Gaurav Gill of Team MRF scripted a momentous chapter in the history of Indian motorsport by sealing the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) title with a round to spare after he won the Malaysian Rally here on Sunday.
It was Gill’s second APRC crown following his success in 2013.
Having won the previous four rounds of the APRC this season, Delhi-based Gill went into the Malaysian Rally with a 42-point advantage over team-mate Fabian Kreim, whose retirement on Saturday due to gearbox problems effectively ended the championship battle between the two.
The victory took Gill’s tally to 184 points as against Kreim’s 126 for an insurmountable lead. The APRC season concludes with the India Rally in Chikkamagaluru from December 3 to 5.
Team MRF also clinched the APRC team championship in the wake of Gill’s clean sweep which also helped Skoda to annex the manufacturers’ title.
“While every win is special, the second title is even more so. There were so many variables like a new car (Skoda Fabia R5) that I had not driven before and with Fabian, who last week won the German championship and had more miles in the R5, as team-mate,” Gills said.
‘Perfect car’“Luckily, I had a perfect car and the MRF tyres worked well. Overall, I put in consistent performances through the season and I now look forward to the last round in Chikkamagaluru in December where I will be driving in front of home crowd.”
Mr. Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Ltd, said: “Congratulations to Gaurav Gill on winning the APRC title for the second time. It has been a tremendous APRC season for Team MRF and our success is another testimony to the high quality of our tyres. Overall, it has been a great team effort.”
Provisional classifications (After Leg-1):
APRC: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Glenn Macneall (Team MRF; 2hours, 48mins, 22.5secs); 2. Sanjay Takale/ Noriko Takeshita (Cusco Racing, 03:19:58.2); 3. Fabian Kreim/ Frank Christian (Team MRF, 05:47:45.3).
Asia Cup: 1. Gill/ Macneall (2:48.22.5); 2. Yuya Sumiyama/ Takahiro Yasui (Cusco Racing) 03:06:23.8; 3. Takale/ Takeshita (3:19:58.2).
Overall: 1. Gill/ Macneall (02:48.22.5); 2. Jari Ketoma/ Mikko Luka (Pvt) 02:57:32.7; 3. Sumiyama/ Yasui (03:06:23.8).
