TheSportsCampus

Upcoming Indian racer Parth Ghorpade had a tough day at the Shanghai International Circuit in Races 2 & 3 of Round 1 of the 2012 Formula Pilota Championship. The young Indian, who finished in second place in Race 1, had a DNF in Race 2 and finished in 5thplace in Race 3. Race 2 ended for Ghorpade at the end of the first lap when he collided with fellow Indian Raj Bharath as the latter spun in front of him. Race 3 saw Ghorpade drop down to 3rd place at the start and finished in 5th after struggling with an electric problem.

Ghorpade was disappointed with the finish to the weekend but was optimistic about the season ahead. Ghorpade commented, “Not a very good day for us after struggled with an electric problem since the morning. In Race 2 Raj (Bharath) spun off at the end of the first lap and unfortunately collected me forcing me to retire. In Race 3 I lost a position at the start and was running third till I lost power on the straight. I was lucky to finish in 5th position as the longer the race the more positions I would have lost. I am satisfied with my pace over the weekend and look forward to the rest of the season as I feel we can challenge for more wins.”

18 year old Ghorpade is a five-time National Karting Champion, runner-up in the inaugural 2010 Volkswagen Polo Cup India, and recently competed in the Renault F4 series in 2011, finishing in the top five multiple times.