MAHINDRA’S QUEST CONTINUES AT ARAGON
 
September 26, 2013: The quest to develop and refine the all–new Mahindra MGP3O racer continues at the Aragon Grand Prix this weekend, alongside the drive to improve on the results and championship positions for the first and only Indian constructor and machine in international motorcycle racing.
 
Although only in its first year after a record–breaking six months from drawing board to race–track, the Moto3™ Mahindra was not only instantly reliable, the handsome white–and–red 250cc racer also proved to be fast and competitive.
 
Riders Miguel Oliveira (18, from Portugal) and Efrén Vázquez (27, from Spain) have kept adding strong results through the season so far, consistently challenging for front–row starts and top–three podium finishes in the highly competitive grand prix starter class.
 
At the same time, Switzerland–based Mahindra Racing engineers have continued to add horsepower and refinement to the successful design.
 
Progress is reflected not only in race results and that already two more Mahindra MGP3Os have been sold to grand prix customers, but also in the highly competitive Italian National CIV championship. Last weekend at Mugello, riders Andrea Locatelli and Michael Rinaldi wrapped up first and second positions in the hotly contested series, and Mahindra also claimed the Constructors’ title, for the second year in succession (last year with the 125cc two–stroke).
 
This weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix is another chance for Mahindra’s grand prix riders to keep building on their growing scores. Oliveira lies a comfortable sixth overall, and still in touch with even better championship positions. Thoughtful and analytical in the pits and aggressive on the track, his quest for a first podium has been agonisingly close. He has been fourth three times in the first 12 of 17 races, five times in the top five; and has never finished out of the top ten.
 
Vázquez’s progress was dented by injury, but since his courageous return from a broken collarbone the tough little rider from Bilbao has also made the top five, and currently lies equal tenth overall on points. Vázquez finished fourth at Aragon in 2010 and 2011, and fifth last year.
 
The scores are important also for the team, lying third in the Constructors charts, with second place only 14 points away.
 
The Motorland Aragon circuit, some 100 km from the city of Zaragoza, is a new–build facility that joined the calendar in 2010, as part of a larger complex including other circuits as well as engineering and educational facilities. In addition to a long straight of almost one kilometre, the scenic and interesting five–kilometre circuit also has major elevation changes and a number of fast corner complexes.
 
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“At Misano I suffered arm pump problems. It was the same at that track last year, but I’ve not had the problem anywhere else, and anyway Aragon is a very different track, with technical corners where the Mahindra will be at its best. I go to every track with confidence that we can fight with the front group. Aragon is no different.”
 
EFRÉN VÁZQUEZ
“It’s another home race for me, the third one in Spain, and that is important because the support of the fans is always positive. More importantly it is a track I really like and where I have always had good results. Our bike should perform strongly again, and I’ll be pushing my hardest to get the best result for myself and the team.
 
MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO, Mahindra Racing
“So far the first season for the MGP3O has been very encouraging: the bike and riders are good enough to be in the top five at every race. Of course it’s not so easy. The Moto3 class is very competitive and the race finishes are very close. This is the last race before three flyaway Grands Prix around the world, and we want to finish this run of the European races strongly. As we start the run to the end of the season, it is extremely pleasing to know that we’ll have over one million fans following our progress on Facebook.”