Mahindra Racing sweep Italian titles

Mahindra Racing created history by winning the Constructors title in the Moto3 class (250cc) at the Italian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (CIV) here.

The final round Sunday of the 2013 season concluded at the Mugello Circuit where the team won the title. Last year, Mahindra had won the title in the 125cc class.

Mahindra Racing riders Andrea Locatelli and Michael Rinaldi also wrapped up the season finishing first and second in the Riders' Championship. While Rinaldi delivered two top-5 finishes (fith and third) in the double-header final round, Locatelli came in sixth and 10th in the two races.

Mahindra Racing finished on top with 201 points, ahead of Honda (187) and Oral (72), while Locatelli tallied 167 for the season with Rinaldi on 145.

"This historic victory at the CIV marks a new high for Mahindra Racing in its journey towards becoming a global motorsports brand. Winning the Constructors title for the second year in a row in this highly competitive series is also a remarkable achievement for Indian motorsport and we are very proud to have played our part in making it happen," said Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra.

Commenting on the win, Mahindra Racing chief executive Mufaddal Choonia said: "Last year, we created history by winning the Constructors title in CIV for the very first time. Today, we have won the competition for the second year in a row and are thrilled with our success. This is a significant achievement for us, considering that our MGP3O bike is still in its first year of development. We hope to continue to do well and rise to greater heights in the seasons to come."

Championship winner Locatelli said: "We fought all the way through the season and finally we can say we're the Italian champions. Today's race was all about getting it done. I really didn't want to waste my chances with a silly mistake. I want to thank my family and Mahindra Racing. They have done an incredible job and gave me the perfect bike. I hope to keep working with them in the future."

Rinaldi said: "What a fantastic race. It's a shame I missed winning the last race by just 0.017 seconds but I'm happy because I gave my best and rode my Mahindra as hard as I could. I tried to pull away in the early stages but once I saw it was not possible, I tried to keep myself in the mix up front. It's been an amazing season."