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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.