Renault India has announced its partnership with the MRF Challenge for the second year in a row at a special event organised at the Buddh International Circuit. The twenty car open-wheel Indian Formula series will be powered by 2.0-litre Renault Sport engines.
The first race of the MRF Challenge will be held today (26, October) at the BIC as a support event to the Indian F1 Grand Prix. MRF is taking the series outside India and two rounds will be held in Bahrain at the start of next year. The championship provides a platform for budding talent, with competitors fighting for tops-spot in identical cars; all powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder Renault Sport engines that produce 210bhp and 220Nm of torque.
Renault has chosen two drivers – Arthur Pic and Parth Ghorpade to drive the Renault branded cars for the 2013 season. Parth Ghorpade from Aurangabad has a distinguished track record in India and abroad, including winning the 2012 Formula Pilota Asia, multiple top-10 finishes in the 2011 Renault F4 series in Europe, wining the Vice Champion title in the 2010 VW Polo Cup and achieving the title of National Karting Champion five times. He has also participated in the Formula Renault ALPS 2.0 this year, with 3 top ten finishes and a highest place of 5th position.
The second driver, Arthur Pic, has competed in multiple motorsport competitions, winning the Formula Renault 3.5 race in Russia in 2012, scoring seven pole positions, four fastest laps and four race wins on his way to third in the standings during the 2010Eurocup. He also became the highest placed rookie driver at the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 as well as Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup championships in 2010 and won the 2008 Formul'Academy Euro Series with nine podium finishes from fourteen races.
“Renault has a long and fruitful tradition of association with motorsports across the world and our partnership with the MRF Challenge heralded our entry into the arena in India last year,” said Marc Nassif, Managing Director, Renault India. “With the success of the MRF Challenge and its growing footprint in the motorsport circuit, Renault is glad to continue our partnership with the challenge and wishes the organizers as well as Renault’s team all the very best for this year’s races.”
“Renault’s long association with Formula One racing has seen us design and produce some of the best powertrains that demonstrate our strong commitment to quality and innovation,” said Mr. Nassif. “The 2-litre engines that will power the 2013 MRF Challenge as well as the K9 engine in the Renault Scala, Pulse, Fluence and Duster share benefits from our learnings in Formula One, ensuring performance, reliability, responsiveness and fuel efficiency both on the track and off it.”
