Every year, hundreds of drivers compete in Europe to achieve a dream millions of people have, becoming an F1 driver. For some, it’s about traveling a few hours from their home to the track, but for some others, it is about crossing borders and moving away from home. Ary Bansal is one such driver who has traveled thousands of kilometers to find a home away from home in the UK in his dream to become a Formula 1 driver.

The start of a dream for Ary Bansal

Having started racing in Karts in India in 2021, Ary moved to the UK in 2022 to compete among the best. He did Karting for a few years before ultimately moving to Single-Seaters towards the end of 2024. He participated the Formula Trophy UAE and final round of Spanish 4 before starting his first full season in 2025.

Q: How would you introduce yourself to motorsports fans in India?

Ary: For introduction, I would be saying, obviously many people know about the top F1 ladder. To get up there, it would be going through F2, F3, and F4. Currently, I’m around the bottom, so Formula 4. I’m racing in different regional championships like Italian F4, British F4 and Spanish F4.

Q: When did it all start with you? When did you start racing, and was there a moment where you thought, “Okay, this is not just a hobby, it can be something long-term”?

Ary: I think it was like the start of 2021. Jan 2021 was when I started doing a bit more, let’s say, professional karting in India. In 2022, I moved to the UK. Before that, I was also a big fan of F1. Then I learned, like, okay, this can be something that can be in the future. I learned that I could be good at it, and we just went with the flow from there.

First full year in Single-Seaters, first championship title

In 2025 Ary raced across 6 different championships across the world in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, making sure he gets as much track time as possible. Ary also won his first championship the same year, taking the GB4 title with 11 podiums, including 4 wins and 2 poles. Ary also participated in select rounds of British F4, where he got 4 podiums, including a win in Zandvoort. Ary also got success in the Saudi F4 Championship, where he participated in only 4 races and took a win along with 4 podiums and 2 poles. Apart from these championships, Ary also competed in the final round of Italian F4, a full season of the Euro4 Championship, and the FIA F4 World Cup in Macau.

Q: So you did karting from ’21 till ’24-ish, and then you moved to cars. I’d say 2025 was like a proper full season in cars for you, and you won a championship that year in GB4. How did that feel?

Ary: Yeah, first full year in a car. It was a little bit different to karting—many small differences that become a big difference. But it for sure suited me much more than karting, and I was able to acquire success in GB4.

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A post shared by GB4 Championship (@gb4championship)

Did you go into the season thinking of yourself as a favorite for the championship?

Not really. We had done some UAE stuff, but we still didn’t really quite know where we were in terms of performance. Also, I was just recovering from an injury and all that. So even if I knew I was fast, I knew it’d be quite difficult to drive fast because the injury was quite difficult to get a hang of.

Was there a certain weekend where you thought, “Okay, we’re quick,” and the championship became an expectation?

The first round of the championship was a quite good signal. We had set some goals for this first year, and all the goals were met in the first round. We were like, “Okay, now we can step it up a lot.” We went to Silverstone, and from then on it was like, “Okay, now we can develop this into a championship eventually.

Q: Out of all the places you’ve raced—Spain, the UK, Italy, and Saudi Arabia—has there been a place you’ve liked the most?

Ary: One place standing out most is Macau. It’s definitely the best. The track was very, very different from any other track I’ve ever driven. Very fun.

Plans for 2026 and beyond.

In 2026, Bansal will ply his trade in the most competitive feeder series championship, the Italian F4, along with the Euro4 Championship. Italian F4 has produced many F1 drivers; some of its previous champions are Lance Stroll, Oliver Bearman, and Kimi Antonelli, signifying why it’s so competitive. In preparation for the Italian season, Ary took part in the Formula Winter Series with US Racing, the same team he will be doing the Italian F4 and Euro4 seasons with, where he finished 3rd in the standings with 2 wins.

Q: Going into 2026, how has the preparation been compared to 2025?

Ary: In 2025, we couldn’t do much preparation due to the injury. This year I did the Formula Winter Series (FWS) championship. That’s allowed much more scope for getting into the groove of driving again. Also, I was doing the championship with US Racing, which is the same team I’ll be racing with in Italian F4.

Q: Your FWS campaign was a pretty solid one—top three in the standings. Do you want to share some thoughts about it?

Ary: We had quite a few ups and downs. In the end, the result wasn’t quite as good as we think we could have gotten, but it helped a lot for the Italian season because we managed to learn a lot.

Q: What are your expectations for Italian F4 in 2026?

Ary: For sure it will be very, very difficult. I think it’s the most competitive junior category there is. I do think that every single driver in the top ten, including me, can go for pole positions and win.

In 2026 Ary would complete 2 full years in F4, the natural next step is to move up the ladder and head to Formula Regional or equivalent championships. (like EuroCup3 or GB3).

Q: Naturally, the next step is Regionals next year. Are you already thinking about what to do for 2027?

Ary: We have a vague idea. It’ll be much more clear in the last quarter of the season. But as of right now, the objective would be to go to Formula Regional.

Q: Are you the kind of driver who would advance to the next level irrespective of how your current season is going, or would you stay until you are successful?

Ideally you want to do well in the one you’re in now because you don’t want to waste time. If you keep going higher and higher and you’re not performing well, you’re not doing well on that ladder. F4 is a bit of an outlier because there’s not much grip compared to the next step. You need to do some testing to understand if you are actually good with that car.

Leaving India to chase the dream

2026 will be the fifth year since Ary has moved to the UK to pursue his racing dreams.

Q: As someone from India who moved to Europe very early, how has it been for you?

Ary: The biggest thing is the relations that you leave behind. For me, I didn’t find it too difficult. After the first year, I was able to get into the UK and European lifestyle.
Is there something about India that you miss the most except for your family?
I think the food is the best.
You’re from Bangalore, right? Do you have a go-to place there?
Born North India, but raised in South India. Recently, very close to where I’m living, there is a new place called Naru Noodle Bar.

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As Ary heads into another year of racing, it’s our responsibility to support our homegrown talent as he pursues his dream of making it to F1, along with all of our dreams as well of seeing an Indian driver in the pinnacle of motorsports. When we spoke to Arjun Maini earlier this year, he said, “Indians have a lot of power in making the next Indian Formula 1 driver. It might be hard for them to believe or might not make as much sense, but the people have a lot of power in making that happen. As soon as there is a market where you can sell a driver, there is a big push.” At Desi Racing Co, we will follow Ary’s journey like how we have been doing it since last year and keep bringing you updates about him and other Desi talents from the sport.

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Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

The global karting series, IAME is set to make its debut in India. This marks a significant step forward for the country as well as young aspiring racers. Let’s understand what this means and how it impacts our motorsport ecosystem.

For years, the path to the pinnacle of motorsport has followed a familiar route. From karting in Europe to junior series to eventually climbing through the ranks. Many household names that dominate Formula One in the current and past eras once started their journey mastering a machine much smaller. The pathway that often started in Europe is now bringing an opportunity to India, in the form of an amazing, globally renowned series, IAME.

What is IAME?

The IAME Series is an international karting championship built around standardised engine platforms developed by IAME. Known for its reliability and parity, the series ensures that racing is decided more by driver skill than mechanical and automotive advantages. IAME (Italian American Motor Engineering) is an Italian company that was founded in 1968. And over the past 50 years, their engines have gained worldwide respect for their engineering and professional racing culture.

India has its own karting championship, but the lack of an integrated global ladder system has often made it difficult for homegrown talent to reach the international level. Young Indian talent usually plateaus locally or faces financial and logistical barriers to reach the levels they aim for.

The arrival of the IAME Series marks a major step toward bridging that gap.

IAME Series India

IAME Series India is organised by a newly formed body: RA Motorsports. It has been established with a clear objective: to deliver a professionally managed, sustainable, and internationally aligned karting series that contributes to the growth of Indian Motorsport.

The IAME Series India is planned as a 5-round National Series, and is proposed to be conducted under the regulations of FMSCI. The series is designed for fair competition, with the inaugural season featuring the following classes:

• Mini U10
• Mini
• Junior
• Senior

To maintain technical parity, RA Motorsports will be investing in a limited pool of IAME engines, ensuring total fairness.

What to Expect?

The 5-round championship is set to take place over 4 months across 3 tracks in India.

The first two rounds will be run at the CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore. The track is 3.8 km long, with 15 high-speed corners and a 15-metre elevation change. The drivers are offered multiple overtaking spots across the track, giving them a good challenge to start the season.

The third and fourth rounds will be held at the Madras International Karting Arena in Chennai. It was inaugurated by Former F1 racers Mika Häkkinen, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok, in 2024. Madras Motor Sports Club owns the 1.2 km long CIK-approved track.

For the final round, we move to Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India. At Meco Kartopia, we’ll have the final showdown, crowning the champions for the first-ever season of IAME Series India. With that, the season will conclude, marking a very significant achievement for Indian Motorsports.

The Indian edition of the IAME Series is expected to follow global formats, with multiple categories catering to different age groups and experience levels. Close racing, strict regulations, and a focus on driver development will likely define the competition.

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What does it mean for you?

This amazing news should be music to all ears. Be it a young aspiring racer from the Indian subcontinent trying to find their big break, or the audience who loves to find all the reasons to watch more racing action.

If you’re like me, a motorsport enthusiast, this is definitely something you should look out for, as the face of Formula One, World Endurance Racing or any of your favourite racing series may start out their journey from here.

On the other hand, if you’re a racer looking to start your career, or a parent of one, you’ll see this as the perfect opportunity. Karting demands time, money and consistency, without which you can’t succeed. But to bring them all together, you need the right platform, and IAME Series India brings exactly that, and it brings it to our home ground.

Opportunities in Indian motorsport don’t come perfectly packaged very often. When something structured and globally relevant shows up, it’s worth looking out for.

The introduction of the IAME Series in India could very well shape the next generation of racers. Whether it produces future international champions or simply raises the standard of competition locally, its impact will be felt.

And who knows, maybe when you watch the season starting May 17, you might be cheering for the next Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton, setting their career’s first fastest laps right here in our own country.

For registrations, you can visit the official IAME India website.

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Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

Arjun Maini is making a name for himself in the world of Sports Car Racing. Having started his GT3 career with Mercedes in their Junior Driver Program, Maini is currently a Ford Factory driver, making him India’s only Factory Driver. As he heads into his sixth season of DTM, Desi Racing Co sat down with him to ask him how it all started and what his ambitions for the future are.

The shift from Single Seaters to GT Racing

Q: How did it all start with DTM?

Arjun: So, it was around the time when my F2 campaign and the hunt for the F1 ended, and we were looking at, like, okay, how do we now sort of make a career out of what we’ve learned so far? And that was the main thing: to go professional. I did a year of LMP2 in ELMS, I did Le Mans one year and then towards the end of the year, and then we’re like, okay, the only way to really go professional, I mean, of course you can do like LMP2, ELMS, but then of course you’ll need like either the team funding you or a driver or whatever. But the only way to actually go professional is through a manufacturer. So that’s when Mercedes offered us the junior contract straight away in my first year, along with the DTM seat.

#Breaking New team, new driver, new nation – @Getspeed2 has announced to enter a @MercedesAMG GT3 in the #DTM for @ArjunMaini. The 23-year-old will be the first-ever driver from #India to race in the series.

🔗 More : https://t.co/ka75ruJ3bo#FeelTheRoar #DTMoments #DTM2021 pic.twitter.com/zSNm4LWL3J

— DTM (@DTM) March 25, 2021

It was the way to get in, but I had a tough start to the season. I didn’t expect it to be so difficult because, coming from single-seaters, you expect that since you’ve raced against the best, you’ll be fine. You think, “Who are these guys?”

Then you get here and realise it’s a different level. Everyone has been through what we’ve been through, but they’ve also climbed the professional ladder. They aren’t just kids anymore; they’ve been hardened by years of racing.

Arjun Maini scores his first points in DTM after getting a a points finish in both races this weekend.
His results in the season so far:
P13, DNC, P14, P12, DNC, DNS, P10, P7
Currently 15 in championship (out of 21 drivers) with 8 points pic.twitter.com/21SGPuRscv

— Anuj Tripathi (@bennedose5) August 22, 2021

That’s how the whole DTM opportunity came up. I wanted to make a career for myself in motorsport and realised that Formula 1 was a very long shot at that point. I actually only did one full season of F2, and I wanted to cut it short. I didn’t want to keep risking everything, running behind sponsors and trying to get the money together—all that headache for something that might or might not happen.

Instead, I wanted to build a stable life in motorsport. I hope a lot of talented young Indians realise at some point that while you should go out and chase your dreams, if you don’t have the funding or the political backing, you should try to find a career with the skills you have. That path is very overlooked in Indian motorsports, and it’s something I want to start putting out there: there is a career beyond Formula 1.

Q: You did the first year with Getspeed and then you moved to Haupt, and then you’ve been with Haupt for the five years now. So how is how has it been with HRT?

Arjun: They have been one of the biggest reasons I became fully professional. HRT guided me through those first years with Mercedes, which were tough. I remember having a really good end to my time with GetSpeed, but then I switched and things just weren’t clicking. Either I was messing up or something else was going wrong, but it absolutely wasn’t working.

I was getting stressed because I wanted that main factory contract; at the time, I was still on the junior one. At that stage, you’re still looking for sponsors to fully fund the drive, so I was really pushing for that full factory spot, but it just wasn’t going well. It was so frustrating because I would come close, only for it to slip away.

Ultimately, HRT really helped me. They guided me through it, and sooner or later, I had my full factory contract and was fully professional. A lot of that was thanks to HRT, though Mercedes obviously played a big hand in it as well with everything we did together. From there, the DTM story just carried on.

The move from Mercedes to Ford

Q: So you started DTM with Mercedes in GetSpeed, changed to Haupt again with Mercedes, and then Haupt moved from Mercedes to Ford. Was that also the reason you decided to move from Mercedes to Ford? Or was, like, two different things, but they just coincided together.

Arjun: It was, I could have stayed with Mercedes because, at that point, I had made my mark there. I had the option, and Mercedes was so good to me. However, the main reason I moved to Ford was that I really enjoyed the challenge of having a fresh car. Having been with HRT for so long, this felt like a great way for me to lead a program on the European side.

🚨 | BREAKING: Arjun Maini officially joins Ford Motorsport as a factory driver and will race with Haupt Racing Team(HRT).

Arjun will race in the DTM and other GT series' in Europe with Ford x HRT partnership.#DTM #ArjunMaini #IndiansinMotorsport pic.twitter.com/cyMcYDmaCd

— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) January 30, 2025

I was really intrigued by that challenge, which is why I chose to move, and I don’t regret the decision at all. It was a very challenging year in terms of results, but the amount I learned, what we overcame, and the improvement we made throughout the year has been incredible for me. I am so sure that we’re going to go even stronger this year.

I’m happy with the decision I made. It was tough at the time because you’re moving away from something you know works. I had just started getting podiums, fighting at the front, and getting toward the top of the championship, and then you move to something that probably won’t be quick in the first year. Eventually, though, it could become a great story. It was a difficult choice, but I have no regrets.

READ MORE: DTM 2024 Red Bull Ring: Arjun Maini’s best weekend with Pole and 2 Podiums

Q: Between the Mercedes and the Ford, what what was like the first time you drove a Ford and then you realized, okay, this is like, very different to Mercedes. What was that one thing?

We have to keep in mind that Mercedes had finished the whole development stage by this point. They had an Evo package recently—well, I say recently, but that was four or five years ago. It was fully past the development phase. Every time you went on track with a Mercedes, it was just one step of software or small damper adjustments, and usually they were right on the pace.

With the Ford, every time you went to a new track, especially the DTM tracks, it hadn’t been there before. You were trying to reinvent the wheel overnight because it wasn’t behaving as you expected it to behave. Both are front-engine cars, so that was a big similarity, but the Ford is much more powerful on the straights. That makes it much more fun to race with.

To drive the Ford, it is of course not as finished a product, but it is much more enjoyable, especially in a race situation. In terms of ultimate pace, we haven’t been as strong as Mercedes so far. There were a few tracks where we were very strong this year, which surprised us as well because we were not expecting it. After Oschersleben, when we finished qualifying, we thought none of these tracks were going to suit us, but even at Zandvoort we had pace that was not bad at all. It was surprising.

In terms of driving, it is a nice car to drive. It is just missing that little bit of overall grip. With a few changes here and there, which I think we will get with the Evo package, we should be very competitive now.

Arjun on his brother Kush Maini

Q: Do you speak to Kush when he’s driving Formula E? Do you guys exchange thoughts about what’s going on and things like that?

Arjun: Yes, we do. We’ve seen each other very little this year, which has been a bit annoying, but he gets along quite well with the Formula E car and enjoys his time there. It’s very different because there’s a lot more you have to do in terms of energy management and similar tasks. Actually, a lot of that is probably going to be implemented into Formula 1 now with the new rules. So, we do speak about it. It’s nice to hear and understand the technology, but it just doesn’t excite me as much as what I’m doing now.

Q: You were there when Kush was testing the Alpine car after the Abu Dhabi season. How was it seeing your brother test a Formula 1 car, especially since he is only the fourth Indian driver to actually do that?

That was really cool; it was amazing. I think he did a great job. It was a good outing and amazing to see. I remember walking up to the hotel and seeing him come past in the car. It was lap one, and as he was coming into the corner, I was thinking, “Okay, lap one. Take it easy, dude.” But he fully sent it through the hotel section. I was like, “Okay, please don’t crash this thing now, because then it’s over.” It was quite cool, and it is amazing to see it happen. We’ve always grown up racing together in our younger years, we’ve always been close, and we talk about everything. And now, to finally see him in an official session with an F1 car was amazing.

📷 | Here are more pictures of 🇮🇳 Kush Maini driving Pierre Gasly's Alpine A525 in today's young driver test.

Maini is using the driver #62 for this test.#F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/K3TYHiR3kc

— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) December 9, 2025

Arjun Maini on Ajith Kumar and how it gives a boost to Indian Motorsports

Q: What are your thoughts on Ajith Kumar stepping into the Sports Car Racing world?

I think it’s amazing. It’s fantastic that somebody of his stature is coming into endurance racing, spreading the love for it, and bringing a whole different audience into this sport. For me, it’s amazing. I really hope that the people who join and watch end up staying, loving the sport, and supporting the youngsters.

As a country, that is what we lack; we are ready to support people when they are already at the top, but we don’t really help with the buildup and support process on the way up. That could make a big difference. For example, if a young kid in Formula 3 trying to get into Formula 1 has 300,000 followers instead of 50,000, he’s going to get more sponsorship, which helps him move up. Politically and in every other way, you are positioned much better.

I hope people realize the power they have. Indians have a lot of power in making the next Indian Formula 1 driver. It might be hard for them to believe or might not make as much sense, but the people have a lot of power in making that happen. As soon as there is a market where you can sell a driver, there is a big push. It’s a different world. I really hope that through this, through our work, and through everything happening in Indian motorsports now, all the young people coming up can get a big push to help develop them.

🏆Podium celebrations for the 992 class after the 24 Hours of Dubai.

🇮🇳 Ajith Kumar has finished🥉third in class, racing with his own team Ajith Kumar Racing. The crowd reaction says it all! 💪

(📹:@24HSERIES) #24HofDubai pic.twitter.com/0vmfOw7hqW

— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) January 12, 2025

I think you met Ajith as well. He was at one of the GT World Challenge Europe weekends. How was that meeting? Did you guys talk about anything specific, or just in general?

Just in general, talking about racing. You can see how much he loves the sport. It’s cool to see that he’s so motivated to race as much as he does in such cool races. It was nice to catch up with him. It’s difficult to go into his box in the paddock itself because it’s surrounded by people, so we had to meet in the hotel afterward.

It was a great chat. I have huge respect for whatever he’s doing for the sport. Again, I just hope that more people like him come in so we can push our sport to become more famous in India—motorsport as a whole. Like we spoke about, whether it’s endurance racing, formula cars, rallying, MotoGP, or anything else, there is so much potential in this country, and I just hope it’s realized.

What does the future hold for Arjun Maini?

Q: With Ford joining WEC in Hypercar, is that somewhere you see yourself ending up?

Arjun: Yeah, it would be a dream for me. That is my goal: to be in the hypercar. I think I’ve said it quite a few times that it is my dream. Whether it’s going to happen straight away or not, I don’t know. If it doesn’t, I’m still relatively young in the endurance racing world. I have years ahead, and I would be happy to carry on and establish my place for another three or four years in GT3 if I have to. Eventually, I want to be in a hypercar on the grid. That’s definitely the goal. Whether it happens or not, I don’t know yet. At the moment, all I can do is my job. I’ll try to get some results this year with the package that I have, and then we’ll see what the future brings. To be in Le Mans in the top class is the ultimate dream for me.

BREAKING | Ford announces it will compete in the top class of the World Endurance Championship (LMDh) from 2027!

With Arjun Maini being announced as a factory GT3 driver yesterday, can we see him in the Ford Hypercar in 2 years? 👀#WEC pic.twitter.com/1RZz25kqwt

— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) January 31, 2025

Q: You said when you made the decision to jump from single-seaters to sports cars, you thought about where it would put you in a few years’ time. Now, it’s been six or seven years since you’ve been doing sports cars. When you made that switch and had that thought about the future, do you think you’re there yet?

The first goal of any driver who makes this switch is to become professional. You want to get paid by a manufacturer to race cars, where you’re not relying on sponsorship or money and you have stability in your racing. From that point of view, I’m happy where I am. But, of course, there’s always that hunger for more. So yes, I feel like I’ve made the right decision. I am racing professionally for a big car manufacturer, but I want more. I want to be in Le Mans and I want to win the biggest races. From that point of view, I haven’t “made it” yet, but in general, I can be very happy with how far I’ve come. I think I made the right decision at the right time.

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That concludes our conversation with Arjun Maini. Arjun serves as a vital example that a motorsport career doesn’t have to be “F1 or bust.” While the dream is often centered on those 20 seats, the immense investment of time and capital can quickly result in nothing if that narrow goal isn’t met. As Arjun highlighted, the primary objective should be professional stability. To build a lasting career in racing, more drivers must realize the value of finding a path where they are paid for their talent, rather than chasing a long shot.

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Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.