Indian Motorsports
INCRC Round 3 – Young talents dominate the weekend in Chennai
The Indian National Car Racing Championship completed its Round 3 and the racing was every bit exciting. From new winners on Saturday to clean sweeps on Sunday, we had it all. Here is DRC’s report from the weekend down in Chennai.
Saturday – new winner in F2000 while old domination in F1600
In the F2000 category, the leaderboard looked a bit different as Akhil Agarwal, 29, from Mumbai, won after Jaden Pariat was disqualified. This DSQ was a result of Jaden not complying to a drive-through penalty that he gained due to a jump start. The podium was completed by Bengaluru’s Chetan Surineni and Tarun Muthaiah.
In the F1600 category, it was another show of domination by the 16-year-old Abhay Mohan. He raced to his 7th consecutive victory on Saturday. Monith Kumaran and Raaj Bakhru completed the podium.
Meanwhile, in the LGB1300 category, it was DTS Racing that took all the podium honors. Saturday’s Race 1 was won by Viswas Vijayaraj, his fifth of the season, while the podium was completed by Diljith TS (Thrissur) and Bala Prasath.
On the Stock car side of things, the racing was just as interesting to watch. For the Polo Cup, Mumbai’s Aditya Patnaik got an amazing getaway and held the lead till the end. In just his second race in the category, he breezed to an easy victory. The podium was rounded up by Bangladesh’s HM Tauhid Anwar Avik and Romir Arya of Mumbai.
For the honours in MRF saloons category, Kesara Godage crossed the finish line first. Round 1 highlight Diana Pundole came across the line second while Sri Lankan Kalim Iqbal came P3.
Click here to read our report from the Indian National Car Racing Championship Round 1.
Biren Pithawala had quite a lonely race in the Indian Touring Cars as both the other cars of Ananth Pithawalla and Deepak Ravikumar did not finish citing mechanical issues.
For the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, there was quite some wheel-to-wheel action across the 8-lap race. Ultimately, Hatim Shabbir came back victorious followed home by Srinivas Teja and Yug Italiya.
Finally, in the Super Stock category, Justin Singh from Gurugram (Redline Racing) won in dominating fashion. The podium was completed by Chandigarh’s Angad Matharoo and Bala Prasath (DTS Racing) from Coimbatore.
Sunday – Jaden does the double while Pithawalla remains unbeaten
Sunday’s races meant that Jaden Rahman Pariat was back to winning ways in the Formula 2000 category. He won both Race 2 and Race 3 held on the final day of Round 3. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) and Akhil Agarwal (Mumbai) came home in P2 and P3 in both races.
Elsewhere in the F1600 category, there was the familiar name of Abhay Mohan on top of the timesheets. He has extended his race-winning streak to 9 with a double win on Sunday. Both Jaden Pariat and Abhay Mohan are on track to win the championships in their respective classes.
In the LGB1300 category, Viswas Vijayraj was the star of the weekend as he won both races on Sunday. In Race 2, he won the race starting from P5 on the grid. Diljit TS came P2 in both races on Sunday, while Neev Datta and Bala Prasath picked up P3 in Race 2 and Race 3, respectively.
For the Stock cars, Biren Pithawalla continues his consecutive win streak in Indian Touring Cars.
In the ever-competitive Indian Junior Touring Cars class, Hatim Shabbir won all three races held across the weekend. This meant that Hatim had come within touching distance (3 points) of the championship leader Srinivas Teja.
Justin Singh won in the Super Stock category in Race 3 held on Sunday, while his rival and championship leader Bala Prasath, won Race 2. Justin has won 2 of the 3 races held this weekend and is at P2 in the championship by a difference of just 6 points.
For the MRF Saloons P1 trophy, Kesare Godage of Sri Lanka crossed the finish line first in both Race 2 and Race 3. Despite this, Diana Pundole still leads the championship as she scored enough points over the weekend.
Finally, in the Polo Cup, Dhruv Chavan won 2 races out of the 3 held on Sunday. The other race was won by Aditya Patnaik. Meanwhile, the other youngster completing the podium was Ojas Surve. He collected 2 P3s and one P2 on Sunday. Throughout the weekend, Dhruv Chavan and Aditya Patnaik had two wins each over 4 races.
This marks the end of the two-day MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship Round 3. It was a showcase of close racing in some places and dominations in others by young and upcoming talents. The INCRC will return for round 4 on Aug 16th-18th.
Click here to see the calendar of the Indian National Car Racing championship.
F1 Academy
Arshi Gupta becomes the youngest ever driver to be selected by F1 Academy Discover Your Drive programme
9-year-old Arshi Gupta has made history by becoming the youngest-ever driver selected for F1 Academy’s Discover Your Drive (DYD) program.
Arshi Gupta has made history by becoming the youngest-ever driver selected for F1 Academy’s Discover Your Drive (DYD) program. The Karting Driver from Faridabad, Haryana, was crowned the only Female Karting Champion in Asia last year after winning the 2025 National Karting Championship in the Micro Max class. Arshi started karting at the age of 7. She also became the youngest driver to obtain a racing licence at 7 years, 5 months, and 18 days, earning her a spot in the India Book of Records.
Arshi Gupta started competing professionally in 2024, taking part in her first National Karting Championship. In 2025, she raced in the Middle East, competing in the IAME Series UAE and the Rotax Max Challenge UAE, gaining experience among some of the world’s best racers. She returned to India later that year to compete in the National Karting Championship, also known as the Rotax Max Challenge India, and went on to win the title. Arshi also represented India on the Asia-Pacific stage, competing at the Asia-Pacific Motorsports Games in Sri Lanka in 2025.
In 2026, Arshi has already made her way to the United Kingdom to compete against the best of the best in racing. This year, she also joined the esteemed F1 Academy DYD program.
The Discover Your Drive program is an initiative by F1 Academy to increase the pool of female talent in motorsports, both on and off the track. Up to 27 young female drivers will be supported by the F1 Academy, and Arshi Gupta becomes the youngest girl to join the DYD program. Through the DYD program, Arshi will be supported in the British Champions of the Future Academy Program, which will run across four rounds.
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
Indian GP To Return Soon? How Realistic Are the Chances
Speculation around the return of the Indian GP is gaining momentum once again, with government interest, circuit discussions, and growing Formula 1 popularity in India fueling optimism. But how realistic is an F1 comeback?
Indian GP to return soon? The chatter around the revival of the Indian Grand Prix and bringing Formula 1 back to India has started once again, but will it finally materialise this time, or will it remain another wave of optimism that slowly fades away?
Table of Contents
Over the past decade, discussions about Formula 1’s return to India have surfaced multiple times, often driven by growing fan interest and expanding digital viewership. The previous stint of the Indian Grand Prix, held between 2011 and 2013, ended not due to a lack of audience enthusiasm but because of financial, taxation, and logistical complications that made the event unsustainable.
A New Wave of Optimism?
On Tuesday, February 2, 2026, India Today reported that the Government of India is keen to bring Formula 1 back to the country after more than a decade. The report also stated that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is working toward easing the tax burdens and bureaucratic hurdles that previously contributed to the discontinuation of the Indian GP.
According to sources within the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has already visited the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida and held discussions with officials regarding the potential revival of the event.
“The sports minister visited the Buddh International Circuit last week and discussed timelines for restarting the event. He has instructed the owners to identify an event management company to oversee operations for the next two to three years. Once the process gains momentum, tax-related issues are also expected to be addressed,” the sources said.
Interest from Formula One Management (FOM)?
In February 2024, reports from Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward indicated that Formula One Management (FOM) was open to returning to India in the near future, provided the necessary commercial, logistical, and regulatory conditions were met.
Reported Government-Level Support?
In April 2024, journalist Joe Saward wrote in his newsletter that the Indian Grand Prix had backing from the highest levels of the Indian government. However, he also noted that several issues affecting the previous edition of the race were still concerns, including fears about equipment seizures related to tax disputes. According to Saward, such uncertainties have historically made Formula 1 cautious about returning unless regulatory clarity and administrative processes improve. He added that, if conditions were to align in the future, a potential venue could be considered in the home state of the current Indian Prime Minister.
GIFT City Racetrack Plans Face a Roadblock
In January 2024, the Government of Gujarat issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) titled “Appointment of an agency for undertaking a feasibility study and preparation of a master plan for an F1 circuit at GIFT City.” The proposal outlined a preliminary target of hosting a potential first event around 2028, subject to the study outcomes and subsequent approvals.
However, just over six months after the Request for Proposal was issued, plans to build a Formula 1 circuit at Gujarat’s GIFT City reportedly came to a halt. Reports suggested that the existing urban layout of GIFT City could make it challenging to design a track that meets Formula 1 standards due to structural and planning constraints. In addition, the project was expected to require significant financial investment, with cost estimates for constructing a compliant circuit ranging from Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore, raising further feasibility concerns.
Renewed F1 Talks Following MotoGP’s 2023 Debut
After hosting India’s first MotoGP race in 2023, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) stated that discussions with Formula 1 organisers were likely to take place in the near future.
However, no further public updates followed this announcement, suggesting that the talks did not progress into any confirmed developments, and the momentum gradually subsided. The future of MotoGP in India also became uncertain, as the event did not return to the country after its inaugural 2023 season.
Is the Return of Formula 1 to India Realistic?
From today’s news and updates, it appears momentum is gradually building toward bringing the pinnacle of motorsport back to India. However, even if plans move forward smoothly, Formula One Management (FOM) would still face the complex task of finding space on an already crowded calendar.
With the current regulations allowing a maximum of 24 races per season, adding a new Grand Prix would likely require replacing an existing event or waiting for contract cycles to end. Several circuits are already tied to long-term agreements that extend into the 2030s, with some deals reportedly running through 2041. As a result, securing a realistic slot for the Indian Grand Prix in the near term could prove challenging, making a return more plausible toward the latter part of the decade rather than immediately.
However, it is still wise to approach these developments with cautious optimism. Conversations about the revival of the Indian Grand Prix are not new, and in the past, similar waves of reports and discussions have surfaced without materialising into a confirmed race.
The Curious Case of Formula 1 in India
If you’d like a deeper look into the story behind Formula 1’s rise and sudden exit from India, we’ve covered the entire journey in a dedicated video titled “The Curious Case of F1 in India.” It explores the key events, challenges, and decisions that shaped the sport’s presence in the country.
Watch it here to understand what really happened:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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