Indian Motorsports

INCRC Round 2: Young Talents, Experienced Campaigners, and Dominant Teams Shine

Explore the highlights of Round 2 in the MRF National 4W Racing Championship 2 as Jaden Pariat, Abhay Mohan complete clean sweep, Double for Biren Pithawalla, Srinivas Teja, Viswas Vijayaraj

Published

2 years ago

February 26, 2024

Anuj Tripathi

The MRF National 4W Racing Championship returned for Round 2 in Madras International Circuit having completed Round 1 just last weekend.

INCRC Round 2: Young Talents, Experienced Campaigners, and Dominant Teams Shine — (Jaden Pariat, MRF F2000; Photo credits Anand Philar)

Biren Pithawalla (Team N1 Racing), an experienced campaigner from Mumbai won both the races in the Indian Touring Cars category to take an early lead in the championship and would be looking to consolidate his position in Round-2.

In the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, two Chennai drivers and Performance Racing team-mates, Hatim Shabbir Jamngarwalla and Srinivas Teja won a race apiece and are tied on 43 points to set up an intriguing contest this weekend.

Meanwhile, four drivers, including winner Chandigarh’s Angad Matharoo (Buzzing Hornet Motorsports), were disqualified from Sunday’s Race-2 in the Super Stock category for technical breach of regulations. Consequently, Anirudha Arvind (Redline Racing) from Chennai moved to the top of the points table in this category.

It was the DTS Racing team all the way in the Formula LGB 1300 category as it celebrated a podium sweep in all three races with Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore) winning two and Kolkata’s Arya Singh one.

A compact card of eight races featured in the second round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2024.

On day 1 (24th February), Teenagers, Jaden Rahman Pariat from Shillong and Bengaluru’s Abhay Mohan extended their domination in their respective MRF Formula categories. Displaying impressive pace, 17-year-old Jaden added another win to the double he had scored in the previous round last weekend during Round-1 in the MRF Formula 2000 category while Abhay, only 15, notched his fourth win in as many starts in the MRF Formula 1600 class.

Earlier, Mumbai’s Biren Pithawalla (Team N1 Racing), starting from pole position, also remained unbeaten in the premium Indian Touring Cars category, recording his third straight win. Biren was hardly challenged as his main rival, Ritesh Rai (Buzzing Hornet Motorsports), retired with a mechanical issue while Biren’s cousin and team-mate Ananth Pithawalla, was stuck in third gear and just about finished the race in distant third position behind Deepak Ravikumar (Team Performance Racing).

Further behind, Chennai’s Srinivas Teja led a podium sweep for Team Performance Racing in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, ahead of fellow-Chennaiite Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala and Coimbatore’s Yokeshwaran. It was Teja’s second win in three starts, including two in Round-1 last weekend.

Anirudha Arvind (Redline Racing India) was handed victory in the Super Stock category race as the top two finishers, Angad Matharoo (Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) and Justin Singh (Redline Racing India) were disqualified for technical infringements following post-race scrutiny. Balaprasath (Coimbatore, DTS Racing) and Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) also moved up two spots to finish second and third, respectively.

Earlier in the afternoon, Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) qualified for pole position in the Formula LGB 1300 category with Delta Speed’s Mohit Aryan (Chennai) closing the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Day 2 at the Madras International Circuit saw more action unfolding with Jaden Rahman Pariat (Shillong) and Abhay Mohan (Bengaluru) achieving a triple crown apiece in their respective MRF single-seater category.

Pariat, the 17-year-old from Meghalaya, showcased his maturity particularly in today’s MRF Formula 2000, 10-lap Race-2 which he started from P3 on the reverse grid. He tucked in behind Bengaluru teenager Chetan Surineni for the initial couple of laps before making a move to take a lead which he expanded lap by lap to win by the proverbial country mile. “I took my time to settle down and then I made my move. Patience was the key and after I moved to the front, I kept pushing,” said Jaden, who also participated in Formula 4 races in the United Kingdom last year.

In Race-3, Pariat capitalized on his pole position to start for yet another handsome win, his fifth in six starts across two rounds.

Similarly, 15-year-old Abhay Mohan started the MRF Formula 1600 Race-2 in P7, but gradually carved his way through the grid, biding his time and waiting for the front-runners to make mistakes before seizing the opportunity for a fine win. “I was very patient and I knew that I had to grab the opportunity when the guys in front made a mistake which they did eventually. Very happy with this win,” said Abhay who later went on to win Race-3 from pole position for his sixth win in as many starts over two rounds.

Also coming through unbeaten this weekend were Biren Pithawalla from Mumbai (Team N1 Racing) in the Indian Touring Cars category and Chennai’s Srinivas Teja (Team Performance Racing) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars class while Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj won two of the three races in the Formula LGB 1300 category.

Earlier, Biren Pithawalla was in his elements while recording his fourth straight win in the Indian Touring Cars category. Starting from P3 on the reverse grid that also included the IJTC and Super Stock cars, Biren snatched the lead by Turn-3 in the very first lap and never looked back. Behind him, Chennai’s Ritesh Rai (Buzzing Hornet Motorsports), despite his best efforts, could not catch up with Biren to finish second ahead of Deepak Ravikumar (Performance Racing).

Further back, Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing) also completed a double, with an untroubled run with Chandigarh’s Angad Matharoo (Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) taking the honours in the Super Stock category.

The second round featured remarkable performances from young talents, experienced campaigners, and dominant teams. The competition remains intense as the championship progresses.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS – ROUND 2

MRF F2000

(Race-1): 1. Jaden Rahman Pariat (Shillong) (12mins, 33.263secs); 2. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) (12:44.187); 3. Tarun Muthiaiah (Bengaluru) (13:36.416).

(Race-2): 1. Jaden Rahman Pariat (Shillong) (15mins, 56.427secs); 2. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) (16:05.412); 3. Tarun Muthiaiah (Bengaluru) (16:29.927).

Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Jaden Rahman Pariat (12:39.637); 2. Chetan Surineni (12:52.399); 3. Tarun Muthiaiah (13:14.384).

MRF F1600

(Race-1): 1. Abhay Mohan (Bengaluru) (13:43.696); 2. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (13:50.840); 3. Zahan Commissariat (13:53.611).

(Race-2): 1. Abhay M (Bengaluru) (17:22.437); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (17:23.209); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (17:24.049).

Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Abhay Mohan (13:46.722); 2. Monith Kumaran (Chennai) (13:50.171); 3. Zahan Commissariat (13:54781).

Indian Touring Cars

(Race-1): 1. Biren Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1 Racing) (15:22.341); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:29.202); 3. Ananth Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1 Racing) (16:18.191)

(Race-2): 1. Biren Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1 Racing) (18:54.472); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) (18:58.377); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (19:14.141).

Indian Junior Touring Cars

(Race-1): 1. Srinivas Teja (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:46.971); 2. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:47.191); 3. Yokeshwaran (Coimbatore, Team Performance Racing) (16:02.475)

(Race-2): 1. Srinivas Teja (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (19:34.279); 2. Nikunj Vagh (Mumbai, Team N1 Racing) (19:49.189); 3. Yokeshwaran (Coimbatore, Team Performance Racing) (20:09.989).

Super Stock

(Race-1): 1. Anirudha Arvind (Chennai, Redline Racing India) (16:52.643); Balaprasath (Coimbatore, DTS Racing) (17:01.063); 3. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (17:08.532).

(Race-2): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) (20:51.551); 2. Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing India) (18:53.444 + 1 lap); 3. Anirudha Arvind (Chennai, Redline Racing India) (18:58.579 + 1 lap).

Formula LGB 1300

(Race-1, 6 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (11:22.235); 2. Balaprasath (Coimbatore, DTS Racing) (11:28.841); 3. Mohit Aryan (Chennai, Delta Speeds) (11:31.682).

Race-2: 1. Balaprasath (18:55.936); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (18:56.118); 3. Gokul Krishna (Chennai, Delta Speeds) (19:16.631). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (17:49.603); 2. Balaprasath (18:01.713); 3. Mohit Aryan (18:08.432).

Indian Motorsports

Goa Street Circuit Moves to a New Venue for 2026

Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd, along with the Government of Goa, has confirmed a venue change for the upcoming Goa Street Circuit. The event will now take place at Mopa, with the first race scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026. The street circuit was originally planned to be held in Bogda, Vasco da Gama, but protests in the region led to the venue being shifted.

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2026

Aman Adusumilli

Goa Street Circuit Moves to a New Venue for 2026

Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd and the Government of Goa have announced a change in venue for the Goa Street Circuit. The event will now be held at Mopa, with the first race scheduled for 14 and 15 February. The street circuit was initially planned for Bogda. However, following protests in the area, the venue was moved to Mopa.

The Initially Proposed Venue

The originally proposed location for the Goa Street Circuit was Bogda, a locality in Vasco da Gama. The event was projected as a significant milestone, with the circuit being described as South Asia’s first oceanfront racetrack.

Speaking on the project, Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant stated that the Goa government would spend Rs. 52 crore on the international motorsport event, which was planned to be held in the state for three years. He also said the organisers, Racing Promotions Private Limited, would invest Rs. 176 crore, with the majority of the government’s contribution allocated to infrastructure development.

The Protests

Plans for the proposed oceanfront street circuit were affected following protests by local activists. Concerns were raised about the inconvenience to area residents, with calls to cancel the event. Following this, Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant announced that the event would be postponed and relocated to a new venue.

🇮🇳 | BIG BREAKING NEWS: Goa Street Circuit (GSC) will be moved away from Mormugao after public protest.

Following public protests, The Government of Goa has postponed and relocated Round 4 of the Indian Racing Festival (IRF) from Mormugao.

The move comes just a month after… pic.twitter.com/FgaP7LeiSl
— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) October 12, 2025

The New Venue

The new venue is located just outside Manohar International Airport (GOX), with the proposed street circuit situated on airport property. The track is expected to feature 12 turns and run clockwise.

The First Race

The Goa Street Circuit will host its first race during Round 4 of the Indian Racing League, scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026.

We are proud to bring the Indian Racing Festival 2026 to Goa at the Goa Street Circuit, Manohar International Airport.

In collaboration with RPPL and the @esg_goa, this world-class event on 14–15 February 2026 will boost sports tourism, create economic opportunities, inspire our… pic.twitter.com/hAHGOOoLlb
— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) January 17, 2026

The Goa round was initially scheduled for November 2025. Due to protests at the originally proposed venue, the location was changed, and the event was deferred to the 2026 season.

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.

Formula 1

How did Kush Maini perform in the Formula 1 post-season test?

Kush Maini became only the third Indian driver to take part in an official Formula 1 session, after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok.

Published

1 month ago

December 11, 2025

Aman Adusumilli

How did Kush Maini perform in the Formula 1 post-season test?

Kush Maini got a chance to drive Alpine’s 2025 challenger, the A525 in the post-season young driver test on Tuesday following the Abu Dhabi GP. This marked his first time driving a modern Formula 1 machinery, as the previous F1 tests were part of the ‘Testing Previous Cars’ programme. He also became the third Indian driver to take part in a official Formula 1 session, which is more than a decade later.

How were the test cars different from the ones used in 2025 Abu Dhabi GP weekend?

Regular drivers and rookie drivers ran two different types of cars during the test. A mule car adapted to approximate 2026 performance levels was assigned to the senior and more experienced drivers, while lightly modified 2025 cars were used by the young and rookie drivers. It’s also worth noting that a 290-300 kmph speed limit was enforced throughout the test. It should also be noted that the lap times are not representative, as each team follows different run plan and testing objectives set by Pirelli.

Kush Maini in the Alpine A525 Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi for the Formula 1 post season young driver test.

The Performance? Super impressive!

Desi Racing Co understands that both Kush Maini and Pierre Gasly ran the 2026 mule car, unlike several other teams. Both drivers followed the same run plan, with only minor setup changes tailored to their individual driving styles, while the baseline setup remained identical.

The only key difference between the two cars was tyre allocation. Maini ran on the 2025 tyres, while Gasly tested the new 2026 rubber. Across the test, Kush Maini finished just 0.111 seconds off Pierre Gasly’s pace, an impressive showing for the Indian driver given it was his first outing in the A525.

The Morning session

Kush Maini took to the track for the first time in modern Formula 1 machinery and set a best time of 1:27.544, just a tenth of a second slower than Pierre Gasly’s 1:27.433. In the morning session Maini completed a total of 59 laps, which is a lap more than the race distance of the Abu Dhabi GP.

🇮🇳 Kush Maini ended the morning test session in P17 with a lap time of 1:27.544.

For reference, the pole lap time from the Abu Dhabi GP was 1:22.207 in completely different track conditions.

⚠️ It should be noted that these timings are NOT representative as different teams have… pic.twitter.com/ITJVEGWh5Q
— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) December 9, 2025

The Afternoon session

Kush Maini headed out in the afternoon session for two race runs alongside Pierre Gasly. We understand that on one of Maini’s runs, he was quicker than Gasly, while on the second he matched Gasly’s pace. After completing the two runs, Maini’s day came to an end, while Gasly stayed on track for one additional race run. Kush Maini completed 69 laps in the afternoon session, bringing the total to 129 laps which is more than double the race distance of the Abu Dhabi GP.

Here is What Kush Maini has to say about the test

“What an amazing experience for me. Firstly, thanks to the team for the opportunity and for all their effort in helping me prepare and executing a really solid day. Everyone at the team has been super to work with, so professional and I have learned a lot today. I felt comfortable and I could just focus everything on completing the run plans, lap by lap. The car ran well, it is just so well engineered and nice to drive, so physically it felt good, but maybe I will have some fatigue in the coming days. It was really cool to have Pierre next to me; he is probably the best driver coach to have so thanks to him too. I think today will take a while to sink in and I am just really grateful to have had this chance.” – Kush Maini

Dave Greenwood, Racing Director, Alpine F1 Team

“Today was our final on-track running of 2025 at the Abu Dhabi post-season test. Kush has had a smooth day in the car, for his first time in a full test session with the team in an official capacity. He worked very hard with the engineers in preparation and has given us some very good feedback from his running, so well done to him for his enthusiasm and professionalism.” – Dave Greenwood

Indian Motorsports

Super Formula to race at India’s Buddh International Circuit?

A delegation from Japan Race Promotion (JRP), the organizers of Super Formula, visited the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida to inspect the track and discuss a potential future race.

Published

2 months ago

November 10, 2025

Aman Adusumilli

Super Formula to race at India's Buddh International Circuit?

Image Credit -

Japan’s premier single-seater championship, Super Formula, could soon make its debut in India. A delegation from Japan Race Promotion (JRP), the organizers of the series visited the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida this week to inspect the facilities and explore the possibility of adding India to the championship’s future calendar.

Super Formula delegation — Image Credit – HT PHotos

The high-level delegation included Yoshihisa Ueno (President), Takuya Hori (Technical Director), Takashi Matsui (GM, Corporate Strategy), and Genki Miura (Assistant Manager, International Sales and Marketing). They met with officials from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), including CEO Rakesh Kumar Singh, ACEO Nagendra Pratap Singh, and OSD Shailendra Bhatia, before touring the circuit to assess its readiness for hosting a Super Formula round.

“The visit is a major step toward adding India to the Super Formula calendar. If the delegation finds the circuit suitable, we’ll move ahead with detailed planning and formalities for hosting the championship” – YEIDA CEO Rakesh Kumar Singh

What is Super Formula?

Founded in 1973, Super Formula is Japan’s top-tier open-wheel series and is often regarded as the second-fastest racing championship in the world after Formula 1. The series features advanced Dallara-built chassis powered by Honda and Toyota engines and races at iconic Japanese circuits such as Suzuka, Fuji Speedway, and Twin Ring Motegi.

If confirmed, this event would mark the return of world-class motorsport to India, years after the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix (2011–2013), FIA Formula E Hyderabad E-Prix 2023 and MotoGP Bharat 2023. Both faced setbacks due to logistical and financial hurdles, but Super Formula’s potential entry signals renewed international interest in Indian motorsport.