Team MRF and Gaurav Gill head to WRC 2; quit APRC after 16 seasons and nine titles

By Anand Philar

Bengaluru, April 16: In a major motorsport move, India’s leading tyre manufacturer MRF Tyres on Monday announced their entry into the FIA World Rally Championship 2 category with Gaurav Gill at the wheels, thus ending their 16-season campaign in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship which they had dominated with nine titles.

In a rather cryptic official press release today, Chennai-based MRF Tyres said: “Team MRF, having successfully won 9 APRC titles over the last many years, is now foraying into the WRC 2 with Gaurav Gill at the wheel. Further details will be shared shortly.”

INDIAinF1.com first broke this story in January 2018. 

Gill, who is all set to launch his Advanced Driving Academy in his hometown Delhi shortly, said: “I am obviously thrilled. It is a dream come true for me. In the APRC, I had competed and beaten some of the best drivers from Europe and now, it is time for me to compete with them in their territory. Read my piece on his training sessions at Coimbatore here.

“This year, it is all about learning for both me and MRF. We will be participating in limited number of WRC 2 rounds, gathering a lot of data for tyre development etc. So, I do not expect any big results. As of now, we haven’t decided on the car I will be driving and also other details are being worked out. The picture will be clear in the coming weeks.”

The move up to WRC 2 was on the cards pending confirmation from MRF with Gill often expressing his desire to compete on the World stage after winning three APRC titles in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

For both MRF and Gill, it is a huge step forward, though it is more than likely that the team will use the 2018 WRC 2 season, which has seen four of the 13 scheduled rounds already completed, as a dip-stick prior to doing the full championship next year. It is not known which round MRF and Gill will enter this season with Round 5 to be held in Argentina (April 26-29), followed by Portugal (May 17-20).

Since MRF and Gill are not registered for 2018 WRC 2 championship, they will not be eligible for any points as per FIA regulations regardless of where they finish in the rounds they will be participating.

It is also to be confirmed whether MRF will continue their association with Czech car manufacturer Skoda or go with another make of car in the WRC 2.

Skoda and MRF first partnered in the 2012 APRC season with the S2000 before the Czech manufacturer moving to the Skoda Fabia R5 in 2016. The MRF-Skoda partnership dominated the APRC by winning six championships on the trot between 2012 and 2017.

MRF made their APRC entry in 2002 with India’s top drivers at the time, Naren Kumar and Arjun Balu before opting for more experienced European crews in 2003 beginning with Germany’s Armin Kremer who won the championship on debut.

As for Gill, his long-cherished dream of competing at the World-level is about to become reality. The 36-year old Delhi-based ace, since his APRC debut in 2007, has evolved from a driver with raw speed to a mature pilot capable of competing with the best in the World. While winning three APRC titles, Gill time and again defeated Skoda’s factory-supported drivers to emphasise the point that he belongs to World level of rallying.

Gill is not new to the WRC scene. Backed by a Bengaluru-based company Sidvin, he participated in PWRC rounds in 2008 (Wales) and 2009 (Portugal and Cyprus), while becoming the first and only Indian to score points when he finished seventh in Portugal.

Gaurav Gill’s APRC record:

Starts: 57. Wins: 17. Podium: 12. Championship titles: 3 (2013, 2016 and 2017). Debut: 2007 in Mitsubishi Evo IX. First win: 2008, Indonesia in Mitsubishi IX. Last win: 2017, India (Coffee Day India Rally, Chikmagalur) in Skoda Fabia R5.

Team MRF’s Scroll of Honour in FIA APRC:

2003 – Armin Kremer / Fred Bressen (Germany) – Mitsubishi Evo VII

2005 – Jussi Valimaki / Jarko Kalliolepo (Finland) – Mitsubishi Evo VIII

2010 – Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Mark Stacey (Australia) – Mitsubishi Evo X

2012 – Chris Atkinson (Australia) / Stephane Prevot (Belgium) – Skoda Fabia S2000

2013 – Gaurav Gill (India) / Glenn Macneall (Australia) – Skoda Fabia S2000

2014 – Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dressler (Czech Republic) – Skoda Fabia S2000

2015 – Pontus Tidemand / Emil Axelsson (Sweden) – Skoda Fabia S2000

2016 – Gaurav Gill (India) / Glenn Macneall (Australia) – Skoda Fabia R5

2017 – Gaurav Gill (India) / Stephane Prevot (Belgium) – Skoda Fabia R5