MRF Racing

MRF Racing is an Indian racing team that competes in car racing and rallies.

Formula Racing

MRF Challenge is an open-wheel formula racing series organized by MRF. The latest season consisted of races organized at Madras Motor Racing Track, Chennai, Bahrain International Circuit, Losail International Circuit, Doha and Buddh International Circuit, Noida. Freddie Hunt, son of 1976 Formula One champion James Hunt, Mathias Lauda, son of 1975, 1977 and 1984 Formula One champion Niki Lauda and Mick Schumacher, son of seven time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher competed in the series.^[1] MRF has sponsored Indian racing drivers including Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandok, Ashwin Sundar, N. Leelakrishnan and Raj Bharath.^{[citation needed]}

Rallying

MRF have also been a long-running sponsor of MRF rally team participating in Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and Indian National Rally Championship. Associating with Czech car manufacturer Škoda, MRF Skoda is the three time reigning champion in Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with Chris Atkinson winning in 2012, Gaurav Gill in 2013 and Jan Kopecký in 2014.^[2] MRF also participates in Raid De Himalaya, the world's highest rally.^[3] The Indian National Rally Championship Overall winners (2022) Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai also drive in the MRF colours.^[4]

European Rally Championship

Since 2020, Team MRF Tyres has contested the European Rally Championship. In 2020, they fielded two cars – a BRC-run Hyundai i20 R5 for Hyundai’s factory driver Craig Breen and a TGS-run Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo for Emil Lindholm. Breen eventually finished the championship in 7th and Lindholm in 15th, with MRF finishing 4th in the Teams championship.

In 2021 MRF entered a VW Polo GTI R5 for Simone Campedelli instead of WRC-2 bound Lindholm, while also continuing to field the BRC-run Hyundai. Craig Breen continued to drive, but left the team after three events. Different Hyundai-associated drivers would compete in the car for the remainder of the year, including Jari Huttunen, Dani Sordo and Nil Solans. MRF eventually finished the season in 5th.

In 2022, MRF expanded to enter a trio of Škodas for Campedelli, Norbert Herczig and 2021 runner-up Efrén Llarena. Javier Pardo Siota and Mārtiņš Sesks joined later in the season. Llarena scored his first ERC victory on Rallye Azores, with Sesks taking a dominant victory by winning every stage at his home Rally Liepāja. Llarena eventually won the championship, with Pardo in 2nd, Campedelli in 5th, Herczig in 9th and Sesks in 12th. MRF also won the Teams championship, leading Toksport WRT by 90 points.

In 2023, MRF entered two teams – Team MRF Tyres and MRF Tyres Dealer Team. They retained Llarena, Campedelli and Sesks, who were joined by Mads Østberg in a TRT-run Citroën C3 Rally2 and Andrea Mabellini in a Škoda. Pontus Tidemand, Jon Armstrong and Dennis Radström also appeared in a GN Motorsport-run Ford Fiesta Rally2, while Pardo drove a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 at Rally Islas Canarias. The team took two victories – in Poland Liepāja, courtesy of Mārtiņš Sesks, who eventually finished the season as runner-up. Østberg classified 3rd, with Llarena in 4th. The teams finished in 1st and 3rd, respectively.

In 2024, MRF downgraded to three cars for Llarena, Mabellini and Sesks, who switched the Škoda for a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. The season proved to be challenging, with both Llarena and Sesks leaving mid-season. Amaury Molle and Simone Tempestini were later signed as their replacements. Mabellini took 2nd in Ceredigion and later won 2024 Rally Silesia, which allowed him to finish 4th in the overall standings. MRF eventually finished the championship in 2nd.

Tempestini is set to remain with MRF in 2025 behind the wheel of a Keane Motorsport-run Škoda, with James Williams and former Citroën factory driver Stéphane Lefebvre joining on selected events, both driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally2.

Others

MRF promotes a national motocross championship, a form of all-terrain two wheeler racing held on enclosed off-road circuits annually across several cities. MRF sponsors major karting championships in India. MRF is the first Indian tyre company to develop FIA approved karting tyres.^[5]

References

^ 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.
^ "Kopecky wins WRC for MRF". rally.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
^ "Raid de Himalaya 2009 from October 5, 2009". North India Times. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
^ Track, Auto (7 December 2022). "Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai clinch maiden Karnataka-1000 Rally title". Auto Track. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
^ "MRF Sports".

[1] 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.

[2] "Kopecky wins WRC for MRF". rally.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

[3] "Raid de Himalaya 2009 from October 5, 2009". North India Times. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2014.

[4] Track, Auto (7 December 2022). "Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai clinch maiden Karnataka-1000 Rally title". Auto Track. Retrieved 19 April 2023.

[MRF_Racing-5] "MRF Sports".

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