125cc – Debut in Qatar for Mahindra Racing

Mahindra Racing – part of the Mahindra Group – will debut from 17 to 20 March on the Losail international circuit for the first round of the 125cc class of the MotoGP World Championship.

Mahindra, the first Indian manufacturer to enter the prestigious MotoGP World Championship as a team, will field its motorbikes produced by Engines Engineering of Bologna, the Italian headquarters of the Indian company itself, in the 125cc class, motorbikes which will be ridden by the British Dany Webb and the German Schrötter.

Qatar is an exciting place to make such a debut. Given its location in the middle of the desert, whose sand is often brought to the track by the wind, adjusting the bike is difficult, also due to the constant unevenness of the surface. Furthermore, it is the only race of the season to take place at night and the track illuminated by floodlights makes the work of the drivers more difficult.

Regarding Mahindra's participation in the MotoGP Championship, Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice-President and Director, Mahindra Group, says, “It is a matter of great pride for us to represent India in the most prestigious two-wheeler championship in the world. Mahindra motorcycles will compete in a truly competitive class and this is an ideal opportunity for us to showcase our strength in engineering and Italian demand. MotoGP is the best route for young motorcycling talent and its popularity and fan following is spectacular. Our participation will also help us increase the global power of the Mahindra Group logo.”

Team Principal Mufaddal Choonia announces the team's debut. “I am very proud to be part of the first Indian team participating in the MotoGP Championship. This is a very important championship for everyone who participates and we are all working hard to show our competitiveness.
Mahindra is a multinational with a turnover of 7,1 billion dollars and which produces three essential things: products, services and possibilities. It is a new company in the two-wheel market and the entry into MotoGP demonstrates our ambitions.
We are not in the world of sport just to make up the numbers, but we are here to win. It may sound ambitious, but it's who we are. I understand that this can be a big task, but we are focused and will fight to make this happen.” says Choonia.

Nineteen-year-old British Danny Webb from Tunbridge Wells, who this year will participate in his fifth season in the category, confides to us: “I think my experience and potential attracted the team, but on the other hand, the strength of the Mahindra Group combined with Engines Engineering experience led me to them. Qatar is our first race together and we are focusing on improving more and more throughout the season.
I like the track but racing at night is really unusual. It's a bit like being in the Playstation game, you have to learn to ignore the shadows of the drivers behind you, as the spotlights make them appear as if they are constantly above you. I am confident: we can do a good job.”

Eighteen-year-old Marcel Schrötter from Pflugdorf, Germany, will begin his second season in the category. “I'm anxious to get on track in Qatar: it will be nice to start racing again. I'm still learning how to handle the 125 bike, and this one is still in the development phase so it's difficult to predict how the first race will go, but I will definitely push hard from the start. “

Monitoring the activities during these days is the team manager, Nicola Casadei. “It goes without saying that the tests didn't go as hoped, given that they were interrupted by rain, but we understood the bike better and now we know how and where to improve. Qatar will be a good indicator to understand where we are compared to our rivals.”

The Qatar Grand Prix will open with free practice in the 125cc class on March 17th and 18th, followed by qualifying on March 19th and the race on Sunday 20th.

press office