Drive kenya Sep/Oct 2015 Issue

KENYA’S PREMIER AUTO MAG ISSUE 9 - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

The Drool Factor

Lamborghini Huracán

Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance

Top 10 Billion Shilling Beauties

KCB Nakuru Rally

Results Roundup

Mazda

CX-5

Indian Chieftain

Victory Gunner

Honda

CR-V

Dear Reader, Greetings!

We have a lot in store for you this month! In Head On, we are featuring the trusty and reliable Honda CR-V (2015) vs the athletic new, ‘kid on the block’, the 2015 Mazda CX-5, which was released 3 years ago. In this battle of the SUVs, we find that they both have carved out a unique niche for themselves and are fairly closely matched in terms of numbers.

In our Drool Factor, we headline the fantastic work of ‘metallic origami’, that is the Lamborghini Huracán. This vehicle is a sheer delight and as car enthusiasts, we are enthralled by its raw power and stunning masculinity. The performance of this car is reported to be superb!!

We feature the world’s most exclusive Classic Car week, The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance that took place in Monterey, USA ,in August this year. An astonishing Ksh 40 Billion worth of classic cars were auctioned at the festival.

We have highlighted the top 10, in the 10 billion shilling plus range for you to enjoy, which was mostly dominated by the Ferrari marque.

Also featured are two beautiful Grand Tourer Bikes, the Victory Gunner and the Indian Chieftain. Hear these monstrous engines roar off the page!

We’ve been watching how Kenyan motorists have been hit further by rising fuel costs. Even though international crude oil prices have fallen by two-thirds since their recent peak, local fuel prices haven’t budged much at all. While the Kenyan currency has depreciated by a fair bit, in our estimation, fuel prices per litre should be lower by 20-25% from current levels. The Kenyan consumer has recently been buffeted by strong economic headwinds from all corners, and, it is high time we received some economic relief in the form of fuel savings.

Rounding up this edition, is our local and international news and the full Motorsports highlights for F1, MotoGP, WRC & the KNRC. A hearty congratulations is in order for Jassi Chatthe, who is now, not only the Africa Rally Championship winner, but also the new holder of the Kenya National Rally Championship, which he claimed in Nakuru, early September.

We have some exciting things coming up in the following months, which include the Total Motor Show, the Concours and much more, coming to your favorite shopping centers!

Enjoy the ride!

Drive Kenya Team.

Front page photo credit: Mazda Media & Honda Media

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

Quality Car & Home Care Products Available at all leading supermarkets

Contents REVIEWS & FIRST DRIVES

NEWS & EDITORIALS 4

The News

12

Mazda CX 5 vs. Honda CRV

5

Uncle Bob

14

Lamborghini Hurican

8

Classic Car Week

18

International Motorsport Results

23

The KCB Nakuru Rally Results

THE FAST LANE 6

Indian Chieftain

7

Victory Gunner

IN

www.drivekenya.co.ke

THE NEWS Kenya’s Premier Auto Mag

TVR Returns

Carmakers Feel the Heat from China

The iconic TVR sports car marque which ceased production at its former factory in Blackpool, UK, is all set for its return after nine years. TVR has announced that it has already sold out its planned production for 2017, with 250 customers placing deposits of £5,000 each, in just six weeks. Les Edgar, Chairman of TVR, said, “This is a heart-warming situation we find ourselves in. We are mindful that we have taken deposits from customers who have not even yet seen official pictures of the car. We look forward to revealing more details soon, and to all our customers who have shown their faith, I can promise that the new car will exceed expectations in every way.”

The World’s largest car market, with 3.79 million commercial vehicle sales and 19.71 million passenger vehicle sales, per Statista, is hitting a rough patch according to news reports, by the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg news. New car prices have been tumbling and sales have fallen for two months in a row. Shares of BMW and Volkswagen have fallen around 33% since their respective peaks from March 16th. German based carmakers were some of the biggest winners in the China story over the last decade.

German auto output rose at an astonishing 29% per annum average over 10 years to the point that German car makers account for almost one in every four cars sold in China, and they manufacture almost 4 million vehicles a year.

The new TVR sports car has been designed by engineering wizard, Gordon Murray, and will be powered by a powerful Cosworth V8 engine backed by well funded investors. The TVR plan is to launch at least four new sports cars over 10 years from 2017. The new TVR will have a front mid-engined layout and feature sixspeed manual gearboxes, rear-wheel drive, all-independent suspension and driver-focused interiors. The new TVR is likely to be the first in the world to use Gordon Murray’s unique iStream manufacturing process, which dramatically simplifies car construction and reduces the size of the assembly plant infrastructure, while offering big benefits in cabin packaging, chassis rigidity and crash protection.

As a result of China’s slowing economy and crashing stock market, which has seen a $5 Trillion wipe-out, automakers have been forced to cut prices to retain market share. “The result is that, profits in China are falling significantly,” said Porsche finance chief Lutz Meschke, in a recent interview. “They are falling now and they will continue to fall significantly in the future.”

Porsche slashed the price of the Panamera by 20% earlier this year in China. Meanwhile, according to VW, its Audi brand, the top-selling premium brand in China, cut production in its Changchun plant by 4% in the first half of the year, to adapt to weaker demand in China for its A4 and A6 sedans, and the Q3 and Q5 SUV’s. VW had seen its profits rise from €100m in China to €5.2b with vehicle sales of over 2 million units a year. BMW meanwhile, is reporting that its Chinese operations saw a 40% profit reduction in H1. Carmakers are being hit on two fronts in China, one, by falling sales prices and the other, by rising inventory at its factories, and a decline in capacity utilization. Car makers are predicting that in the future, Chinese growth will come from smaller cities, as car ownership is rarer and incomes are predicted to rise substantially.

4 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

September/October 2015

Tesla Scores 103/100 Rated Best Car Ever!

Tesla Motors scored a coup when the highly independent and authoritative Consumer Reports gave the Model S P85D, a perfect score in its test ratings. Consumer Reports said of the Tesla, “the best-performing car that Consumer Reports have ever tested. It really blew up our system,” said Jake Fisher, the head of automotive testing for Consumer Reports. “It actually scored above 100 in our system before we had to make some changes to account for this car.”

The Model S P85D scored 103 points based on its acceleration, braking, handling and other key performance statistics. The P85D goes from 0 to 60mph in 3.5 seconds. “There’s no other product that scores a 100 at Consumer Reports. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Fisher was reported saying.

The Worst of 2015 Meanwhile, Consumer Reports also indicated the worst 4 cars of 2015.

These include, the Chrysler 200 which has a “raspy” engine, a balky transmission and “klutzy” handling, the Land Rover Discovery Sport which has “lumbering” handling, an outdated infotainment system and a “flat footed” engine. The Lexus NX 200t/300h seemed too much like the RAV4 and has a “jostling” ride. Lastly the KIA Sedona, a minivan, made to look like an SUV, had “vague” steering and a ride which squeaks and rattles.

Safety First!

Why does my child need a booster seat?

By Uncle Bob Over the next few editions I will spend some time on booster seats. Therefore the next few articles will discuss various aspects around booster seats. From experience there seems to be plenty of confusion on whether booster seats are really necessary, from what age they should be used and how should they be used. Hopefully the next series of articles will help in demystifying the booster seat.

Although some of us have fond memories of rattling around in the back of the family vehicle unrestrained, what parents didn’t know then was that riding that way was dangerous.

Today, people drive much more than they used to, and kids spend a lot more time in cars than they did before car seats were used. While the number of motor vehicle injuries and deaths has declined with increased seat belt and car seat use, millions of crashes still occur on our roads every year. In the US, road crashes are the leading cause of death in children over the age of 3.

The problem is that seat belts designed to fit adult bodies don’t hold children securely. That’s where booster seats come in.

In a crash, children who use a booster seat lessen their chance of injury by 45 percent because the booster does exactly what its name suggests: It boosts your child up so that your vehicle’s lap and shoulder belts restrain her safely.

Without a booster seat, an adult seat belt can actually cause injury in the event of a crash rather than prevent it.

If the lap belt rests on your child’s tummy (which it’s likely to do without a booster), for instance, she could suffer stomach, liver, or spleen damage in a crash. And if the shoulder belt rests against her neck rather than her chest, she may try to move it under her arm (where it could crack her ribs and damage internal organs) or behind her back (where it offers no protection at all against head, neck, and spinal injuries). For these reasons, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US now recommends that all children who’ve outgrown their car seat continue to ride in a booster seat until they’re at least 8 years old and 4 feet 9 inches tall.

But whether or not the law requires a booster seat, it’s wise to use one. In the US in 2009, 179,000 kids were injured in car crashes and 1,314 children died. Most of those children weren’t properly restrained, which meant that booster seats could have prevented many of their deaths.

And while you may assume that most of these tragedies resulted from fiery, high-speed collisions, the truth is that three quarters of car accidents happen on local roads or undivided highways, and half of the accidents involving children happen on streets where the speed limit is 70 km/h or less.

Of course you want your child to travel safely. The trick is to avoid those “we’re just going to the grocery store” lapses, says Stephanie Tombrello, executive director of the nonprofit child passenger safety organization SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. “Ask yourself, ‘If I were in a crash right now, how would I want my child to be riding?’” Then make sure your child rides this way every day.

Since convenience is a big issue for time-crunched parents, Tombrello recommends coming up with an approach that’s simple and consistent, so that it becomes automatic. If your family has two cars, for example, you’ll make things much easier on yourself if you pony up for two booster seats and leave one in each car, rather than trying to move one seat back and forth all the time –a step that’s likely to fall by the wayside on frantic mornings.

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 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 5

Indianmotorcycle Media

Indian Chieftain The Indian Motorcyle Company has a long heritage, and the Chieftain has all the elements that identify it with that rich legacy. This includes the iconic War Bonnet, mounted on the front fender and the classic badging. The 2015 Chieftain claims something entirely new for an Indian bike, though, hard fairing and hard saddlebags. With an engine capacity of over 1.8-litres, the Chieftain certainly packs a punch! One reviewer describes the performance as follows, “The 111-inch Thunder Stroke V-twin engine breathes through a 54 mm throttle body, to deliver a blistering 119 pound-feet of torque, proving that the builders looked forward even as they borrowed from the past.Finally, the six-speed transmission sends this power to the rear wheel while keeping the cruising rpm at a reasonable level.”

The Chieftain comes with a rich list of standard features, including, ABS, cast aluminum frame with integrated air-box, cruise control, driving lights, highway bar, keyless start, power windshield, Desert Tan genuine leather seats, remotoe locking hard saddle bags, tire pressure monitoring, 100 watt stereo with AM/FM Bluetooth

and Smartphone compatible input. It retails for $22,999 in the US, and the bike comes in Thunder Black or Indian Red colour options.

QUICK SPECS Engine Type: Thunder Stroke® 111

Engine Displacement: 1811 cc

Bore and Stroke: 101mm x 113mm

Electronic Fuel Injection System: Closed loop fuel injection / 54mm bore

Final Drive: 2.2:1

Primary Drive: Gear Drive Wet Clutch

Front Tyres: Dunlop® Elite 3 130/90B16 73H

Brakes Front: Dual / 300mm Floating Rotor / 4 Piston Caliper

Suspension, Front Fork: Tube Diameter46 mm

Rake and Trail: 25° & 150 mm

6 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Rear Tyres: Dunlop® Elite 3 Multi-Compound 180/60R16 80H

Wet Weight: 385 kg

Brakes/Rear: Single / 300mm Floating Rotor / 2 Piston Caliper Front Suspension: Type/ TravelTelescopic Fork/4.7” (119 mm) Rear Suspension: Type/TravelSingle Shock w/Air adjust/4.5” (114mm)

Compression ratio: 9.5:1

Peak Torque: 138.9 Nm at 2600 rpm

Fuel Capacity: 20.8 Litres

Seat Height: 660 mm

Victorymotorcycles media

Victory Gunner We love the way Victory describes the gorgeous Victory Gunner 2016, “READY. AIM. THROTTLE.!”

This stylish bike is a display of true American engineering muscle. It is just itching to unleash 110 ft-lb of torque from the 106 cubic inches of the Freedom V-Twin engine, that lies at its heart, paired with a 6-Speed Overdrive Transmission which is reported to confidently carry you down the road with strong power and smooth shifts.

The Gunner also features beautiful, premium 24-spoke cast aluminum wheels, and has a low seat height and excellent ergonomics. Reviewers report that the 635 mm high seat lets your feet extend all the way to the ground and keeps you comfortable and confident. The Victory Gunner comes in two colour finishes, MatteTitanium and Suede Sagebrush Green Metallic.

The Gunner is thus comfortable, definitely quick and ultra stylish.

Custom options include a Hammer® Vee Drag Bar, to widen your hand stance and a Stage 1 Straights Exhaust System, to allow the engine to breathe more freely and generate more power. The Victory Gunner retails for

$12,999 in the US (Kshs 1.3m). The only caveat? It doesn’t come with ABS brakes.

QUICK SPECS Engine Type: Freedom 106/ 6 V-Twin

Engine Displacement: 1,731 cc

Bore and Stroke: 101 mm x 108 mm

Compression ratio: 9.4:1

Transmission: 6-speed Overdrive/ Constant Mesh

Transmission/Final Drive: Carbon Fiber Reinforced Belt

Transmission/Primary Drive: Gear Drive With Torque Compensator

Torque: 110 ft-lb

Drive/Driven Clutch: Wet Multi-Plate/Diaphragm Spring

Rake and Trail: 32° and 170 mm

Tyre Front: Dunlop 491 E2-RWL Tyre Rear: Dunlop 491 E2-RWL

Dry Weight: 294 Kg

Brakes Front: Front Brakes Single 300 X 5MM/ Floating Rotor/ 4 Piston Caliper Brakes Rear: Single 300 X 5MM/ Floating Rotor/ 2 Piston Caliper Front Suspension: Telescopic Fork/ 5.1” (130 mm) Rear Suspension: Single Monotube Gas/Preload Adjustable/3.0” (75 mm)

Fuel Capacity: 17 Liter

Seat Height: 635 mm

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 7

1950 Ferrari 275 S/340 America Barchetta

1959 Ferrari 250GT California LWB Spider

1953 Jaguar C-type lightweight roadster

1998 McLaren F1

1962 Ferrari 250GT

The Pebble Beach Concours Classic Car Week The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Classic Car Week, held in California during the month of August, is one of THE motoring highlights of the year, for classic car enthusiasts and motoring fans, worldwide. The Classic Car Week saw car sales of over $397 Million this year! That’s a whopping Kshs 40 Billion, spent just on classics in the span of a few days! Here are the Top 10 most expensive cars sold over the course of the event.

10

9

1950 Ferrari 275 S/340 America Barchetta

1959 Ferrari 250GT California LWB Spider (open headlight)

sold for $7,975,000

sold for $8,500,000

This beauty raced in the 1950 Mille Miglia before finding itself in a barn in the US state of Vermont, where a teenager rescued and purchased it for $500 and drove this 4.1-liter “Lampredi” V12 for over 100,000 miles in 40 years.

This car was restored in Italy in 2001 and retains all of its important original components. It features an uncommon Superamerica-style fender vents and velocity stacks.

1959 Ferrari 250GT Interim

1982 Porsche 956

8

7

sold for $8,525,000

sold for $10,120,000

One of the most desirable cars of all time.

This vehicle took overall victories at Le Mans, Spa, Fuji, Brands Hatch, and Kyalami in its racing career.

8 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

1959 Ferrari 250GT

1982 Porsche 956

1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta Competizione

1961 Ferrari 250GT California SWB Spider

1964 Ferrari 250LM

6

5

1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta Competizione “Tour de France’

1953 Jaguar C-type lightweight roadster

sold for $13,200,000

sold for $13,200,000

This is the first of the famous TDF Ferraris, and has earned various best-in-class awards at various concours, with its stunning looks and performance.

The auctioneer Sotheby calls it, “one of the most important Jaguars ever.” It is one of the final amongst the few Jaguar C-type racing cars that were ever built. This model came 4th in the 1953 Le Mans.

4

3

1998 McLaren F1

1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB Speciale

sold for $13,750,000

sold for $16,500,000

A 680-hp 6.1-liter V-12 is under the hood of this upgraded LM spec version

Nuccio Bertone, head of Carrozzeria Bertone, was this car’s first owner and co-designer.

2

1961 Ferrari 250GT California SWB Spider (closed headlight) sold for $16,830,000

This car was originally painted metallic blue with a red leather interior.

1

1964 Ferrari 250LM sold for $17,600,000 One of only 32 built by Ferrari. This car features a 320-hp 3.3-liter V-12 engine and five-speed manual gearbox.

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 9 Photo credit: RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Bonhams

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Mazda Media

Mazda

CX - 5

Base Engine

Cylinders

Drive Typr

Fuel Capacity

Mazda CX-5

2.4L

Inline 4

Front wheel drive

58 litres

Honda CR-V

2.5L

Inline 4

Front wheel drive

56 litres

In its three years of manufacture, the 2015 Maxda CX-5 is slowly, but surely, climbing up the popularity rankings amongst consumers. The 2015 CX-5 has earned notable praise from critics who say that, the vehicle is the most enjoyable SUV in its class. It is reported as having athletic handling, responsive steering and brakes that offer great pedal feel, compared to its closest rivals. The base engine comes with a manual transmission as well as automatic, which has earned praise for its smooth and quick shifts.

The 2015 CX-5 has furnished the use of high-end materials, though not as much as the CR-V, while it has a clean inside cabin design, according to reviewers. The front seats are described as supportive, but understandably less comfortable on longer trips. The rear seats have adequate space and good headroom. The CX-5’s cargo booth space is on par for the SUV segment it occupies. The infotainment system is described by testers as being difficult to navigate through,

in addition to, a small screen with a lackluster quality display. A four-speaker stereo with an auxiliary input and USB port is of standard make. Bluetooth, an upgraded Bose stereo system, HD Radio, navigation, moon-roof, blind spot monitoring, a rearview camera and low-speed automatic braking, are all optional.

“In this third year of production, the 2015 Mazda CX-5 continues to climb the sales charts, quickly becoming one of the most well-reviewed and desirable compact crossover SUVs around. While the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 dominate as sales-volume leaders, neither has the sporty handling or clean, uncluttered instrument panel of the CX-5, nor can they match its impressive highway fuel economy of 35 miles per gallon. The CX-5 is also one of the few crossovers that still offer the option of a manual transmission.” - AutoTrader

Honda Media

Honda

CR - V

Fuel Econ. (City/H’way)

Horsepower

Torque

8.7/6.9 L/100km

185 hp @ 6400 rpm

181 ft-lbs @ 3900 rpm

9/7.1 L/100km

184 hp @5700 rpm

185 ft-lbs @ 3250 rpm

The Honda CR-V has long been recognized for its safety, reliability, interior spaciousness and family oriented features, and the 2015 version is not any different. Most automotive reviews suggest that the 2015 CR-V’s 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, packs a good punch, but a few rivals such as, the Mazda CX5, offer more feel and power. The CRV’s new, continuously variable transmission, is reported as being smooth and shifts well. The CR-V has gotten an updated suspension and steering package for 2015, which result in secure and responsive handling. The 2015 CR-V’s interior are also reportedly built from higher quality materials than previous models. The front seats are spacious and there are few rivals in the rear-seat room department. The cargo booth offers an excellent 70.9 cubic feet of space.

The 2015 CR-V comes with a fantastic set of standard features. The base CR-V model comes with a rearview

Transmission Continously variablespeed automatic 6 speed shiftable automatic

camera, Bluetooth, hands-free text messaging, a USB port and Pandora integration for music, a power moon-roof, navigation, leather upholstery, heated front seats, poweradjustable driver’s seat, a 7-inch touch-screen display, a seven-speaker stereo system, a satellite radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane keeping assist, a passenger-side blind spot camera, push-button start and adaptive cruise control, are all available as options.

“Although the Honda CR-V lacks seductive lines and nuances of excitement, it’s one of my favorite crossover SUVs. Sure, it lacks the agility of the CX-5 and cabin refinement of a Ford Escape, but the engine, chassis and suspension are dialed in to velvet-smooth satisfaction. Top that with everyday practicality, and it’s one of the highlights of Honda’s lineup.” - Yahoo Autos

The

Drool Factor Lamborghini Huracán Top speed: 325 km/h Acceleration 0-100: 3.2 s Horsepower: 602 HP

The new Lamborghini Huracán is rated by testers as the best car that Lamborghini has ever built. Since Lamborghini has come under the VW family, it shares a chassis structure with the second-generation Audi R8 with the Germans bringing expertise with aluminium and the Italians with carbonfibre.

The result is a chassis with a dual-material platform that’s 10% lighter than the Gallardo and 50% stiffer. Propelling this ethereal machine is a new dual-injection 5.2-litre V10 that produces 602-hp and 413lb-ft of torque. An incredible 75% of the torque is available at a mere 1,000rpm. This engine is matched with a new dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox, an electronic 4WD system and the “Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale” inertial control system.

The Huracán does 0-100km/h in a sweet 3.2 seconds on its 20 inch wheels, complemented by the carbon-ceramic braking system. It is also the first vehicle to use the 12.3 inch TFT virtual cockpit, developed by Audi, which is available with high-definition 3D computer graphics, Bluetooth, GPS navigation and a Multi Media Interface-like menu and

dashboard controls.

The Huracan comes inbuilt, with three driving modes programmed: Strada, Sport and Corsa, which alter the variable systems, including the throttle map, the gearbox and stability control. Theoretically, this is a vehicle, designed for everyday use as that is what Lamborghini buyers wanted, the ability to reverse in city streets. Ultimately, this machine is a work of art, designed to bring the expression and movement of joy in not only the driver, but the beholder as well!

“In the right frame of mind, the Lamborghini Huracan isn’t a serious tool, it is a joy ride. A giant, hilarious, wonderfully expensive and impractical love letter to motion in an equally emotive package. Kids responded to it because they are honest, and those of us with an inner kid, feel the same way. No one purchases a Lamborghini because they need transportation...you buy it because it makes you grin when you drive it—and I did get a chance to really do that—the grin becomes a laugh. It literally made me laugh out loud.” Petrolicious.com

Tesla Motors

“

“

In the right frame of mind, the Lamborghini Huracan isn’t a serious tool, it is a joy ride.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia commons, Flickr: Fi-Exahus, TJark, Fabian Sponheimer, User007, Romain Drapri

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Moto GP Indianapolis Defending MotoGP Champion, Marc Marquez had his second successive win in a row, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in front of 70,000 fans, after a short MotoGP summer break. It was a tense battle at the front, with Marquez narrowly edging out fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, for a fine win. Marquez on the Honda, had patiently tracked Lorenzo for the entire race in second place and with just three laps to go, ducked under Lorenzo’s Yamaha M1, opened up a lightning quick lead, that he would retain till the checkered flag. Speaking at the end of the race, Lorenzo was quoted, “When he attacked, I really didn’t have enough energy and wasn’t fresh enough to make an attack on him”.

Current championship leader and MotoGP legend, Valentino Rossi meanwhile, finished third in a last gasp effort, after starting a dismal eighth on the grid. Rossi battled hard with Honda’s Dani Pedrosa for third, for most of the race. Rossi got the better of Pedrosa early on, only to see him lose the advantage, almost immediately. It was only in the last lap, that a very strong performance by Rossi, saw him overtake Pedrosa and gain a podium by a margin of a mere 0.181 seconds! Lorenzo on current form, is definitely the man to watch, to win the MotoGP championship. “We struggle too much in the practice, and we arrive with a little bit too much of a delay, before finding a good setting,” Rossi said candidly, at the end of the race.

Czech Jorge Lorenzo won the Czech MotoGP with a sublime performance, that can only be described as, ‘Lorenzo time’.

The Spaniard led from start to finish, on his Yamaha in front of 139,000 spectators at the historical track of Brno. Lorenzo is now, level on 211 points with teammate Valentino Rossi, who finished third, but because of his superior number of wins this season, now leads atop the standings. “Luckily, I had a little bit more pace than Marc, and I could win this very important victory for the championship,” spoke Lorenzo to the official MotoGP reporter. Marc Marquez, the defending champion, finished in a distant second place and now has 169 points to his name.

Lorenzo took off like a bullet at the start of the race, taking a big lead from Marquez. Marquez tried to keep up and at

first, managed to stay in contention, but later, faded into the background. Marquez was quoted saying at the end of the race, “In the beginning I tried to follow (Lorenzo), and I know that, with the new tire, for the first five or six laps, I was able to do it, but then, when the tire dropped, we were struggling a lot with the rear grip.”

Valentino Rossi actually had a good qualifying session, starting in the third place on the grid. However, he had a poor start which saw him slide rapidly to sixth. He quickly bolted past the Ducati’s of Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso, but he was too far behind race leaders, Lorenzo and Marquez, to mount any sort of challenge. It increasingly looks like its Lorenzo’s title to lose.

UK Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi secured his first win at a rain soaked Silverstone circuit, to take the sole lead atop the leadership standings, from Jorge Lorenzo. 73,000 fans were present to cheer Rossi on to victory, under the traditional English weather of grey clouds and rain. Rossi’s win takes him much closer to his 10th world title, after a recently dominant Lorenzo finished in fourth. “Valentino and Marquez passed me, and I was in the third position, losing time every lap. They had a better pace than me early on in the race, and I couldn‘t do anything to follow them,” spoke Jorge Lorenzo at the end of the race.

Rossi had started from fourth on the grid, but swiftly climbed to second, on just the first lap and overtook Honda rider Marc Marquez, who had started on pole position, on the 18 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

second lap. Lorenzo, who had started on second, meanwhile, dropped down the race order as the rain started coming down harder. On lap 3, the LCR Honda pair of Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller, collided to end their races early. Marquez exited the race on lap 12 at the Copse corner, when he was barely 0.1 seconds behind Rossi in second. This allowed for an all Italian podium finish with the Ducati’s of Danilo Petrucci in second, and Andrea Dovizioso in third. Petrucci’s result was all the more remarkable, as this was his first podium finish, and he had started from 18th on the grid. At one point, Petrucci had reached within just 1.6 seconds of Rossi, before the latter was instructed by his team to pull away and finished with a lead of slightly over 3 seconds. Rossi now leads the championship standings by 12 points.

Results 1.

Marc Marquez

SPA

Honda

41’55.371

2

Jorge Lorenzo

SPA

Yamaha

+ 0.688

3

Valentino Rossi

ITA

Yamaha

+ 5.966

4

Dani Pedrosa

SPA

Honda

+ 6.147

5

Andrea Iannone

ITA

Ducati

+ 21.528

6

Bradley Smith

GBR

Yamaha

+ 21.751

7

Pol Espargaro

SPA

Yamaha

+ 30.378

8

Cal Crutchlow

GBR

Honda

+ 31.607

9

Andrea Dovizioso

ITA

Ducati

+ 32.821

10

Danilo Petrucci

ITA

Ducati

+ 34.517

1.

Jorge Lorenzo

SPA

Yamaha

42’53.042

2

Marc Marquez

SPA

Honda

+ 4.462

3

Valentino Rossi

ITA

Yamaha

+ 10.397

4

Andrea Iannone

ITA

Ducati

+ 13.071

5

Dani Pedrosa

SPA

Honda

+ 15.650

6

Andrea Dovizioso

ITA

Ducati

+ 15.725

7

Bradley Smith

GBR

Yamaha

+ 21.821

8

Pol Espargaro

SPA

Yamaha

+ 23.240

9

Aleix Espargaro

SPA

Suzuki

+ 43.784

10

Danilo Petrucci

ITA

Ducati

+ 45.261

1.

Valentino Rossi

ITA

Yamaha

46’15.617

2

Danilo Petrucci

ITA

Ducati

+ 3.010

3

Andrea Dovizioso

ITA

Ducati

+ 4.117

4

Jorge Lorenzo

SPA

Yamaha

+ 5.726

5

Dani Pedrosa

SPA

Honda

+ 11.132

6

Scott Redding

GBR

Honda

+ 25.467

7

Bradley Smith

GBR

Yamaha

+ 26.717

8

Andrea Iannone

ITA

Ducati

+ 29.393

9

Aleix Espargaro

SPA

Suzuki

+ 38.815

10

Alvaro Bautista

SPA

Aprilia

+ 41.712

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 19

media.daimler.com

Belgian F1

It was business as usual for Mercedes, at the Belgian Grand Prix, after a trying time at the Hungarian GP. Lewis Hamilton secured a dominant win at the Spa track from teammate Nico Rosberg, who had to play catch-up after a troubled start. Hamilton now has a 28 point lead atop the championship standings, after his sixth win of the season and the 39th win of his career. Spa has historically not been a great track for Hamilton, and it is only his second win here. Speaking at the end, Hamilton was quoted as saying, “It was an amazing weekend for me. Incredible job by the team throughout the weekend! Today was a dream, the whole weekend the car was fantastic.”

The race began with the introduction of new starting procedures, that were supposed to mix-up the opening lap, but that, ultimately, didn’t cause much drama, except for Rosberg. The start was aborted once as Force India driver, Nico Hulkenberg, had a power failure on the grid. On the second attempt, Rosberg had a wheel spin-off that saw Pérez, Ricciardo & Bottas overtake him, by the time they reached Les Combes. Rosberg eventually recovered to second position after the first round of pit stops, but would never really trouble Hamilton for the rest of the race.

The closest that Rosberg got to challenging Hamilton was, when the virtual safety car was deployed after Daniel Ricciardo, came to a sudden halt on lap 20, just past the pit lane entrance, going on to the start-to-finish straight.

Hamilton told his pit crew, that he believed Rosberg had illegally closed in on him under the virtual safety car rules, but Rosberg was adjudged not to have done so, after review.

Hamilton reacted to the perceived infraction by storming ahead with some brilliant lap times, and by the 27th lap, had seen his lead extend from 2 seconds to 5 seconds. Rosberg 20 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

tried to challenge Hamilton’s pace, but he simply did not have the fight in him.

Ferrari’s Sebastien Vettel was on course for a podium finish, after starting on eighth on the grid, but his right-rear tyre gave way, just two laps from the finish, out on the Kemmel straight, and was forced to retire. “Things like that are not allowed - if that happens 200 metres earlier, I am not standing here right now,” a visibly angry and shaken Vettel said afterwards about the Pirelli tyres he was using, and in reference to how dangerous the blowout would have been, at the Eau Rouge section of the track. This allowed Romain Grosjean, driving in his Lotus, to finish in third place, with a fine performance that saw him take a podium finish for the first time, since the US GP of 2013. Outside of the two raceleads, he was often the fastest man on the track. Red Bull’s, Daniil Kvyat, came home on a charge to take fourth place.

media.daimler.com

Monza F1 Lewis Hamilton was in imperious form at the Italian Grand Prix, held at the venerable Monza circuit, with his seventh win of the season. A win which saw him take a commanding 53 point lead over his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, in the title race, who suffered an engine failure with just 3 laps to go, forcing the latter to retire, while he was in third place.

Hamilton won by a huge margin of 25 seconds over second placed Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari. Williams’s Felipe Massa fought off a late attack from team-mate Valtteri Bottas to take the final podium place for the weekend.

Despite Hamilton’s awesome performance, Mercedes was worried throughout the race weekend, though, having reliability concerns about their newly upgraded engine. Both Mercedes drivers had started the weekend with the new spec engine, which used up all the team’s 7 remaining vehicle development ‘tokens’. Rosberg’s new engine had to be removed after the team discovered a contamination problem with it, after the final practice took place.

Hamilton’s lead over Vettel was well over 20 seconds, when his engineer Peter Bonnington told him to start racing flat out, towards the end of the race. “Don’t ask questions, just execute”, was the explanation provided by Bonnington on being questioned by Hamilton. It later emerged that Mercedes might be given a 25 second race penalty by stewards, for a breach in tyre safety rules. Mercedes was being investigated on the grounds that the tyres were below the minimum permitted pressure by 0.3psi. The stewards later ruled in favour of Mercedes and said that the tyres were at the correct temperature, when fitted to the car and that the blankets were unplugged, at a lower temperature than the maximum permitted. This explained why the tyres lost pressure and dipped below the minimum requirements. Kimi Raikkonen managed to recover to fifth after his dismal start; ‘a good comeback’!

Rosberg’s replacement engine had already done 5 races this season and Monza was one step too far, as his engine came to a smoky end at the second chicane. Simultaneously, he was strongly challenging Vettel for second place, with 3 laps to go, having closed a gap of over 5 seconds after their respective pitstops. Mercedes had also expected a major challenge from local favorites, Ferrari, at the top, but this challenge never materialized as Hamilton built a 1.5 second lead in just the first lap, while Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who was second on the grid, stalled and was overtaken by the field. Hamilton blasted away at the start, and by lap 20, built up a 12 second lead over Vettel, who basically focused on keeping Rosberg at bay, in this race.

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 21

Redbull media

WRC Germany

Sébastien Ogier moved within touching distance of a third FIA World Rally Championship title, after leading Volkswagen to an emotional 1-2-3 in its home event, at ADAC Rally Deutschland on Sunday.

He finished the three-day asphalt rally, 23.0sec ahead of JariMatti Latvala, with team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen, rounding out the German squad’s podium lockout, a further 1min 33.6sec behind. All three were driving Polo R World Rally Cars.

Ogier will seal a third consecutive drivers’ title at Coates Rally Australia (10 - 13 September), if he finishes ahead of Latvala. His sixth success of the season leveled him with Marcus Grönholm in the second place, in the all-time wins list with 30 victories.

Volkswagen has now won every round in the calendar since it entered WRC in 2013, ending a home round jinx which frustrated the team.

“It’s a big relief to win this rally,” said the Frenchman. “The pressure was on all weekend because everyone expected us to be successful on our home round, but we made it. I’m so close to my third title and it’s been a fantastic weekend for us.”

Ogier led for all but two of the 21 asphalt speed tests, on Baumholder’s military roads, Saarland’s country lanes and

22 DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Mosel vineyard tracks, near Trier. He ended Friday’s leg 10sec clear of Latvala after a tight battle, but extended it to more than 30sec on Saturday.

Latvala was deflated at being unable to match his team-mate over the daunting tank training tracks on Saturday, but being second, provided some consolation after crashing out of the lead on the final day, 12 months ago.

Mikkelsen was chased by Kris Meeke initially, but when the Ulsterman went off the road on Friday, the Norwegian measured his pace to the finish.

Dani Sordo claimed his best result for almost 12 months after coming out on top of an inter-team fight with Hyundai i20 colleague, Thierry Neuville. Elfyn Evans prevented Volkswagen from achieving a clean sweep of stage-wins on Sunday, en route to sixth, in a Ford Fiesta RS. Mads Østberg finished seventh in a disappointing weekend for Citroën, with Ott Tänak eighth, after twice going off the road. Hayden Paddon was a frustrated ninth, following turbo problems in his Hyundai i20, with World Rally Car debutant, Stéphane Lefebvre, rounding off the top 10.

Meeke eventually finished twelfth behind Kevin Abbring, but Martin Prokop was forced to retire in his Fiesta RS, on Sunday’s opening stage, because a double puncture.

(Source: Red Bull Media Content Pool)

Photo Credit: SIMON MULUMBA/CMONCY IMAGES

KCB Nakuru Rally Jassi Chatthe secured his first Kenya National Rally Championship title at the KCB Nakuru Rally in his Mitsubishi EvoX, just days after his first African Rally Championship crown, by winning the Uganda Rally. Chatthe finished eighth in the KCB Nakuru Rally, after suffering two punctures during the race. The flying-Finn, Tapio Laukkanen, was forced to retire from the rally at the second stage, after his Subaru Impreza suffered a broken rear suspension.

Chatthe became the first Kenyan driver to win the local and African Rally Championship in the same year. Quite a feat!

Both his navigators also claimed the respective crowns in their competitions, with Gurdeep Panesar scoring the KNRC navigators top slot, and Britain’s Greg Thorley claiming the ARC navigators title.

Former KNRC champion Carl Tundo, meanwhile, scored his first win of the 2015 season, by clinching victory in his Nakuru backyard driving his Mitsubishi EvoX. Tundo and co-driver, Tim Jessop, have been struggling this season, prior to the EvoX upgrade, in their Proton S2000. Quentin Mitchell finished in second place in his Skoda S2000, his strongest performance of the season, so far. Quentin wrote on his Facebook update following the rally, “Last weekends KCB Nakuru Rally comprised of eight competitive sections, with the twice run 50 kilometres long Mugurin to Molosirwe section, strewn with rocks and wash-aways. This rally was as much about mechanical sympathy as it was about raw speed.” Only one more exciting race left this season now!

FINAL RESULTS 1. Carl Tundo (EVO X) 1:43:34 2. Quentin Mitchell (Skoda Fabia 8) 1:45:29 3. Ian Duncan (EVO X) 1:46:02 4. Raaji Bharij (EVO X) 1:47:31 5. Frank Tundo (EVO IX) 1:51:23 6. Jasmeet Channa (EVO IX) 1:54:16 7. Dennis Mwenda (EVO IX) 1:54:25 8. Jassi Chatthe (EVO X) 1:54:59 9. Don Smith (Subaru Impreza) 2:02:11 10. Mahesh Halai (Subaru N12) 2:02:13

DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 23

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