Q&A with Mufaddal Choonia, CEO Mahindra
Racing
Mumbai,
April 3, 2013: In 2011, the Mahindra Group made
history when it entered the FIM 125cc Motorcycle World Championship, part of
the MotoGP™ series, the top-tier of two-wheeled motor sport in the world.
Mahindra Racing was the first Indian team and manufacturer to compete in
international two-wheeled motor sport. Although a small first step for the
USD15.9 billion diversified, Mumbai-based multinational group that employs more
than 155,000 people in over 100 countries, the team was well received and its
riders regularly finished in the points during the last year of the two-stroke
125cc era.
In
2012 the championship switched to the new Moto3™ format – 250cc, single
cylinder four-stroke machines. The switch proved challenging for the relative
newcomer in a series dominated by ‘off the shelf’ motorcycles supplied by
well-established racing manufacturers. Not satisfied with its performance in
the early part of the season, Mahindra Racing’s management undertook a
comprehensive review of operations and in August 2012 announced a complete
re-structuring of its team and technical partnerships for the 2013 season.
Working
with established Swiss engineering firm Suter Technology AG, Mahindra Racing
set about designing and building a totally new Moto3 challenger to compete in
the 2013 season – no mean feat in a short, four-month window. At the final race
of the 2012 Moto3 season in November, the team announced the signing of two new
riders, talented Portuguese teenager Miguel Oliveira and experienced Spaniard
Efrén Vázquez. With a number of new personnel appointments following, the
new-look team moved to a base in Switzerland.
By
February 2013, the all new MGP-3O was in action in the pre-season group tests
at Valencia. This was followed by two tests at Jerez. In all three, the MGP-3O
displayed some impressive reliability completing many trouble-free kilometres
on the track as the riders and team worked on setting up the machines for the
season ahead.
After
such a positive start to 2013, Mufaddal Choonia, CEO of Mahindra Racing,
looks ahead to the rest of the year.
Q.
Have you had a busy winter?
We
have had an extremely busy winter re-structuring our entire operation while
also developing the new bike. I have to give credit to everyone involved who
has helped make the changes happen. Mahindra engineers have worked closely with
their counterparts at Suter Racing and the result, in such a short amount of
time, has been encouraging. Meanwhile, we have also moved our operating base to
Switzerland.
Q.
Are you pleased with how things have gone?
So
far so good! The effort has been enormous and it has been satisfying to watch
the professionalism of our riders and team members during the three pre-season
tests. Equally satisfying has been the performance of the all new MGP-3O. We
have managed to do a lot of laps with no real problems and this gives us great
hope for the long season ahead. I know that testing was only a small step in
the right direction and we do not want to get ahead of ourselves, but we have
also been happy with the times Miguel and Efrén have achieved after such a
short development time in the factory.
Q.
How are your new riders?
I
am extremely pleased with both riders. We chose them because they have great
pedigree and are known as front runners. They also provide a great balance of
speed and experience. I have been impressed with the professionalism and work
ethic of both riders and, on a human level, they fit in well with the team and
are both great guys. The fact that both of them speak far better English than I
speak Spanish or Portuguese is also extremely helpful!
Q.
How much of the new bike is ‘Mahindra?’
The
all new MGP-3O is very much a Mahindra bike. Of course, we have benefited
enormously from the experience and expertise of Suter Racing Technology, our
technological partner in the project. We certainly could not have proceeded
from concept to track within such a short amount of time without the input of
Eskil’s team. However, we have had Mahindra engineers involved in the project
at every stage, in fact the entire project management has been done by Mahindra
engineers. We have also carried out a lot of the design analysis (including
FMEA) at our R&D centres in India. So yes, a lot of Mahindra expertise has
gone into the design of the new bike.
Q.
Mahindra Racing has a new logo this year, can you explain the change?
It
is fitting that the change in the Mahindra corporate identity gives us the
opportunity to update the Mahindra Racing logo at a time when we have made
significant changes to the team. I think this clean, modern Mahindra logo works
very well for us. It reflects the evolving nature of our organisation, our
global outlook and progressive management style. In short, it reflects the
‘core’ of Mahindra.
Q.
What are your objectives for the season?
We
are splitting our season into stages, which reflect the development planned for
the bike during the season. For each stage we have objectives to improve our
performance. However, I do not wish to be drawn into a discussion on specifics
at this stage. Both our riders seem to be happy with the bike and are very
enthusiastic about the season ahead, but I shall wait and see how we perform in
the opening three races before making any predictions. Clearly, Mahindra is not
involved in MotoGP to make up the numbers and we are keen to be challenging the
front runners during the course of this season.
Q.
How is Mahindra’s racing programme being received in India?
The
reception to our MotoGP programme in India has been fantastic and honestly
speaking, that has surprised even me. We are the largest online motor sports
community from India with more than 671,000 fans on Facebook. And many of these
are not just fans making up the numbers. They are fans who regularly interact
with the brand, monitor the progress of the team, ask questions and give us
their feedback and suggestions. This is very encouraging for us as a team.
Q.
Has Mahindra’s racing programme expanded in 2013?
In
addition to our Moto3 racing activities in 2013, Mahindra Racing will again be
competing in the CIV Italian Championship, also in the Moto3 class. Last year
we succeeded in winning the Constructors’ Championship in the CIV 125cc class.
This year our satellite team will feature two exciting new riders, Andrea
Locatelli, who is 16, and Michael Rinaldi (17). The CIV programme is an interesting
way to develop new talent, and provides valuable data to develop our bike over
the course of the season. We are hoping for another successful season in the
CIV.
Q.
What is Mahindra’s long-term plan?
As many people will remember, Mr Anand Mahindra, the
Chairman of the Mahindra Group, made a commitment that Mahindra is in motor
sport for the long term and we will stick by that commitment. However, we need
to take it one step at a time and so I am solely focused on delivering
dramatically improved performance for the team in the 2013 Moto3 season. If we
achieve that step then we shall redefine our plans and objectives for the
future. The Moto3 class remains our focus.
About Mahindra Racing
Mahindra
Racing became the first Indian team to participate in the FIM MotoGP™ World
Motorcycle Racing Championship in 2011 and the Italian National Motorcycle
Racing Championship (CIV) in 2012.
Racing in the Moto3™ class in MotoGP, Mahindra Racing enters the
2013 season with its own new 4-stroke, single-cylinder 250cc motorcycle
developed in conjunction with experienced Swiss firm Suter Racing Technology
AG. Experienced Spanish rider Efrén Vázquez (26, from Bilbao) is teamed with
exciting Portuguese teenager Miguel Oliveira (17, from Pragal near Lisbon) in
the team.
In the 2012 CIV season, Mahindra Racing competed in the 125 GP
Class and became the first team from India to win an international motorsport
event, eventually recording six victories from eight races and securing the
Constructors’ Championship. In 2013, Mahindra Racing will enter the Moto3™
class in CIV.
For further
information please visit: www.mahindraracing.com
About Mahindra
The
Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power
mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase
business efficiency.
A USD
15.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more
than 155,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key
industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility
vehicles, information technology and vacation ownership. In addition,
Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace,
components, consulting services, defence, energy, financial
services, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel and two wheeler industries.
In 2012,
Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000 list, a listing of the biggest and
most powerful listed companies in the world.
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For further enquiries
Roma
Balwani
Senior
Vice President – Group Communications
Mahindra
& Mahindra
Ltd.
Phone: +91 22 2490
1441
Email: balwani.roma@mahindra.com
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