The MRF Challenge 2013 season will kick-start this weekend with the first round being held at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida.
The FIA-sanctioned MRF Challenge will serve as the sole support race for the Formula One Indian Grand Prix. The four-round calendar will include 14 races, and will see the leading single-seater racing category in India go international with two rounds to be held in Bahrain in November and December.
The final round of the championship will be held in Chennai in February. MRF also confirmed a prize money of `6,500,000 for the winners of the Championship.
In its second year, the MRF Challenge 2013 will feature 18 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, the world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd, which is a strategic partner for Tata Motors Ltd.
The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia.
The MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210bhp Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.
There will be four Indians on the grid with 2012 Formula Pilota Asian Champion Parth Ghorpade, former F2 racer Parthiva Sureshwaren, and 2013 MRF 1600 winner and runner-up Ashwin Sundar and Vikash Anand.
CALENDAR: Round 1: October 25-27, 2013, New Delhi, Buddh International Circuit (Formula One Support Race). Round 2: November 28-30, 2013, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race). Round 3: December 19-21, 2013, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (Gulf Racing Festival). Round 4: February 14-16, 2014, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Trust.