14th August 2025: The wait is over for racing enthusiasts across the nation as the Indian Racing Festival (IRF) officially commences on August 16, 2025 with the IRL, JK FLGB4 & F4 Indian races taking the centre stage over the racing weekend on August 16-17, 2025. IRF brings together the country’s premier motorsport championships for a thrilling start to the 2025 edition at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The festival features the franchise-based Indian Racing League (IRL) and the FIA-certified Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4 Indian) alongside the 28th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, creating a unique mix of high-speed action, international talent, and homegrown racing stars.
The 2025 Indian Racing Festival will unfold over five race weekends across multiple cities and select street circuits, bringing the thrill of motorsport closer to fans nationwide. Beyond the drivers, the championship thrives on a robust ecosystem of mechanics, engineers, strategists, and support crews, whose expertise and precision are critical to delivering world-class racing. This season’s driver line-up for the IRL was finalised through the league’s first-ever official Drivers Draft, held in Mumbai earlier this year – an integral step towards creating a diverse, competitive, and inclusive talent pool. With city-based teams blending seasoned international racers, emerging Indian talents, and female drivers on equal footing, IRL continues to set a global example for mixed-gender racing at the highest level.
Speaking ahead of the season opener, Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director of Racing Promotions Pvt. Ltd. (RPPL), said, “Coimbatore has always been a key pillar of Indian motorsport. This is a city where motorsport is understood, appreciated, and supported at every level, from grassroots karting to professional racing. The Drivers Draft this year has raised the competitive bar, bringing in a mix of proven international names and promising Indian racers who will push each other every lap. But the thing that excites me the most is the depth of the ecosystem: race engineers, data analysts, pit crews, and technical staff – all working in sync to ensure fans witness racing that is fast, precise, safe, and world-class.”
The Coimbatore opener will also host the JK FLGB4 category from the 28th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, which is also the country’s longest-running national racing championship. For nearly three decades, this India-built, single-seater category has served as the most accessible entry point into professional racing, powered by a 1300cc Suzuki Swift engine. Its competitive, multi-team grid has consistently produced some of India’s most successful racers. Alongside it, the Indian Racing League (IRL) – India’s only franchise-based, mixed-gender, four-wheel racing league – will bring together city-based teams featuring a balanced mix of international stars and homegrown talent, competing in Wolf Racing cars (Wolf Thunder GB08) powered by an Aprilia RSV4 1.0 engine producing 201 HP, capable of reaching speeds of up to 290 km/h. Complementing both is the FIA-certified Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4IC), a vital step in the global single-seater ladder, where drivers will compete in the latest Mygale Formula 4 Generation 2 (M21–F4) cars equipped with Alpine engines prepared by Oreca, offering young racers the opportunity to earn FIA Super Licence points without leaving the country. Together, these three championships create a race weekend that connects grassroots motorsport to professional, internationally recognised racing platforms. Fans can watch the races live on Star Sports Select 2 and Jiohotstar.
An Overview of the Indian Racing Festival 2025
Indian Racing League (IRL): Six city-based franchise teams with mixed-gender driver line-ups, combining seasoned international racers, emerging Indian talent, and female drivers in a shared-car format.
Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4IC): FIA-certified, single-seater racing platform offering young drivers the chance to earn FIA Super Licence points domestically.
28th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (FLGB4) : Competitive grid of 21 drivers from across India, representing:
● Team Ahura Racing – owned by former national racing champion Sarosh Hataria
● Team Avalanche Racing – owned by ex-racer Fazal Khan
● Team Dark Don Racing – owned by ex-racer Afsar Riyaz
● Team MSport – owned by international racing star Armaan Ebrahim
● Team TMars – owned by former national racing champion Saran Vikram
Indian Racing League – 2025 Teams
- Speed Demons Delhi – Alister Yoong (Malaysian), Sai Sanjay, Caitlin Wood (Australian), Shahan Ali Mohsin
- Hyderabad Black Birds – Jon Lancaster (British), Akshay Bohra, Gabriela Jilkova (Czech), Mohamed Ryan
- Goa Aces JA Racing – Raoul Hyman (Dual British + South African), Akash Gowda, Fabienne Wohlwend (Liechtenstein), Chetan Surineni
- Kolkata Royal Tigers – Tom Canning (British), Sohil Shah, Alexandra Hervé (French), Sandeep Kumar
- Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru – Neel Jani (Swiss), Ruhaan Alva, Jem Hepworth (British), Kyle Kumaran
- Chennai Turbo Riders – Aqil Alibhai (South African), Shibin Yousaf, Laura Camps Torras (Spanish), Tijil Rao
- Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4IC) Drivers’ List Alongside Their Respective Teams
- Sachel Rotgé (French) – Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru
- Apostolidis Vasileios (Greek) – Hyderabad Blackbirds
- Shane Chandaria (India) – Chennai Turbo Riders
- Anabel Kennedy (Australia) – Hyderabad Blackbirds
- Clara Stiebleichinger (Austrian) – Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru
- Kareen Kaur (Singapore) – Chennai Turbo Riders
- Ghazi Motlekar (Mozambique) – Kolkata Royal Tigers
- Wian Boshoff (South Africa) – Godspeed Kochi
- Enzo Rujugiro (South Africa) – Goa Aces JA Racing
- Luviwe Sambudla (South Africa) – Goa Aces JA Racing
- Mahlori Mabunda (South Africa) – Ahmedabad Apex Racers
- Ntiyiso Mabunda (South Africa) – Speed Demons Delhi
- Zakariya Mohammed (Australia) – Ahmedabad Apex Racers
- Ishaan Madesh (India) – Kolkata Royal Tigers
- Sai Shiva Sankaran (India) – Speed Demons Delhi
2025 Indian Racing Festival Calendar
Round 1 : Coimbatore – August 16–17 (Kari Motor Speedway)
Round 2 : Chennai – August 22-24 (Madras International Circuit)
Round 3 : Coimbatore – October 3-5 (Kari Motor Speedway)
Round 4 : October 31 – November 2, Venue To Be Confirmed
Round 5 : Venue & Dates to be confirmed