The first teaser of the mini-series was released on Senna's 30th death anniversary.

Netflix will air a six-part mini-series based on the life of 3-time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna later this year.

The first teaser of the upcoming series was released on Senna's 30th death anniversary. It features the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix, which Senna famously won.

Netflix states, "The 6-part series will showcase Senna’s journey of triumphs, disappointments, joys, and sorrows, unveiling his personality and personal relationships. It begins with the start of the three-time Formula 1 champion’s motor racing career, when he moves to England to compete in Formula Ford, and continues to his fatal accident in Imola, Italy, during the San Marino Grand Prix."

The series has been produced by the Senna family, with Gabriel Leone in the lead role. Matt Mella plays Alain Prost, Patrick Kennedy plays McLaren team principal Ron Dennis, Steven Mackintosh is in the role of Williams boss Frank Williams, and Tom Mannion will play FIA doctor Professor Sid Watkins.

All models can be pre-ordered, with LEGO launching the motorsport-inspired product range on March 1, 2024.

LEGO has revealed a range of motorsport-inspired products. The new range of products includes two Speed Champion sets in partnership with McLaren Racing and BMW, two LEGO Technic cars from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, one LEGO Icons car from McLaren & Senna brand and two racing cars from LEGO City.

Starting with the BMW cars, LEGO will offer a BMW M4 GT3 and a BMW M Hybrid V8 race car and will include minifigure drivers. Both BMW sets will be priced at $44.99, with each of them consisting of 676 pieces.

Coming to the Formula 1 cars, LEGO will offer the 2023 McLaren F1 race car with the iconic black & papaya orange livery. This model will be made up of 245 pieces, will be 7 inches long and be priced at $26.99. Another F1 car will be the Mercedes-AMG W14 E Performance - offered in two versions. The first is a small 9.5-inch, 240 pieces, pull-back version for younger kids, priced at $26.99. The second is the Technic Line 1:8 scale LEGO model with authentic livery details. The 1:8 scale model also comes with a V6 engine with moving pistons, opening wing, individual suspension, functioning steering and slick tyres. This model consists of 1,642 pieces, retails at $219.99 and is 25 inches in length.

For the younger fans aged 4 and up, LEGO offers its LEGO City sets. This includes a City Green Race Car with sporty tyres and rear spoiler, along with a driver and photographer. There will also be a City Race Car with a Carrier Truck. The transporter comes with a ramp and two minifigure drivers. The City Race Car is 4.5 inches in length, made up of 56 pieces and priced at $9.99. The City Race Car with the Carrier truck set has 328 pieces, is 6.5 inches in length and retails at $29.99.

However, the most anticipated product in LEGO's new range is the 1988 McLaren MP4/4 developed by McLaren & Senna Brand. Part of the Icons model, the MP4/4 LEGO model features a working steering, rod suspension, adjustable rear wing, slick tyres, gearshift, mirrors, a detailed V6 turbocharged engine and a display stand. The set even comes with an Ayrton Senna minifigure. The set is made up of 693 pieces, is 12.5 inches long and retails at $79.99.

All models can be pre-ordered, with LEGO launching the motorsport-inspired product range on March 1, 2024.

Source: Road&Track

It is the first FIM-licensed Indian team to compete in an officially sanctioned international competition.

The Kankanala Sports Group has launched INDE Racing, a new team that will compete in the 2024 FIM E-Xplorer series. It is the first FIM-licensed Indian team to compete in an officially sanctioned international competition.

INDE Racing will participate in every round of Season 2 of the E-Xplorer off-road racing series. The races will be held in Japan, Norway, France, and Switzerland, followed by a season finale in India.

The team’s rider lineup will feature Aishwarya Pissay, Asia’s first female athlete to win a world championship in 2-wheel motorsports, Canadian rider Spenser Wilton and Spanish rider Sandra Gomez, the reigning champion of the FIMA E-Xplorer World Cup.

The FIM E-Xplorer series features two categories of bikes – the GT category is for bikes based on production models, while the top class is called Hyperbikes, which includes prototype machines with a standard MX bike wheelbase, powered by up to 7 kWh battery packs. INDE Racing has partnered with France-based KTM34 garage for the bikes.

Formula E is likely to pursue action for the "breach of contract" by the state government.

Formula E has confirmed that the 2024 Hyderbad E-Prix has been cancelled. The race was scheduled to be held on February 10. 

In an official statement released by Formula E, the organisers revealed that the race was cancelled after the government of Telangana decided not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on October 30, 2023.

“The cancellation comes following a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD), under the control of the Government of Telangana, not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on 30 October 2023,” the statement read.

Formula E is likely to pursue action for the "breach of contract" by the state government.

“Formula E Operations (FEO) has been left with no choice other than to formally give notice to MAUD that it is in breach of contract. FEO is considering its position and what steps it may take under the Host City Agreement and applicable laws. All of FEO’s rights in that regard are reserved.”

The organizing team for the Hyderabad E-Prix was disbanded in August, raising doubts on whether the race would return in 2024. Now, with the race officially cancelled, Formula E does not intend to replace it, leaving a 7-week gap between the Diriyah and Sao Paulo races.

I was lucky to be invited by Michelin India along with some of their premium dealers from across India to witness the first MotoGP race in India

BHPian Nikhilb2008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone, almost exactly 10 years back, I had the opportunity to post about my experiences at the Buddh International Circuit which had hosted what turned out to be the last Indian F1 Grand Prix.

The link is here.

This time, I was lucky to be invited by Michelin India along with some of their premium dealers from across India to witness the first MotoGP race in India, the MotoGP Bharat.

Michelin booked our tickets, and hotel rooms and arranged for all travel and transport. So, this was an all-expenses paid trip and of course, Michelin hopes that all their dealers will sell more

Michelin tyres, but this time, Michelin doesn’t have many tyres to supply.

The good news is that they may be allowed to import more tyres in 2024 compared to the previous years.

The other good rumour is that they may be starting production in India for passenger car tyres next year or in 2025. Scant details or no confirmations on that.

On the 22nd of September, Friday, we checked into our hotel which was the Leela ambience in New Delhi and from here Michelin made very nice arrangements for our stay. The next day, on the 23rd of September morning, after an early breakfast, we were told to board the buses to the track. These buses were EVs.

So this electric bus company is actually Michelin’s partner and they are a customer of Michelin, so Michelin favoured them and arranged the buses for them for this event. Initially, I didn't really notice that there was a number of engine noise and vibrations, probably because it’s been a while since I’ve traveled in a bus and whenever I do, it ends up being a Volvo B9R which is also quite silent.

The really cool thing about this particular bus was that it actually had very strong air conditioning. In this hot and humid Delhi weather, this was very welcome. The bus ride was comfortable enough. I caught up with a lot of other dealer Michelin dealer friends who were who had flown in from all across India and we reached the track in pretty good time actually. Once we reached the track, there were a lot of formalities in terms of where the bus had to be parked, where we could be let off, and everything.

But the Michelin had taken very good care of all of this and had made very nice arrangements. We basically had to enter what was called the MotoGP village, the VIP village.

This video was taken at the entrance of the VIP Village and from here we had a view of the parking lot and the main straight in the distance.

The view from our lounge

Quite nice as it was right above the pitlane.

Once you enter the Moto GP village, there were actually quite a few places and lounges where people could go and watch the race from. So one was for Petronas, another lounge was dedicated to Jaypee, may be their customers and guests. Then of course there was a Michelin lounge and then there were couple of other lounges like that. So we had lounge number 4 and it was completely decked up in Michelin’s branding. We also had couple of people from France who were there to guide us and take us through the whole experience. They had a fantastic array of dishes for breakfast, coffee, tea, everything ready for us as we reached.

So the breakfast buffet was actually quite nice, the usual stuff. Croissants, pastries, a meat platter, some cheeses, and then they even had an Indian section. They even had a live egg section with omelettes and scrambled eggs and similar dishes.

This particular lounge actually was right above the pitlane, so we could actually see, and of course, most importantly here, the bikes as they were leaving their pits and as they were entering their pit lane. And of course it overlooked the Main Straight. It was right opposite the grandstands.

But it was actually a lot of fun because of all the other tyre dealers who were there. We actually ended up discussing a lot about business which is inevitable when we all get together.

Michelin had arranged 2 exclusive activities for us to be done today.

Visit to the Michelin Tyre workshop

Visit to a garage – the Mooney Racing VR46 Garage

Another event for today was a pitlane walk along with all other people who had access.

Visit the Michelin Tyre Workshop at the Buddh International Circuit.

In this workshop, Michelin had their own tyre changers and their so-called balancing equipment which they were using to install the tyres and balance the tyres and wheels that were eventually fitted on the MotoGP bikes Michelin is an exclusive partner for the tyres for Moto GP. Dunlop I think supplies the tyres only to Moto 3 or Moto 2. So in this particular workshop, we had another French gentleman who oversees the entire operations and he works for Michelin Motorsport and he took us through the whole process of how they install the tyres and what conditions they have to work under. He mentioned that they bring in 1100 tyres every race and it is a combination of soft, medium and hard compounds. They also have a lot of wet tyres to deal with rainy conditions. Unlike Formula One, they don't just throw a red flag and stop everyone from racing when it rains. He mentioned that there are 10 technicians who work in that particular tyre department and each technician is highly qualified and highly trained to install a set of tyres and to balance it perfectly. And he says that even the balance is actually done by the teams slightly differently based on their suspension characteristics to eliminate so that the tyre and wheel actually work very well with the bike rather than just some absolute numbers of Perfect wheel balancing. This was quite interesting for me. He was also mentioning that the top speed on the track today was about 350 kilometres per hour. The bikes sometimes reach 360-370 kilometres per hour on some particular tracks and that is where even a slight extra vibration can really throw the rider off.

The wheel balancing at the track didn’t use any fancy equipment. They were actually using just a bunch of laser lights which were focused on the tyre and wheel assembly. So the first thing was to measure static imbalance. That, of course, is very easy to do by just allowing a wheel and tyre assembly to come to a halt once you rotate it a little bit, and based on the intensity of the pendulum motion that it has, the technician knows approximately how much weight to install, and that is typically installed at 12:00 o'clock position because the 6:00 O'clock position usually has the heaviest part of the weight. So this was the easy part of wheel balancing. I then asked the technical person how they managed to identify and resolve the dynamic imbalance.

Dynamic imbalance is basically when there is an imbalance in the side-to-side motion of the tyre and wheel assembly. He mentioned that the skills of the technicians are so good that they can actually identify them. And they can come to an approximate measurement and install the weights on that. So it takes a lot of skill and it's obvious that normal people wouldn't be able to just replace, you know, the skilled technicians.

And Coincidently and noticed that they use the same kind of wheel weights that we use in our tyre store. The tyre changers that they were using were very similar to what normal tyre shops use. There was a small modification where the bead press system which is where the bead of the tyre gets separated from the wheel was located nearer to the top of the tyre changer which was more accessible and was probably easier to use than the traditional side shovel where a technician has to bend over and focus on the wheel and tyre.

Mooney Racing VR46 Team Garage Visit

After this the second planned visit was to see the actual garage of a Moto GP team. They took us to the Money Raving VR46 team. This team is actually owned, or at least partially owned by Valentino Rossi, and it aims to bring in more Italian talent into Moto GP. This was in response to the influx of Spanish riders into MotoGP. So this was again a very interesting visit. We got to see a lot of things happening. We actually got to see how behind what you actually see on the TV. There is a dedicated area where some of the technical team, download the data from the bikes. They have these really long cables that go all the way back directly into their computers and they are able to download the telemetry and analyze it and then give feedback to the racers. There are of course tool trolleys everywhere and when we went there were actually setting up one particular set of bikes. To ensure that the bikes are ready to go at a moment's notice, they have a warm-up procedure. Every maybe 10 minutes or 15 minutes they just switch on the bike. They rev it gently a couple of times, allow it to idle for a couple of minutes and then switch it off and pull it back inside. This keeps the bikes warm and. Ready to go at a moment's notice.

They also showed us the brake discs, which are really huge and they said that the entire set of brake discs cost something like €20,000 for a whole race where they have like 4 different sets of rotors, brake pads and brake calipers. These are the and the ones that they were using today at the BIC were the largest that they have with them. That was because they realise that the top speed down the backstreet was quite high when they needed the big brakes for retardation. They also realised that the heat was a bit higher so they needed again more stopping power.

We also got lucky that when we actually went there, the mechanics weren't working on one of the bikes, so we actually got to go much closer to the bikes and see it. So when we went closer to the bikes we could actually see up close they showed us the 3 buttons on the left side of the handlebar. The rider used to control the 3 different maps for the engine, the traction control and I think they said the braking system. So each system has further 3 different maps that can be controlled by the rider based on their current requirements.

We were given headsets to where and another lady was wearing a headset and she was speaking into her microphone so we could hear her very clearly. I think this was done so that we were not disturbed by the bikes that were there and these. Big headsets were really, really nice noise-cancelling headsets which blocked out almost all the outside noise for us when we were in the pit garage.

Continue reading BHPian Nikhilb2008 report for more insights and information.

This is Max Verstappen's third title win and his team, Red Bull Racing, has retained the World Constructors' Championship.

BHPian Aditya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The 2023 Formula 1 season is nearing its end. As in recent times, it has been a long one for the constructors and drivers.

There are still 2 races remaining, but the World Drivers' Championship and World Constructors' Championship have already been wrapped up. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) has dominated the season with 17 wins and has secured an unassailable lead in the World Drivers' Championship. This is his third title With teammate Sergio Perez putting up a good show as well, Verstappen's team, Red Bull Racing has retained the World Constructors' Championship.

7-time champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) is third with 2-time champion Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) not very far behind. Lando Norris (McLaren), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and George Russel (Mercedes) have performed well from time to time.

In the World Constructors' Championship, Mercedes is in second place with Ferrari in third, McLaren in fourth and Aston Martin completing the top 5.

So who was your F1 driver of 2023?

Image Source: WallpaperCave

Here's what BHPian ninjatalli had to say about the matter:

Much as I hate to admit this (Hamilton fan here), it's Max all the way. Leaving aside the fact that he's been given a car that is much ahead of the competition, he's been flawless throughout the year and has made the best of his car, strategy and team.

Here's what BHPian Hayek had to say about the matter:

I liked Max and backed him hugely in 2020 and 2021 as he took the fight to Lewis. Of course, he has made F1 boring and I now find myself hoping for his car to break down. But in a year where he has dominated so thoroughly in a car where Perez (who is no slouch) has been in the pack behind him but not a clear unquestioned #2, you have to nominate him for driver of the year.

The more interesting question would be who is the second-best driver of the year? For me, that would be Alonso who has maximised the potential of a car that in the hands of his team mate is closer to the bottom of the pack than the top.

Here's what BHPian nova.19_exe had to say about the matter:

I'm a huge Hamilton fan! Pains to say this but Mercedes just hasn't been up to par this season! I've voted for Lando Norris!

Yes yes, I know, Max this, Max that. But I feel Lando did a better job than Max this season. No hate for Max though, he did well this season. But there's not many people talking about Lando and his season.

Here's what BHPian Himanshu809 had to say about the matter:

As simply lovely as Max’s car and his performance both are; you have to give it to Fernando Alonso. At the age of 42, he took the fight to the best of the best and showed some excellent reflexes and skills. Some early podiums established his still-alive fire and hunger to win. He is like a mutant, just doesn’t age. Don’t know what happened to Aston Martin’s car mid-season but if they had maintained the performance jump they achieved at the beginning of the season the points tally would be a lot different.

Fernando Alonso is one driver who always outperforms his car. So I voted for him. Max does not need any votes, he’s class apart from everyone else. I don’t know why people have to mention his excellent car while praising his performance. Obviously, the car has to be good to win but in the end, it’s the racer’s foot on the pedal, Hamilton always had an amazing car during his unbeatable streak. That doesn’t mean Hamilton won JUST because of his superior machinery. It takes skill to perform at that level consistently.

Off Topic - Las Vegas GP is so stupid, the pig track is lame. I wish F1 would come back to India.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

All products have been tested by BIS and NABL-approved labs in India.

SOSGear offers a range of products designed specifically for off-road use. These mainly include off-roading essentials and recovery equipment, which has been tested and certified in India.

SOSGear was founded by Dr. Tejas Kothari, an I4WDTA-approved trainer and founder of Offroad Junkie and Learn Offroad. The company has developed products like tow straps, shackles, and tyre pressure gauges in consultation with experienced off-roaders. Each product has been tested by BIS and NABL-approved labs in India.

Non Kinetic Static Tow Straps

Tow straps are available in two sizes: 3 m and 10 m,  priced at Rs 2,750 and Rs 4,500, respectively. These are made from polyester and have a working load of 5 tonnes and a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of 13 tonnes.

Soft Shackles

Shackles are an essential part of a recovery operation. The benefit of soft shackles is that they float on water, unlike metal shackles. These are priced at Rs 3,500 and have a working load of 5 tonnes and MBS of 12.6 tonnes.

Metal Bow Shackles

The 3/4 inch screw pin type bow shackles are made from Grade 80 steel alloy and weigh 1.2 kg. They have a Working Load (WLL) of 4.75 tonnes. The Minimum Ultimate Load is 5 times the WLL. These are priced at Rs 499.

Analogue Tyre Pressure Gauge

The analogue gauge does not require batteries and comes with a pen-type clip to carry securely in the pocket. The gauge can display air pressure from 10-50 PSI, with a 1 PSI interval. It is priced at Rs 300.

Apart from offroad recovery equipment, SOSGear also offers products like Utility Gloves, Glove clips, kit bags and a Drawstring bag to store your tow straps.

Enthusiasts who wish to purchase the complete kit can opt for the Premium Recovery Kit option, which costs Rs 16,250. It includes a 3-meter and 10-meter tow strap, a pair of metal bow shackles, a pair of soft shackles, gloves, a glove clip, a tyre pressure gauge, an Offroad Recovery Kit bag, a pair of drawstring bags and a sticker set. 

You can order SOS Gear's off-roading kit on their official website.

Being just a spectator in the harsh weather conditions took a physical toll on me. Racing these insane machines at those speeds in leathers is no joke.

BHPian SnS_12 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Being my first ever MotoGP experience I went in for all three days getting up at 6 am and reaching the venue by 8:30 pm. The crowd kept growing with each passing day and the post 1 pm on Sunday it was almost a packed house near the Grandstand which means you had to fight it out harder in the heat to get basic high-valued refreshments. The largest number of people were at the AtomX stall getting their cards refilled.

Since we were seeing the behaviour and crowd changes over the days we were better prepared but the worst part was the prices of beer which fell from 400 a glass to 250 with an added offer of getting 2 beers free when you buy 3 in the afternoon of Sunday, which I guess was to clear their stock as they were actually then selling it at MRP of 150. After paying for grandstand tickets this was just another bummer with the amount of money spent over the course of three days but the excitement of MotoGP meant that we just forgot about it after fuming on the rip-off after a few mins.

Really hope though that the future races are better organised and the fans get a better and lighter-on-the-wallet experience.

Some pictures…

Making my friend pose for crazy pics

Some more goodies shopping. This stall is where we spent the most buying stuff all three days.

My friends Nadia and Darius who are big Marquez fans got their caps signed by the man finally. Happy Faces

Making good use of sitting in the Sun and taking a selfie with the front camera.

Bumped into a few friends

The National Anthem being played.

Tony Arbolino Moto 2 rider whom I met in my hotel on Day 2 came in 2nd in the Moto 2 category. Hopefully, he will get his shot In MotoGP soon.

With Bhpian Athek in the Grandstand to watch the main MotoGP race

One last selfie before we head out to the madness that awaits us in the parking lot.

Had to walk quite a distance to get to our cars in this mess.

Final goodbyes at the Airport after a mad mad weekend.

I have stopped watching MotoGP and F1 and it's been a while since I have seen a full race on the Tele. But even though I didn't know many riders and their teams, this was an experience I didn't want to miss, to see a MotoGP event in person.

After the event my respect for these guys has gone up many folds as just being a spectator has taken a physical toll in the harsh weather and racing these insane machines at those speeds in leathers is no joke. Even the guy finishing last is something many cannot even think of achieving and every rider who has participated is a winner in my eyes.

Finally, it's my love for motorcycles that got me my one-second fame to be seen on International TV.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Videos don't do any justice to the experience you will get on the track.

BHPian AtheK recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

What a bloody crazy weekend, just landed in Bangalore. There were hiccups, there were issues, could have been organized better no doubt about it, but did it ruin the personal viewing experience of a spectator, absolutely not. It was amazing to see kids and girls all excited and showing up for the race. If you love or like bikes, you have to come see them once.

It was a hoot and goosebumps seeing those machines, the riders leaning and accelerating and the sound of those machines. It was absolutely amazing, I am so glad I went, and I was lucky to see the action from three different stands, topping up the finale from the grandstand, thanks to amazing BHPian @sns_12. The howl these machines make is something you can only experience on the track, the loudest exhaust you might have heard will be no match to the sound these bikes make.

The launch video that I took from the end of the stand, video just can't do any justice to the experience you will get on the track.

Letting John ride the safety bike was a good gesture, though he rode it very subtly and did not push it even once, guess he was directed that way, the last thing you would want to see is the safety bike crashing. The Moto3 bikes are rowdy and sound absolutely insane, it is so nice to see them running on the track. Missed seeing MSD today, I thought he would show up.

I really hope they come back next year and I hope organizers do much better, the only gripe I have on a personal level is the time they chose, it was bloody hot, thanks to the rains on Saturday watching Sprint was bearable. Hopefully, they can get a late October slot next year, even though the riders were struggling with the heat. The fan zone could have been done better, MotoGP India merchandise quality was below par, and the option to buy merchandise was very low, hopefully, more vendors will show up next year and maybe live performances from Indian bands over the course of the weekend, making it a party. They have space and infrastructure, need to organise it better. They can also sell a single-day ticket to get more crowd, if I go next year and if they have a day pass, I will just go for the race day.

The food was reasonably priced though the water was just 200 ml bottles, they should get bigger bottles as we are just adding plastic waste by selling those 200 ml bottles. Other drinks were also available and priced decently.

Another cherry on the cake was meeting BHPians and other friends from the NCR region whom I have spoken to but never met.

Now if we can just get Formula One back as well.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tapaswi Racing is throwing a launch party to unveil cars for their Drift School 'Off Duty Driver,'

You will remember the super cool invites we received from Harley-Davidson & Hero for the Karizma.

Now, here's another one that made us smile & appreciate. Tapaswi Racing is throwing a launch party to unveil cars for their Drift School 'Off Duty Driver,' and for the official launch of the EVC product in India by Ultimate 9. Dates are 31/8 & 1/9 in Pune. There is a track day too.