2014–15 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship

The 2014–2015 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship was the third running of the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship. The championship commenced on 17 October 2014 in Losail International Circuit, Qatar and finished on 25 January 2015 in Madras Motor Racing Track, India. The series consisted of 12 races, spread across 3 meetings.[1]

With four victories – two at Losail and two in Madras – and top-five finishes in every race, Toby Sowery finished the season as champion. Sowery finished 47 points clear of his next closest competitor Ryan Cullen, who was a three-time race winner, winning a pair of races in Bahrain and one in Madras. Third place in the championship went to the best placed home driver Raj Bharath, who was a race winner at Losail; he finished 26 points in arrears of Cullen. Four other drivers won races during the season; Tarun Reddy won the other race to be held at Losail, Struan Moore and Mathias Lauda each won races in Bahrain, and Oscar King won the season's final race, in Madras.

Drivers

edit

Freddie Hunt, son of 1976 Formula One champion James Hunt and Mathias Lauda, son of 1975, 1977 and 1984 Formula One champion Niki Lauda both competed in the series.[2]

No. Driver Rounds
1   Mathias Lauda 1–2
2   Tarun Reddy All
3   Dylan Young All
4   Christophe Mariot 2
5   Raj Bharath All
6   Pedro Cardoso 1
7   Toby Sowery All
8   Ryan Cullen All
9   Lee Keshav All
10   Vikash Anand 1–2
11   Freddie Hunt All
12   Vinicius Papareli All
15   Advait Deodhar 2
16   Laura Tillett All
17   Nikita Mazepin 1
18   Kyle Mitchell 1–2
19   Camren Kaminsky 2
20   Struan Moore 2
21   Matthew Solomon 3
23   Jordan Albert 3
35   Mahaveer Raghunathan 3
50   Gustavo Myasava 3
61   Sebastian Balthasar 3
77   Oscar King 3

Race calendar and results

edit

The second round in Bahrain was held in support of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Round Circuit Date Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver
2014
1 R1   Losail International Circuit, Lusail 17 October   Toby Sowery   Toby Sowery   Toby Sowery
R2   Toby Sowery   Tarun Reddy
R3 18 October   Kyle Mitchell   Raj Bharath
R4   Raj Bharath   Toby Sowery
2 R1   Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir 14 November   Raj Bharath   Ryan Cullen   Ryan Cullen
R2   Camren Kaminsky   Struan Moore
R3 15 November   Kyle Mitchell   Ryan Cullen
R4   Ryan Cullen   Mathias Lauda
2015
3 R1   Madras Motor Racing Track, Chennai 24 January   Sebastian Balthasar   Oscar King   Toby Sowery
R2   Toby Sowery   Toby Sowery
R3 25 January   Ryan Cullen   Ryan Cullen
R4   Oscar King   Oscar King

Championship standings

edit
Pos. Driver LOS
 
BHR
 
MMR
 
Points
1   Toby Sowery 1 3 3 1 5 2 3 4 1 1 2 5 221
2   Ryan Cullen 2 6 4 3 1 3 1 8 10† 5 1 4 174
3   Raj Bharath 9 7 1 2 2 4 4 3 5 6 4 7 148
4   Kyle Mitchell 3 5 2 7 3 6 2 2 112
5   Tarun Reddy 6 1 7 5 Ret 7 Ret Ret 2 4 Ret 9 87
6   Mathias Lauda 4 4 6 9 15† 8 6 1 71
7   Oscar King 9 3 3 1 61
8   Gustavo Myasava 3 2 5 3 58
9   Struan Moore 4 1 Ret 6 45
10   Nikita Mazepin 5 2 Ret 6 36
11   Dylan Young 8 11 8 10 6 5 7 Ret Ret 10 9 Ret 36
12   Matthew Solomon Ret 8 6 2 30
13   Vinícius Papareli Ret 10 9 8 10 11 5 Ret 6 Ret 11 12 29
14   Pedro Cardoso 11 8 5 4 26
15   Jordan Albert 4 12 7 6 26
16   Camren Kaminsky 12 9 8 5 18
17   Laura Tillett 12 13 11 12 8 12 Ret 7 Ret Ret 8 8 18
18   Vikash Anand 7 9 13 13 7 Ret Ret 9 16
19   Lee Keshav 11 14 12 11 13 13 9 Ret 7 9 10 13 10
20   Sebastian Balthasar Ret 7 Ret 11 8
21   Mahaveer Raghunathan 8 11 DNS 10 5
22   Freddie Hunt 10 12 10 Ret 9 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 5
23   Christophe Mariot 14 15 11 10 1
24   Advait Deodhar 11 14 10 Ret 1
Pos. Driver LOS
 
BHR
 
MMR
 
Points
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

References

edit
  1. ^ "@MRF_Racing: 8 August". Twitter. Twitter Inc. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  2. ^ Simmons, Marcus (15 July 2014). "The sons of James Hunt and Niki Lauda to race in MRF series". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
edit