The Formula Regional Indian Championship, the F4 Indian Championship, and the Indian Racing League will be making their debut in November 2022. All three series will be held under the ‘Indian Racing Festival’ umbrella, and the organisers, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL), have revealed the updated calendar, which runs from November 11-December 11.
- Debut at Buddh International Circuit on November 11
- Two rounds in Hyderabad, one each at Kari and MMRT
- Super Licence points for Formula Regional India and F4 India
Indian Racing Festival calendar
Plans for India’s first FIA-graded F3 championship were announced last year, putting in place a structured ladder for racers together with F4 India and the Indian Racing League. The championship’s debut season was initially slated to be held from February-March 2022. However, pandemic-related delays resulted in its postponement.
The revised calendar has now been confirmed with five rounds – one each week from November 11-December 10. The venues remain the same as before. Following a pre-season test at the Buddh International Circuit from November 8-10, all three series will make their debut at the track for Round 1 from November 11-13.
Then there’s the Hyderabad round that will be held on the same street track as what is being developed for the proposed Formula E race in India. This will be followed by rounds at Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway and Chennai’s Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) before heading back to Hyderabad for the finale.
| 2022 Indian Racing Festival calendar | ||
|---|---|---|
| Round | Date | Venue |
| Pre-season testing | November 8-10 | Buddh International Circuit |
| Round 1 | November 11-13 | Buddh International Circuit |
| Round 2 | November 19-20 | Hyderabad |
| Round 3 | November 25-27 | Kari Motor Speedway |
| Round 4 | December 2-4 | MMRT |
| Round 5 | December 10-11 | Hyderabad |
Super Licence points up for grabs
The Formula Regional Indian Championship will essentially act as a stepping stone to the FIA F3 championship, which is an official feeder series for F1. It’s a one-make championship, so all the drivers will be competing in identical F3 cars powered by Alfa Romeo 1,750cc engines, putting out 270hp.
The F4 Indian championship, meanwhile, will offer young racers the opportunity to take the first step up from karting into the world of single-seater racing. The winner of this championship will get a free drive in the following year’s Formula Regional Indian Championship.
Both championships are eligible for Super Licence points, making them a truly monumental addition to the Indian motorsport scene. To race in F1, you need a Super Licence, which can be obtained by earning 40 points, and the FIA awards a fixed number of points for various international series.
The winner of the Formula Regional Indian Championship will earn 18 Super Licence points, 14 points will be awarded for second place, 12 points for third place and so on. Meanwhile, the winner of the F4 Indian championship will earn 12 Super Licence points. So with this, there are 30 FIA Super Licence points on offer in India itself.
The Indian Racing League will be a revamped version of the X1 Racing League, featuring single-seaters built by Italian constructor Wolf. The series will continue with its format of city-based teams, with each team featuring one female racer.
“Our ambition for the Indian Racing Festival is to put India back on the map of motorsports and to provide opportunities for young Indian racing drivers to take up the sport more seriously by providing them with a platform to advance to the top right in their own hometown,” said Akhilesh Reddy, director MEIL, and chairman, RPPL.
“We are pleased to have drivers like Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim in our team to guide us, we are also planning to reach out to various colleges as well to promote the sport. Indian Racing Festival featuring Formula Regional Indian championship, Formula 4 Indian Championship and the Indian Racing League, will attract the international racing fraternity to India, and subsequently, suppliers to the global auto-racing industry.”
Dipan Sur
