in late 1966, and a few months later, a Coupé version was built

8 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

with a longer wheelbase and introduced in Geneva. The Spider was built by coachbuilder Pinifarina, while the Coupé was designed by Bertone. The Dino had an all-aluminum DOHC 2.0-L V6 engine mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Fiat claimed 158-hp for the Dino. Option lists for both models were limited to radio, metallic paint, leather upholstery, and for the Spider, a vinyl-covered hardtop.

In 1969, Fiat introduced a new 2.4-litre model which had a larger engine and independent rear suspension. The V6 now had an output of 178-hp and used a cast iron engine block.

The Dino 2400 had noticeably better torque and was usable in city traffic. A total of 7,803 Fiat Dino’s were produced with 74% being Coupés, and 26% being Spiders. The 2400 Spider is the rarest of them all with only 420 being made.

Top speed on the Spider was 210km/h.

peugeot media

Satelis 400 It certainly looks different and that is what caught our attention while we were browsing for bikes, to feature this month. Strictly speaking, it is a scooter, so quirky and funky, that we decided to feature it this month.

Reviews of the Satelis 400 say that it has good performance and handling for urban commuting, and is a very comfortable place to be with a medium ride height and plenty of legroom to stretch out. These scooters are designed for slow city riding and fast motorway riding, though critics note the low screen on the Satelis 400 that lets a lot of wind, blast through.

that comes with a useful 36-hp. It retails for £4,799 in the UK and comes in two colour options: white and grey. Standard options include Michelin City Grip tyres, Driver backrest, Digital dashboard, Passenger backrest, Permanent lighting, Central locking/ unlocking, Aluminium retractable footrests, Automatic boot opening assisted by hydraulic jacks (capacity for 2 full-faced helmets), Left lateral gloves compartment – Glasses case on handlebar, 12V plug – Bag hook, Immobilizer with coded contact key and Panoramic mirrors, besides other options.

It is reported to stop well, while the cornering is neat, as the forks and twin rear shocks are well set-up. Most big scooters these days have ABS, traction control or linked brakes, but the Satelis has neither. It still, surprisingly, holds up well with its Nissin calipers and Michelin CityGrip tyres. The Satelis, as the name suggests, is built around a 400cc liquid-cooled engine

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QUICK SPECS Engine: 400cc

Power: 36-hp

Stroke type: 4-stroke

Transmission: Auto

Cooling: Liquid cooled

Seat height: 784mm

Weight: 213kg

Front brakes: Double disc

Rear brakes: Disc

Yamaha mdeia

Yamaha LMW-MWT-9 Yamaha showcased the LMW-MWT-9 at the recently held Tokyo Motor Show, and it certainly blew our minds with its cool factor.

The LMW stands for Leaning Multi-Wheel, while we are taking a guess on what MWT represents - Master of Torque? This concept model proposes an entirely new category in the realm of sport riding, within the extended Yamaha MT-09 family of bikes. The LMW-MWT-9 seems largely based on the MT-09 engine platform and has an independently sprung two-wheeled front end. Yamaha have designed the bike with exceptional cornering performance in mind, this they say is, “Provided by the twin front wheels and the bank angle maximized by the outward positioned front suspension forks, enable a high level of performance that lets the rider go freely through twisty roads, with ever-changing road surfaces and dotted with tight curves in succession.� The Yamaha LMWMWT-09 features an 850cc engine on a superbly stylish body.

QUICK SPECS Engine Type: Liquid cooled 4-stroke, DOHC

Cylinder Arrangement: Inline 3-cylinder

Displacement: 849cc

Fuel supply system: Fuel Injection

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 11

DROOL FACTOR SUBARU

STI 207 Subaru fans the world over, were thrilled as Subaru Tecnica International (STI), the Motorsports division of Fuji Heavy Industries, unveiled the S207 at the Tokyo Motor Show. Subaru has a clear goal with the S207. It aims to be the world’s most enjoyable vehicle, providing a feel-good experience to all those who travel in it, regardless of road conditions and enhancing driver skill.

This special edition vehicle will feature a maximum power output of around 330-hp, fully adjustable suspension, active torque-vectoring, Brembo 6-pot brakes in front and 4-pot brakes at the rear, both, featuring monoblock opposed-piston brake calipers and drilled rotors (2-piece type in front), custom 19 inch rims, specially designed 255/35R19 tires, and a large front spoiler. The handling is enhanced by a quick steering-gear ratio of 11:1.

According to Jalopnik, the WRX STI 207 also comes with customized racing styled dials and instruments, Recaro buckets in four front seats, and the option of a special Nürburgring Challenge Package, with a custom carbon rear spoiler and commemorative badging from Subaru’s win in the SP3T class, at the ‘Ring’, this year. Only 400 of these cars are to be produced and will only be available in Japan. Colour options will be available in Yellow Edition, limited to a 100 units, Crystal Black Silica, WR Blue Pearl and Crystal White Pearl.

Per Subaru, the S207 must be ordered by March 6, 2016. We wonder if any will make their way to Kenya in the years ahead! Pricing is estimated at Kshs 6 Million ex-Japan.

Subaru Media

“

It aims to be the world’s most enjoyable vehicle, providing a feel-good experience to all those who travel in it, regardless of road conditions and enhancing driver skill.

“

Model name/type: Subaru CBA-VAB

Overall length/width/height (mm): 4,635 × 1,795 × 1,470*

Tire tread F/R (mm): 1,535/1,550

Min. ground clearance: 135mm

Dry weight (kg): 1,510

Engine Category: EJ20 horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder (Boxer)

Engine Type: 2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve dual AVCS twin-scroll turbo

Drive: AWD

Transmission: 6-Speed MT

Max. output (net) [kW /rpm]: 241 @ 7,200

Max. torque (net) [Nm / rpm] : 431 / 3,200–4,800

Fuel tank capacity (liter): 60

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 13

Tokyo Motor Show Quirky Cars

1 2 3 4 5

The Toyota Alphard Hercule This car has a muzzled front grille with a big bite. This car would do great in a stare down contest.

The Mitsubishi Super Great V Spider

It is not only super, it is a mean machine! Given its mad red-black finish and menacing tentacles of steel. It screams ‘me bash, me smash’, like an automated hulk.

Toyoda Gosei Flesby The Toyoda Gosei Flesby ranks high on the ‘cute factor’ and uses 2 joysticks to operate, which is very handy for Japanese arcade addicts. It also has an array of sensors to anticipate an impending collision. If the Flesby suspects a collision is imminent it inflates the whole chassis into a rolling airbag.

Suzuki Mighty Deck

This is a mini pick-up truck with a 658cc engine. It is so light, I wonder if we are doing the picking up here?

Hiace Platinum Lounge A luxury minivan, complete with tinted windows, private jet style seats, big screen TV, humongous hi-fi system, wine cabinet and a nespresso coffee machine.

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Tokyo Motorshow Media

Top Picks Suzuki Hustler We suspect this car is going to be very, very popular in Kenya.

Subaru Viziv Looks awesome and check out the the rear doors, they slide backwards like wings.

Toyota S-FR This car looks set to bring fun back to Toyota’s lineup, at a budget, which is considerably lacking in. Toyota once built the likes of the MR2, the Supra and the acclaimed Celica. The S-FR is set to hit showrooms in 2017, with a 1.5-litre engine. It is based on a RWD CoupÊ concept with a front-engine and is going to go head-on with the likes of the Mazda MX-5.

Suzuki Ignis The Suzuki Ignis is rumoured to arrive on roads in early 2017. Expected to be small, practical AND tough, is the short preview. It will include optional 4WD and a mildhybrid version.

Porsche Macan GTS The Porsche Macan GTS goes on sale in early 2016 and has been uprated to a monstrous 3.0-litre twin turbo engine that spouts a furious 360-hp. It is mated to a standard PDK 7-speed twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox. Its 20-inch alloy wheels accelerate from 0 - 97km/h in 6.0 seconds. Top speed is 256km/h. We love this Macan!

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 15

Moto GP Japan Honda’s Dani Pedrosa won his first MotoGP race of the season at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan, to take a superb victory. It has been a difficult year for Pedrosa, as he missed 3 earlier rounds of the campaign with injury, but recently, he has been back in form, with second place at Aragón behind Valentino Rossi, and now, victory at Japan, where he was too fast for Rossi and Lorenzo. Pedrosa secured his 50th Grand Prix win at the race!

Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo had started from pole, but quickly lost out to Rossi at Turn 1, but Lorenzo quickly bounced back and took a substantial lead out in front. Past the halfway point in the race, Lorenzo started experiencing front-tyre issues, as the track began to dry out.

While Rossi was closing in on Lorenzo, the real threat was from Pedrosa, as he was running at a blistering pace. First, he overtook Rossi with 9 laps to go, and then he overtook Lorenzo for the lead. Rossi also eventually overcame Lorenzo to finish second. This result saw Rossi regain the slightest of advantages over Lorenzo in the title race once more, as his lead extended to 18 points with just three rounds to go. Current world champion Marc Marquez finished fourth, while Ducati’s Dovizioso finished fifth. Dani Pedrosa said at the end, “Maybe the other riders wore down the tyres and I was trying to save them. So, at the end my pace was faster and I was able to win my first race [of 2015]. I’m really happy and want to say thanks to Honda, my team, and to all the sponsors, my friends and family.”

16 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

1.

Dani Pedrosa

SPA

Honda

46’50.767

2

Valentino Rossi

ITA

Yamaha

+8.573

3

Jorge Lorenzo

SPA

Yamaha

+12.127

4

Marc Marquez

SPA

Honda

+27.841

5

Andrea Dovizioso

ITA

Ducati

+35.085

6

Cal Crutchlow

GBR

Honda

+37.263

7

Bradley Smith

GBR

Yamaha

+37.667

8

Katsuyuki Nakasuga

JPN

Yamaha

+44.654

9

Hector Barbera

SPA

Ducati

+48.572

10

Scott Redding

GBR

Honda

+50.121

Honda Media

Australia

Malaysia

In what was an absolutely thrilling race, reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, took the lead from Jorge Lorenzo, at the very final lap of a scintillating Australian MotoGP. Marquez, who had started from pole, won his fifth race of the season by a mere 0.249 seconds, and set a new lap record of 1m 29.280s in the final lap. Marquez’s win was his first in a premier-class race at Phillip Island after he crashed out while leading last year, and was disqualified in 2013.

Honda’s Dani Pedrosa put in one the greatest rides of his MotoGP career, to completely dominate the Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang, to no media avail, as the Spaniard only garnered a minimal amount of media attention post-race, as a result of one of the most controversial incidents in recent MotoGP history. Behind him in the race, defending MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and Italian legend Valentino Rossi, had been squabbling furiously for several laps for third place with Jorge Lorenzo, ahead in second. Marquez and Rossi jostled and leaned on each other, until Rossi ran wide, entering turn 14 with Marquez on his outside. The net result was that Marquez crashed while Rossi pulled away. After the race, MotoGP’s Race Direction decided that Rossi was to be given a severe penalty - starting at the back, off the grid, for the final race of the season, for apparently kicking Marquez during the incident on lap 6. Meanwhile a huge online petition that has so far garnered over 540,000 signatures, seeks to have Race Direction, led by Mike Webb, to rescind its penalty on Rossi, so that the sport isn’t ‘tarnished’.

As things stand after Australia, Jorge Lorenzo is just 11 points behind teammate Valentino Rossi, in the overall standings, with just 2 races remaining. Rossi came in fourth as he was narrowly beaten by Ducati’s Andrea Lannone.

Rossi was racing in his record, equalling 328th Grand Prix race, an astonishing feat! Rossi secured an incredible 16 podium finishes in 18 races at Phillip Island, but was unable to take home number 17. The top 4 riders were all separated by the time of just 1.058 seconds in this exciting race.

“During the race, I felt well, but at the beginning there were many overtakes between me, Valentino, Andrea and Jorge, who opened some gaps,” said Marquez. He added, “I didn’t expect to overtake Jorge, but I’m really happy with this victory because we’ve pushed really hard.”

Back to the actual race, Pedrosa won by a commanding 3.6 seconds over Lorenzo, with a subdued Rossi, a further 10 seconds behind. During prize giving, Lorenzo left the stage immediately after being booed by the pro-Rossi crowd, while Pedrosa was elated. The championship finale at Valencia sees Rossi now only 7 points ahead of Lorenzo in the overall championship. We are all set for a thrilling and highly controversial finish to the season.

Results 1.

Marc Marquez

SPA

Honda

40’33.849

1.

Dani Pedrosa

SPA

Honda

40’37.691

2

Jorge Lorenzo

SPA

Yamaha

+0.249

2

Jorge Lorenzo

SPA

Yamaha

+3.612

3

Andrea Iannone

ITA

Ducati

+0.930

3

Valentino Rossi

ITA

Yamaha

+13.724

4

Valentino Rossi

ITA

Yamaha

+1.058

4

Bradley Smith

GBR

Yamaha

+23.995

5

Dani Pedrosa

SPA

Honda

+5.062

5

Cal Crutchlow

GBR

Honda

+28.721

6

Maverick Viñales

SPA

Suzuki

+6.800

6

Danilo Petrucci

ITA

Ducati

+36.372

7

Cal Crutchlow

GBR

Honda

+9.375

7

Aleix Espargaro

SPA

Suzuki

+39.290

8

Pol Espargaro

SPA

Yamaha

+18.401

8

Maverick Viñales

SPA

Suzuki

+39.436

9

Aleix Espargaro

SPA

Suzuki

+20.039

9

Pol Espargaro

SPA

Yamaha

+42.462

10

Bradley Smith

GBR

Yamaha

+20.657

10

Stefan Bradl

GER

Aprilia

+44.601

media.daimler.com

Sochi F1 Lewis Hamilton had yet another brilliant display at the Russian Grand Prix held at Sochi. With his 42nd overall F1 victory, he surpassed his childhood idol Ayrton Senna on the all-time list and moved into joint third, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel on this benchmark. Hamilton needs nine more points than Vettel and two more than Rosberg, to clinch the drivers’ title in the next race at Austin, USA. Mercedes won for the second year running, after a string of fine performances by Hamilton and Rosberg this season.

Rosberg started from pole and kept himself in front, as Hamilton challenged him right from the start. By Turn 2, Hamilton had drawn alongside him, but couldn’t pass Rosberg, as he didn’t have enough room to turn in. The race was then decided the moment Hamilton took the lead from his teammate Rosberg, during lap 7. Rosberg momentarily slid off track, allowing Hamilton, space to pass and essentially claim the race. Rosberg was eventually forced to retire as his throttle wasn’t closing fully when he took his foot off the pedal, forcing him wide into the corners. Rosberg became the third retirement of the race, after the first lap spin

by Nico Hulkenberg, in his Force India. Romain Grosjean of Lotus, had a bad accident on lap 12, but was thankfully unharmed.

Meanwhile, Hamilton kept his cool and built his lead over Ferrari’s Vettel, to over 13 seconds. Vettel himself had outwitted his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, by overtaking him on the inside, after the safety car restart, following Grosjean’s accident. Vettel was then able to jump Valtteri Bottas’ Williams in the pit stops, and in the second half of the race, he kept the pressure on Hamilton from a distance.

Hamilton initially responded by racing harder, but was forced to be more circumspect and allowed the gap to shrink, as his team reported “suspect performance” from his rear 18 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

wing. Hamilton explained at the end, “I don’t think it was the DRS, but something was happening to the rear end of the car.

That’s the reason my pace started to decrease, but despite that, for me, those last five laps were just about taking it all in, looking after the car, absorbing things and thinking that you never know how often you will be in this sort of dream situation. I was patting the side of the car and asking it to just do those final laps.”

There was heavy drama at the end: Sergio Perez of Force India was in third place during the final lap, but had a set of soft tyres that were losing their grip. As a result, he was overtaken by Bottas and Raikkonen. Then Raikkonen made a rash move, he dived inside the Williams’ of Bottas and pushed it off the road, while damaging his own car. This allowed Perez to retake third and get a third place podium for Force India. Race stewards later dropped Raikkonen to eighth with a 30sec penalty for his collision with Bottas.

The loss of six points was sufficient to give Mercedes the three points more that they needed over Ferrari, to seal the constructors’ crown. Quite an exciting ending indeed!

Flickr.com/ Stephen Ross media.daimler.com

Austin F1 What a race it was! American fans loved the show at the Austin Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton took the chequered flag, saying, “This is the greatest moment of my life!” being the F1 Drivers’ title winner. The Mercedes garage was blaring out Daft Punk’s, “One More Time” as Hamilton performed donut spins for a cheering crowd, after winning the race. With this win, he equalled his idol, Ayrton Senna, with his third F1 title. He moved past Sebastian Vettel, to the third place on the all-time list of Grand Prix wins and is now, the first British driver to hold the record for back to back world championships. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Hamilton, as the race itself was packed with many thrills and spills. There were two virtual safety car crashes and enough action to fill a few weekends of grand prix, with top racing skills on display, but only a dozen to cross the finish line.

Going into this rain affected weekend, Hamilton needed to beat Ferrari’s Vettel by nine points, and his teammate Rosberg, by two. At the start, Hamilton was second on the grid and went straight on to attack Rosberg who started from pole position. At one point, Hamilton was on Rosberg’s inside and wouldn’t yield, consequently, they touched wheels, but Hamilton held firm on his racing line, and Rosberg was forced out immediately and dropped to fourth, behind Kvyat and Ricciardo. Sebastian Vettel, who had started in 14th place, courtesy of a 10-place grid penalty, was steadily clawing his way up the field, in order to challenge Hamilton and Rosberg.

come in for some fresh rubber and move on to dry weather tyres. Rosberg recovered from his first lap setback and took the lead on lap 23 from Ricciardo. He subsequently, set the fastest lap, in an attempt to build a gap at the top. Hamilton, who had a much better grip now, surged past Ricciardo into second place. At the halfway stage, the safety car was deployed for the first time, because Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber had stopped on the track. As a result, Vettel passed Kvyat, followed by Ricciardo for third place, giving shape to an exciting race.

The race appeared to belong to Rosberg with just 15 laps to go. Hamilton was leading, but now on old tyres, and Rosberg was closing in on him with his fresh tyres, but then fate intervened and Daniil Kvyat spun off. As a result, the second safety car of the race came out, and Hamilton took his chances to make a second pitstop. He still had to catch up with Rosberg, and that looked unlikely, until the 48th of the 56 laps, when Rosberg made a crucial mistake and came off the track, allowing Hamilton through, for his 10th win of the season. Max Verstappen was fourth, Force India’s Sergio Pérez fifth and Jenson Button finished sixth, for McLaren.

Meanwhile, the action was heating up on the front. Hamilton, who is normally very strong, was struggling with his tyres and was overtaken by the Red Bull of Ricciardo. Worse was to follow, when he came under pressure from Rosberg who eventually swept past on lap 19. Hamilton decided to DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 19

media.daimler.com

Mexico F1

After a twenty three year hiatus, Formula 1 returned to Mexico. The race was held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and is the highest stop on the F1 calendar at 2,250 meters above sea level. The race itself was largely a low-key affair, compared to the sensational Austin F1 prior. Nico Rosberg of Mercedes took his first victory after more than four months, as he beat his newly crowned F1 Champion teammate, Lewis Hamilton, to the chequered flag. Rosberg controlled the race right from the start, with Hamilton, just a few seconds behind, but never close enough to truly challenge the German. Rosberg’s win pushed him past Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who crashed out of the race, to second on the overall championship leaderboard.

What was largely a sleepy race to watch, was made entertaining, when with 25 laps to go, controversy hit the Mercedes pit, not for the first time this season. Rosberg had come into the pits for his second stop of the race and a lap later, Hamilton was called in to do the same, but immediately, Hamilton questioned the team’s decision. This was because the Mercedes strategy had been to run just one stop, a third of the way through the race, the first third on ‘soft’ tyres and the final two-thirds on ‘medium’ tyres.

The late decision to change race strategy when Hamilton was in the lead, clearly irked him as he said, “The tyres feel fine.” He was then told that he must come in, “This is an instruction.”But after returning to the track, he said to his engineer Peter Bonnington: “You’ve got to check those tyres, Bono.” And he asked to be told what the result of that check was.

20 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

Hamilton was so annoyed, that he began racing at a faster pace than Rosberg and was beginning to close in on the race leader, when Ferrari’s Vettel, who drove an uncharacteristically poor race, had a crash at turn seven and nosed straight into the barriers. The safety car came out as a result, and after the restart, with 22 laps to go, Rosberg fended off Hamilton till the end. Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat finished fourth, but had held third place until the safety car’s introduction. He was then passed by Williams’ driver Valtteri Bottas down the straight on the restart. The Williams’ Mercedes engine had far too much for the Renault engine in the Red Bull. Local Mexican hero, Sergio Perez finished eighth in his Force India.

Red Bull media

WRC Spain Andreas Mikkelsen claimed his maiden WRC victory at Spain’s RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada on Sunday, when world champion Sébastien Ogier crashed out of the lead in the final speed test.

In a hugely dramatic finale, Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Floene finished the last stage and learned that they had edged Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, for what should have been second after a fierce final day fight.

Seconds later, the Norwegian was informed that Ogier had smashed his similar Polo R into a metal roadside barrier, less than 4km from the finish, ripping the rear right wheel from the car.

Mikkelsen was stunned into silence as he realised the significance of his colleague’s error. It was his first WRC win in 64 attempts that kept alive his hopes of pipping Latvala for second in the drivers’ standings, at next month’s final round in Britain.

“It was absurd because Ogier never makes mistakes! So, when they told me, I didn’t believe it. It was a big surprise, and although it’s not the way I want to win a rally, we’ve been so close many times, that I feel I really deserve this one!” said 26-year-old Mikkelsen.

Ogier was airlifted to hospital but was passed fit, after checks. The 31-year-old Frenchman was seemingly on

his way to an eighth victory of the season on the four-day mixed surface event, south of Barcelona, with a comfortable 50.9sec lead over Mikkelsen.

Mikkelsen and Latvala fought tooth and nail through the final leg and were less than a second apart, before Latvala punctured three stages from the end. Mikkelsen then spun in the penultimate test, and the duo began the final stage showdown 1.4sec apart.

The eventual winning margin was 3.1sec, with Dani Sordo taking the final podium place at his home event in a Hyundai i20, a further 18.1sec back.

Citroen’s Mads Østberg finished fourth after demoting teammate Kris Meeke who spun his DS 3. The gap between them was 1.9sec, with New Zealand’s Hayden Paddon completing the top six in another i20.

Thierry Neuville’s hopes of a top six finish ended in the penultimate stage, when a transmission problem pitched the Belgian off the road under braking. He limped through the final stage to take eighth behind Martin Prokop’s Ford Fiesta RS. WRC 2 winner Pontus Tidemand and team-mate Jan Kopecký completed the leaderboard.

The final round of the season is the gravel Wales Rally GB, which is based in Deeside on 12 - 15 November.

Source: Red Bull Media

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 21

Photo Credit: SIMON MULUMBA/CMONCY IMAGES

Guru Nanak Rally It was a dominant display by the flying-Finn Tapio Laukkanen, as he led from start to finish, to win the 36th Guru Nanak rally, which was also the final leg of the 8-round Kenya National Rally Championship held at Machakos county. The event which consisted of 3 stages, repeated twice, was organized by the Sikh Union Club and was held at Lisa Farm, Kapiti Plains and Konza. The event was pretty brutal for the drivers and cars with only 10 of the initial 50 starting cars actually finishing.

The former Finland and British Rally Champion, Tapio Laukkanen, navigated by Pasi Torma, clocked an impressive time of 1hr 28m to clinch his fourth win of the season in the Subaru Impreza R4. Local rally legend, Ian Duncan came in second, finishing 1m 11s behind, while Raaji Bharji sealed the final podium place. Manvir Biryan finished 4th in his Ford Fiesta R5. Former Rally Champion, Carl “Flash�

Tundo, who was testing his new Triumph TR7 for the upcoming classic car rally, retired with overheating issues.

Despite finishing 3rd overall in the final KNRC standings, Tapio has been in devastating form this season with sweeping wins in Kisumu, Eldoret and Machakos.

Leonardo Varese clinched the overall win in the 2WD Class, with Eric Bengi coming in second overall, in the 2WD class, while Jasmeet Chana won the KNRC Division 1 championship and Dennis Mwenda secured the KNRC Div. 2 title.

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FINAL RESULTS 1. Tapio Laukkanen (Subaru STI R4) 1:28.00 2. Ian Duncan (EVO X) 1:29.11 3. Raaji Singh Bharij (EVO X) 1:30.05 4. Manvir Baryan (Ford Fiesta R5) 1:30.41 5. Karan K Patel (EVO X) 1:31.27 6. Onkar Rai (EVO X) 1:32.18 7. Quentin Mitchell (Skoda S2000) 1:32,27 8. Jassi Chatthe (EVO X) 1:33.43 9. Rajbir Rai (EVO X) 1:35.12 10. Tejveer Rai (EVO X) 1:36.20

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