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Extreme E Island X Prix: Rosberg X Racing wins again to maintain championship lead

On the same weekend that Formula 1 was having its 17^th round of 2021 in Texas and the 2^nd round of Vios Challenge Season 4 was being run in Malaysia, the fourth round of the Extreme E series took place in Sardinia, an island adjacent to Italy. Unlike the cars in the other two events, those in Extreme E do not consume any petrol or diesel and emit virtually zero toxic emissions. They are fully electric SUVs and the series is all-new, with a focus on environmental issues as well.

The round in Sardinia – called the Enel X Island X Prix – was won by Rosberg X Racing (RXR), which made it 3 wins from 4 rounds. This puts the team, owned and managed by former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, in a commanding championship lead.

“It was pretty slippery out there, so it was a bit difficult to judge at first. From that point, it was just trying to manage the risk and I think that is what we did really well. Johan brought it home and again it was just an amazing effort by all of the team. We had a very challenging weekend from our side, but we never gave up and are very happy to be the winners here,” said RXR’s Molly Taylor, who was partnered with Johan Kristoffersson.

Consistent in changing conditions
The RXR drivers remained consistent in changing conditions to seal a dramatic victory ahead of ABT CUPRA XE, who secured their best result of the season in second. It was heartbreak, though, for long-time leaders in the Final – SEGI TV Chip Ganassi Racing – after Sara Price’s crash on Lap 2 caused terminal damage and meant she had to stop on track, ensuring the team could only finish as high as fourth on their Finals debut.

That moved JBXE into their third podium finish in succession with third place despite also suffering damage out on the course. Bad luck once again befell X44, the fastest qualifiers, in the final as Sebastien Loeb was forced to stop out on track and retire with broken steering. Loeb was running in second behind SEGI TV’s Kyle LeDuc despite driving with a slow puncture at the time of the stoppage, which meant the team now fall even further behind winners and championship leaders RXR in the standings.

Wet Final, new challenges
A heavy downpour prior to lights out made for the first ‘wet’ Final of the Extreme E season, providing the 5 finalists with a new challenge to overcome in their bid for victory. X44 was able to take their place in the Final despite suffering heavy damage in the opening Semi-Final of the day. In a sign of the unique camaraderie demonstrated across the Extreme E paddock, X44’s efforts to rebuild their damaged car were boosted by the support of mechanics and engineering teams from the Andretti United Extreme E team. The joint efforts ensure that their ODYSSEY 21 e-SUV WAS ready in time for the Enel X Island X Prix showpiece.

In treacherous conditions, 4 of the 5 teams were able to get off the start line cleanly, although ABT CUPRA XE were left with plenty of work to do after Jutta Kleinschmidt stalled on the grid. It looked like X44 had staged a remarkable comeback to lead into the first corner, but were beaten spectacularly by LeDuc who managed to get in front after using the alternate route.

A spin for Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky put JBXE at the back of the field, while the slow-starting Kleinschmidt quickly made up ground on RXR’s Taylor to battle for third. This soon became a 3-way tussle for second as Loeb began to lose pace as he struggled with a slow puncture, allowing LeDuc to build an impressive lead out in front.

After Loeb was forced to retire with broken steering, Taylor and Kleinschmidt remained nose-to-tail in their battle for second as they headed towards the Driver Switch zone. As LeDuc exited his car in the zone following a superb opening lap, it appeared the so-far luckless team was about to complete a heroic turnaround and bring home their first Extreme E win. However, they were cruelly denied as Price suffered terminal damage to her car after making contact with a rock out on the course, which ruled them out of contention for victory and meant they could only finish as high as fourth.

This left RXR’s Kristoffersson in the lead and chased by Mattias Ekstrom, who continued on at great speed despite driving without his left-hand door throughout the lap! The ABT CUPRA XE driver was no match for Kristoffersson, though, who kept up the pressure to extend his lead and take RXR’s third win of the campaign and put his team as the firm favourites for championship glory at the final of the season in the in December.

CUPRA Tavascan Extreme E Concept shows next evolution of e-SUV

BMW iX3 SAV joins the BMW EV line-up in Malaysia; deliveries start in 2022

Following the launch of the new BMW iX in Malaysia two months ago, BMW Malaysia today announced the addition of the iX3. The iX3 is available in two versions with rather interesting names – Inspiring and Impressive – with pricing starting from at RM335,800 and RM354,800, respectively, without insurance. The prices include BMW Service & Repair Inclusive – a 5-year Extended Warranty and 6-year service package – as well as the Power Package which comes with the BMW i Wallbox and BMW Standard Charging Cable. Like the iX, the iX3 can be booked now but deliveries will only start in 2022.

Both versions have the M Sport package as standard which gives a more expressive appearance to the fully electric SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle). Besides M Sport specific items and High-Gloss Shadowline, the iX3 Inspiring has standard features like LED adaptive headlights with high beam assist and 19-inch alloy rims for the Inspiring version. The Impressive version has the more advanced BMW Laserlight and larger rims, along with a Head-Up Display, Harman Kardon 464W audio system with 16 speakers and the unique BMW IconicSounds Electric.

The 210 kW/400 Nm electric motor, located at the rear, is powered by an 80-kWh lithium-ion battery which is claimed to be able to provide a range of up to 461 kms. Like an internal combustion engine, range depends on how you drive and where you drive but even half that number would be sufficient for daily use. The range might be shorter if you constantly go from standstill to 100 km/h in the claimed 6.8 seconds or travel close to the top speed of 180 km/h (electronically limited).

When using DC fast charging at rates of up to 150 kW, 80% charge can be obtained within 32 minutes, while AC charging at up to 11 kW will require about 7.5 hours (typically overnight) for a 100% charge. The battery pack has a separate warranty of 8 years or maximum of 160,000 kms.

All the SAVs distributed by BMW Group Malaysia will have Vernasca leather upholstery and sports seats with various choices of colours and stitching as well as interior themes colour matched to the exterior finish. Different authorised dealerships will display different versions so if the one you see at the showroom is now what appeals to you, then you can go to BMW Shop Online to see the other choices available.

As with all BMWs, the safety systems are advanced with the Driving Assistant Professional suite as standard to help the driver avoid accidents. There’s also a Surround View Display and parking assistance systems to make parking easy and precise. Because an EV runs almost noiselessly, there are regulations in some countries that require some sort of noise to be generated to ensure pedestrians are aware. BMW has installed in its EVs an Audible Pedestrian Protection system which gives off a whining sound at speeds of up to 30 km/h.

“The arrival of the First-Ever BMW iX3 is made especially significant with these distinct variants that provide our loyal customers and fans of electric mobility in Malaysia the ‘Power of Choice’ – without compromising on power, performance or safety. Alongside our upcoming fleet of new BMW i vehicles, the First-Ever BMW iX3 is set to spur a new generation of Electric Vehicle owners in Malaysia, as the all-electric SAV presents a wealth of possibilities with its all-rounded qualities in innovation and design language to make the Electric Premium Ownership Experience even more enjoyable,” said Hans de Visser, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia.

BMW Group Malaysia moves into next phase of electrification with new BMW i model range

F1/Round 17: Highlights & Provisional Results For 2021 US Grand Prix

As the lights went green, both drivers on the front row got off to good starts and were side by side heading to Turn 1. Neither was willing to back off and in the end, it was Max Verstappen who had to go wide when Lewis Hamilton did not let him pass. But the Dutchman recovered quickly and rejoined alongside team mate Sergio Perez.

The first vehicle contacts occurred when Wiliiams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi bumped into Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll at the start and the Canadian driver spun. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon also got hit by the Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovanazzi, resulting in the Alpine’s front wing being damaged and he had to head to the pits for a replacement. As he rejoined the race, he almost collided with a fast-moving Latifi who had also come in.

There was a lot of jostling for better positions in the first laps, and starting positions quickly changed. Williams Racing’s George Russell was able to move up to 14th from the back, while McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo moved from 7th to 5th after getting past Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

From lap 8 onwards, the switch to hard tyres had started for most cars, except for Valtteri Bottas and the two Aston Martin drivers. Verstappen came in on lap 10, and Hamilton was forced to do likewise next, The Red Bull Racing driver inherited the lead as Hamilton went into the pits and wasted no time opening up the gap which was almost 7 seconds when the Mercedes-AMG driver came out again.

On lap 16, Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri had suspension problems serious enough that he had to pit. The problem was serious enough that he did not leave and was the first retiree of the USGP.

Bottas had been struggling to improve on his position but did not make much progress until lap 20 when he finally got past AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda to move into 8th – only one position better than what he started at (he had incurred a 5-place penalty on the grid for a sixth engine change).

On lap 22, Alonso got past Giovanazzi but it had occurred off the tracks, and after clarifying with the Race Director that it was not permissible, he had to give back the 11th place he had acquired, while Giovanazzi’s team mate, Kimi Raikkonen, moved further ahead. A lap later, an angry Alonso again has a close encounter with Giovanazzi and this time it was the reverse as the Alfa Romeo driver was told to give back the place to Alonso,

The Virtual Safety Car appeared on lap 29 for a while as a marshal had to get onto the track to collect some debris left by one of the cars during a minor collision earlier. At that point, Hamilton had closed in to around 3 seconds from the leader with no worries from the next car behind (Perez) who was some 17 seconds away.

On lap 30, Hamilton moved into the lead as Verstappen came in for his second tyre change. As he rejoined, he was just behind his team mate but got past quickly and began closing in on his rival who was trying to open up a gap so that he could safely go for a tyre change. This time, the Mercedes-AMG team might get it right. However, Verstappen was not making things easy by steadily eating away at what started as a 16-second gap.

Hamilton finally came in on lap 37, spent 2.4 seconds in the pits to get another set of hard tyres and when he came out, Verstappen was almost 8 seconds in the lead. Not a big gap and still 19 laps left which meant an interesting fight ahead. The tyres should last but track temperatures were high too and could be an unexpected factor. Further back, Perez and Ferrari’s Charle’s Leclerc were reasonably safe in their 3rd and 4th positions, respectively, with wide gaps between them.

Ocon became the second driver to retire as his team radioed him to return to the pits. They didn’t seem to want to explain why but it was a disappointment as he was running well. Alonso, his team mate, was in 13th and trying to take home at least 1 point from the race for the team. But he too would retire 5 laps from the end with a wing problem.

With 10 laps remaining, Hamilton was 2.5 seconds behind Verstappen, pushing as hard as he could and collecting fastest lap along the way. It appeared that Verstappen was not going as fast as he could have, which may have helped the Mercedes-AMG driver close in.

On the second last lap, Vettel was able to slip into the points-paying 10th as Raikkonen spun off into the gravel.

The last lap provided the American spectators a thrilling dual as the gap was under 2 seconds between the leaders. Hamilton seemed to be pushing very hard and sliding round some corners. It was going to be tight and Verstappen had one last back runner – Haas F1’s Mick Schumacher – to get past. But Verstappen just made it across the finish line with less than a second’s gap from Hamilton to win the USGP for the first time.

Day 2 Report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

After yesterday’s racing in hot and sunny weather, the second racing session of Round 2 of the Vios Challenge at the Sepang International Circuit was run in both wet and dry conditions. But like yesterday, the competition was intense for both the new and existing drivers in the series which is now in its fourth season.

“Looking at all the action on and off the track, it was obvious that everyone in the community has been eager to get back to doing what they do best – racing! The competition was just as intense, if not greater, than it had been before the pandemic and this is precisely the boost of energy we all need to steer out of these challenging times,” said GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer, Akio Takeyama.

“As an event organizer, one of the most demanding aspects of the weekend in these times has not so much been in managing the racing on the track but to ensure that all safeguards are in place and adhered to in order to protect everyone on site from the threat of COVID-19. This remains our number one priority,” he stressed.

The event was closed to the public and spectators in accordance with conditions set by the National Security Council (MKN) pertaining to the organizing of sporting events. However, some 2 million people watched the races online in Malaysia as well as anywhere that was connected to the internet.

SUPER SPORTING CLASS
Unlike Race 1 which was held in blistering hot conditions, Race 2 got underway in the rain with drivers not only having to contend with a slippery track but also poor visibility. Those conditions however, seemed to Favour M7 Japan Project Team’s Syafiq Ali who catapulted himself into the lead from fourth position in the first corner, followed closely by team mate Faidzil Alang.

However, all the excitement of Lap 1 was cut short when the Safety Car had to be activated and circulated for 3 laps. During this time, Syafiq led the convoy behind the Safety Car and ahead of Faidzil, followed by Hayden Haikal who started from pole position.

Mark Darwin who was running in fifth behind overall championship leader Tengku Djan Ley eventually spun going into the first corner after the restart, dropping to 12^th. The fight at the front of the pack was extremely fierce with Cheah charging aggressively with the hope of making it a double race win. After passing Hayden, his duel with Faidzil for second position lasted for 2 laps before he got past and away. His sights were then set on catching race leader Syafiq who was 2.1 seconds ahead.

As conditions worsened, the Safety Car was again called out on lap 10. This erased whatever lead Syafiq had built up. As the rain got heavier, the race was eventually red flagged which meant all racing was suspended. However, the race was able to be resumed minutes later, again under Safety Car conditions, and with 1 lap to go, Syafiq held his ground to take the chequered flag just half a car’s length in front of Cheah, and Faidzil in third position.

SPORTING CLASS
Like the Super Sporting Class race, this race was also run in wet conditions. But the rain was just the ‘x-factor’ Crestmax Motorsport’s Adam Khalid needed to make a huge impact on the race results when he stormed from 15th position on the starting grid to win the 20-lap race.

Adam, who finished the race ahead of Aylezo Motorsport’s Mirza Syahmi Mahzan and Eric Yong who came in third, said: “The rain really helped me, and the team did an awesome job to prepare the car… it was just perfect and by the 6th lap, I found myself in the lead. From then on, I just kept my head down and focused on track ahead.”

ROOKIE CLASS
In the Rookie Class, 17-year-old Amer Harris was the highest placed young driver running seventh overall, in the race which shared the grid with the Super Sporting Class racers. Amer took the chequered flag ahead of fellow teenager Mika Hakimi and 14-year-old Putera Adam.

The race win was Amer’s second podium finish over the weekend, having completed Race 1 yesterday (Saturday) in third position. Finishing fifth and failing to make it four race wins in a row was Naquib Azlan, followed by Jwan Hii in fifth position.

PROMOTIONAL CLASS
The Promotional Class race was almost a repeat of Race 1’s results with actor Shukri Yahaya once again claiming race victory, his second for the weekend. It was a closely-contested 18-lap race, and he finished 7.1 seconds ahead of TV presenter Nabil Ahmad. In third place was fellow actor Zizan Razak.

Starting from fifth on the grid, Shukri piled on the pressure from the very beginning as he picked off one by one Wany Hasrita, Akio Takeyama, and singers Nabila Razali and Khai Bahar to move into the lead.

“I realized that I can be rather impatient in past races and that led to some bad decisions and mistakes on track. Patience is very important in racing. I’ve also been working really hard at improving my driving skills and I made a conscious effort over the last 7 months of break to work on my driving and racecraft on a simulator – that has helped a great deal to prepare me for this weekend,” said Shukri.

With two race victories, both Shukri and Zizan now have a solid chance of taking the overall championship title in the Promotional Class and that is what he is eyeing for. “As a super senior in the class by virtue of this being my fourth season in the Vios Challenge, I owe it to myself and my fans to become champion. I’m definitely going for it!” said Shukri.

Round 3 to be a night race
Round 3 and the season finale of the Vios Challenge will be held on November 20/21, again at the Sepang International Circuit. However, there will be a twist as it will be a night race! At this time, it is not known yet whether conditions will be relaxed to allow spectators to be present. To stay informed, visit the Toyota Malaysia website at www.toyota.com.my, or the Facebook pages of Toyota Malaysia and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia.

Day 1 report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

F1/Round 17: Preview & Starting Grid For 2021 US Grand Prix

Race starts at 2 pm in America/3 am on Monday in Malaysia

After circulating around Europe since April, the Formula 1 World Championship crosses the Atlantic to the USA for Round 17. The event is at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, which has to cancel its race last year due to the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a venue that the teams have always been happy to visit since it first joined the championship in 2012.

The 5.513-km long circuit with 20 turns offers drivers a variety of challenges. The first sector features a wide, blind first corner that allows for multiple lines, followed by a sequence of rapid changes in direction similar to Suzuka’s Esses. A car with good balance will have an advantage.

The second sector has a long high-speed straight followed by a heavy-braking overtaking point at Turn 12. The cars approach this turn after having traveled the long straight and must lose almost 240 km/h in order to set the braking point up right. They go from 333 km/h to 94 km/h in just 2.52 seconds and 125 metres.

During that time, the drivers are subject to 5.8g in deceleration or almost 6 times their body weight. So a driver weighing 70 kgs will feel like he weighs almost 420 kgs, which requires a high level of fitness to be able to cope with that and control the car properly over 50 times during the race.

Compared to the motorcycles, the single-seaters complete the race 30 seconds sooner because they travel a good part of the corners at a faster speed and sometimes don’t need to brake. Of the 10 braking sections on COTA, Brembo technicians have classified three as demanding on the brakes, one is medium difficulty and five are light.

Commenting on the conditions at COTA, Pirelli’s Head of F1 and Car Racing, Mario Isola, said that despite the circuit having been resurfaced for around 40% of its total length, there’s not a huge difference in terms of abrasion compared to the last F1 race in 2019. Several bumps are also still present despite some surface ‘milling’ – a process designed to smooth out the asphalt.

“The biggest difference has instead been the weather, with both track and ambient temperatures considerably warmer than the cool conditions experienced a couple of years ago. As expected in today’s warm temperatures, there was a bit of overheating on the soft C4 compound rear tyre, which is quite stressed given the severe traction demands of this circuit in the final sector especially,” he said.

“A two-stop strategy is the more likely, with the high speeds and abrasive surfaces here taking a lot out of the tyres. At the same time, the relatively low pit stop time loss and number of overtaking opportunities mitigate the advantages of a one-stopper. There are a number of different two-stoppers that are quite closely matched, depending on the race circumstances, so this looks set to be an intense strategic battle,” added Isola.

The championship for drivers still remains close at the very top, with Max Verstappen just 6 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton after the 16^th round in Istanbul. For the constructors championship, Valtteri Bottas’ win in the Turkish GP plus Hamilton’s 5^th placing gives the Mercedes-AMG team a 36-point lead ahead of Red Bull Racing. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team and Lewis Hamilton have been dominant at COTA but Verstappen’s pole position for today’s race may be the beginning of a change.

F1: Australian GP to be replaced by Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix in November

Day 1 report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

After a 7-month break – with half of the time due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic – the Vios Challenge of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival (TGR Festival) was on again today. The participants were eager to go racing so it was competition at its most intense in Round 2 at the Sepang International Circuit.

Unfortunately, although the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been relaxed, there are still restrictions set by the health authorities and spectators are not permitted at the circuit to watch. To make sure fans throughout Malaysia could still watch the action, there have been live broadcasts today over Toyota Malaysia’s website and Facebook pages.

All four classes of competitors returned to their dogfights, intent on improving the positions in the championship. The four classes are the Rookie Class, Promotional Class, Sporting Class and Super Sporting Class.

Two of the four new faces making their debut in the Vios Challenge impressed with Malaysian touring car driver Mitchell Cheah and Sepang Talent Development Program driver Ady Rahimy winning in the Super Sporting Class and Sporting Class, respectively. Two other drivers also making their debut in the Vios Challenge are veteran and 2-time Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race champion Faidzil Alang and Malaysia Championship Series driver, Lau Seng Kiat.

“We could not have asked for a more exciting restart to the season, and with the inclusion of 4 new drivers into the series, the Vios Challenge one-make series continues to attract a competitive field of Malaysian racers, “said GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer, Akio Takeyama, who has also been a participant since the series began.

Round 2 Vios Challenge 2021 — All the cars in the Vios Challenge have identical performance and specifications and inspected by officials before and after each race. So the racing is all about driver skill rather than power, and makes for close competition.

SUPER SPORTING CLASS
In the Super Sporting Class for veteran and skilled drivers, touring car driver Mitchell Cheah powered to victory from start to finish in the 20-lap race, followed by Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin 0.7 seconds behind, and M7 Japan Project Team’s Sayfiq Ali in third place.

Cheah, driving for 23 Motors, set a blistering pace throughout practice and qualifying to clock 1:25.618 for pole position. Being on the front row of the grid, he made a brilliant start in the race but was only able to marginally pull away from the rest of the field behind who were locked in a fierce contest for second and third positions.

In the opening laps of the race, Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang was in contention for second position with Mark in third, and championship leader Tengku Djan Ley in fourth position, but 8 laps later, Mark overtook to consolidate his place for second place. Ang tried to hang on for third but could not stop a charging Syafiq who inevitably proved to become the biggest gainer in the race, finishing third despite starting from as far back as ninth on the grid.

Carrying an extra 40 kgs of ballast by virtue of winning two consecutive races in Round 1, Tengku Djan struggled all weekend with the extra weight, managing only fourth quickest, before finishing Race 1 in 14th and one lap behind after a brush with the concrete on the exit of Turn 8 which caused a puncture.

SPORTING CLASS
Making his Vios Challenge debut, Ady Rahimy was hardly intimidated by the competition to lead the race from start to finish. He very quickly opened a gap of 4.5 seconds but that lead disappeared by the 15th lap when the Safety Car came out on the track. When the race resumed, there was only 1 lap to the finish but Ady gave it all he could and sprinted to the finishing line closely pursued by Dream Chaser’s Bradley Benedict Anthony, with Distinctive Model’s Clement Yeo rounding up the top 3 positions.

The battle for second and third positions was intensely fierce with Yeo, Aylezo Motorsports’s Mirza Syahmi and Bradley exchanging places on several occasions with less than half a second separating all three drivers. Bradley however, attacked consistently despite coming under pressure and managed to get ahead of Yeo in the penultimate stages of the race.

ROOKIE CLASS
In the Rookie Class, the 20-lap race was won by current championship leader Naquib Azlan who collected his third straight victory in 3 races for a perfect track record so far. Coming in second was Mika Hakimi while in third was Amer Harris. Starting from third on the grid, Naquib paced himself patiently, observing the battle ahead involving Putera Adam and pole position driver Mika before mounting his attack for the lead in the closing stages of the race.

Putera Adam, 14, had driven a compelling race that saw him clinch the lead in the 11th lap. He was within 5 laps of what could have potentially been his first ever race victory until a race incident forced him into retirement. Finishing fourth was Jwan Hii.

PROMOTIONAL CLASS
This class has always been a crowd-puller and though they were not physically at the track, it’s a sure bet that the fans of the various celebrities taking part were cheering them on from their homes. Starting from pole position, Shukri Yahaya made a great start and held the lead from start to finish. Finishing second was Nabil Ahmad followed by Nabila Razali in third place.

The opening stages of the race saw Shukri pull away with a comfortable lead as Nabil and fellow racer Zizan Razak tussled for second position. Both drivers were unwilling to give up an inch and exchanged places several times in Lap 2 before contact between the two of them resulted in a damaged suspension for Zizan who was forced into retirement.

That incident promoted Akio Takeyama to third, but it also brought out the Safety Car for 2 laps. The fight for third was intense with Takeyama having to fend off challenges from Ahirine Ahirudin and Nabila Razali for several laps. The two ladies eventually got past Takeyama. But GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer did not give up easily and tried fighting back for the lost position. His determination, however, put his car in contact with Ahirine’s which promoted Nabila into third.

For Shukri, the Safety Car erased whatever gap he had built and he once again found himself under pressure from Nabil. The actor however, kept his head down and put in consistent lap times over the remaining 10 laps to build his lead from 3.8 seconds to a massive 14.7 seconds ahead of Nabil for the race victory with Nabila in third. The biggest gainer in the race however, proved to be Nabila who jumped 5 places from eighth on the grid to third on the podium.

The second race of Round 2 of the Vios Challenge will be run tomorrow and w all the action will be broadcast live on the Toyota Malaysia website at www.toyota.com.my, and on the Facebook pages of Toyota Malaysia and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia.