The 2024 Indian Racing Festival kicks off this weekend, featuring the franchise format Indian Racing League and FIA-certified F4 India championship. This season will also see the debut of a new 3.5km street circuit in Chennai.
Here’s our ultimate guide to all the teams, drivers, format, where you can watch the races and more:
2024 Indian Racing Festival calendar
The 2024 season gets underway with Round 1 at Chennai’s Madras International Circuit this weekend (August 24-25). This will be followed by the debut of the new street circuit in Chennai, called the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, on August 31-September 1. The 3.5km track is located around the Island Grounds in the heart of the city and features a total of 19 corners. It will host the first night race on a street circuit in India.
Round 3 will be held at Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway on September 13-15. After a break, Rounds 4 and 5 will be held on October 19-20 and November 16-17, respectively. However, the venues for the final two rounds haven’t been announced yet.
| 2024 Indian Racing Festival calendar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Round | Venue | Dates |
| Round 1 | Madras International Circuit, Chennai | August 24-25 |
| Round 2 | Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, Chennai | August 31-September 1 |
| Round 3 | Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore | September 13-15 |
| Round 4 | TBA | October 19-20 |
| Round 5 | TBA | November 16-17 |
Indian Racing League car, format
The Indian Racing League returns for a third season and the same format will carry on, with six teams fielding a mix of international and Indian drivers. It is also mandatory for each team to have one female racer.
It’s a one-make series featuring the Wolf Thunder GB08 single-seater, powered by an Aprilia RSV4 engine. Each team will field two cars, so two racers will share the same car; Driver A will race on Day 1, while Driver B will race on Day 2. Each day starts with a practice session, followed by a 10-minute qualifying session to determine the grid. Each race will last 25 minutes plus one lap and there are no mandatory pitstops.
Along with points for finishing in the top 10, drivers can also earn extra points for pole position and setting the fastest lap in the race.
Indian Racing League teams, drivers
This year, the Indian Racing League has attracted some big names from the entertainment and sports industries. John Abraham (Goa Aces), Sourav Ganguly (Rarh Bengal Tigers),Naga Chaitanya (Hyderabad Blackbirds) and Arjun Kapoor (Speed Demons Delhi) have come onboard as team owners.
The grid will feature former Le Mans winner Neel Jani, Aston Martin academy racer Akhil Rabindra and even prominent Indian racers like LGB F4 champion Ruhaan Alva and MRF Formula 200 winner Sandeep Kumar.
| 2024 Indian Racing Leagues teams, drivers | |
|---|---|
| Team | Drivers |
| Rarh Bengal Tigers | Ruhaan Alva, Nikhil Bohra, Alister Yoong, Fabienne Wohlwend |
| Chennai Turbo Riders | Mohamed Ryan, Sandeep Kumar, Jon Lancaster, Emily Duggan |
| Speed Demons Delhi | Akash Gowda, Sai Sanjay, Alvaro Parente, Angelique Detavernier |
| Bangalore Speedsters | Kyle Kumaran, Rishon Rajeev, Julius Dinesen, Caitlin Wood |
| Goa Aces | Sohil Shah, Shahan Ali Mohsin, Raoul Kyman, Gabriela Jilkova |
| Hyderabad Blackbirds | Akhil Rabindra, Anindith Redd,y Neel Jani, Laura Camps |
F4 India format
F4 is the first step in the single-seater ladder, and crucially, it offers Super Licence points, which are necessary to qualify to race in F1. As a result, the F4 Indian Championship has attracted plenty of international drivers, while also giving young Indian racers the chance to learn from and compete against international-level talent.
The championship runs the FIA-homologated Gen 2 Mygale F4 car, which is used in the French F4 championship. The cars are powered by an Alpine 1.3-litre turbocharged engine, prepared by Oreca. Power ranges from 160hp-180hp as per the FIA’s regulatory power-weight formula.
And it’s not just about the drivers; the championship is supported by technical partner MP Motorsport (one of the most prominent teams in junior racing). Championship organiser Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL) has also teamed up with United Motorsports Academy, with select students earning a fully sponsored work placement in the F4 Indian championship.
Each round features a total of three races. Two qualifying sessions are held on Saturday; Qualifying 1 sets the grid for Race 1, Qualifying 2 sets the grid for Race 3. The grid for Race 2 is set by taking Race 1 results and reversing the top six positions.
F4 India teams, drivers
The F4 Indian Championship features a total of eight teams. 14 drivers have been confirmed so far, including Ruhaan Alva and 2024 MRF Formula 2000 champion Jaden Pariat.
Earlier this year, RPPL also partnered with AGS Formule1 to conduct the inaugural F4 Global Shootout Program. 10 participants from around the world competed at France’s Circuit du Var for the chance to earn a full scholarship for the 2024 F4 India season. Australia’s Giancarlo Artho bagged the top prize and will be racing for team Goa Aces.
| 2024 F4 India teams, drivers | |
|---|---|
| Team | Drivers |
| Rarh Bengal Tigers | Tarun Muthiaiah, Ruhaan Alva |
| Chennai Turbo Riders | Isaac Demellweek, Jayden Hamilton |
| Speed Demons Delhi | Zakariya Mohammed, Alba Hurup Larsen |
| Bangalore Speedsters | Abhay Mohan, Jaden Pariat |
| Goa Aces | Giancarlo Artho, Aiva Alexis Anagnostiadis |
| Hyderabad Blackbirds | Shriya Lohia, Aquil Alibhai |
| Godspeed Kochi | Hugh Barter |
| Ahmedabad Apex Racers | Veer Amar Sheth |
Where to watch Indian Racing League, F4 India
All races will be streamed live on FanCode and broadcasted on Star Sports Select 2. For those who want to witness the action in person, tickets are available on Paytm Insider.
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