The 2026 Indian Racing Festival kicked off at Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway. The opening round, held from September 12-13, hosted the F4 Indian Championship and Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. The Indian Racing League, meanwhile, will get underway later in October with a shorter four-round calendar that concludes at the new Navi Mumbai street circuit.
Kichcha's Kings Bengaluru’s Aris Kyriakou made an impressive start to the season, finishing on the podium in all three F4 India races and even winning Race 3. Over in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, Senthil Kumar took a clean sweep, winning all three races in the Professionals category.
- Kyriakou finished on the podium in all three F4 India races
- Kumar takes clean sweep in Continental GT Cup Pro
2026 F4 India Round 1
The F4 Indian Championship gives drivers the opportunity to earn valuable Super Licence points, which are needed to compete in F1. As a result, the championship has been attracting rising talent from around the globe and this year’s grid features drivers representing eight different countries.
After starting from eighth on the grid, Goa Aces JA Racing’s Luviwe Sambudla pulled off an incredible recovery drive in Race 1. He moved into podium contention by Lap 4. A mid-race Safety Car then bunched up the pack, and the South African driver went on to claim victory 2.245 seconds ahead of Kyriakou.
In Race 2, Goa Aces JA Racing’s Aryan Narola converted pole position into victory. He fended off pressure from Kyriakou to win by a margin of just 0.624 seconds. This result also makes the 15-year-old the second-youngest race winner in the championship’s history.
After two back-to-back podium finishes, Kyriakou finally bagged victory in Race 3 after keeping Mahlori Mabunda at bay. The Australian driver’s consistent run in Round 1 sees him take the overall lead, 13 points ahead of Sambudla. Mehta is third overall, six points behind Sambudla.
F4 India Race 1 results
1. Luviwe Sambudla (Goa Aces JA Racing)
2. Aris Kyriakou (Kichcha's Kings Bengaluru)
3. Aaron Mehta (Kolkata Royal Tigers)
F4 India Race 2 results
1. Aryan Narola (Goa Aces JA Racing)
2. Aris Kyriakou (Kichcha's Kings Bengaluru)
3. Swarnav Das (Kolkata Royal Tigers)
F4 India Race 3 results
1. Aris Kyriakou (Kichcha's Kings Bengaluru)
2. Mahlori Mabunda (GodSpeed Kochi)
3. Aaron Mehta (Kolkata Royal Tigers)
2026 Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Round 1
Alongside F4 India, the Kari Motor Speedway also hosted the opening round of the 2026 Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, presented by JK Tyre. The series features a new format this year, with separate grids for its two categories. The Professionals are racing on the GT-R750, while the Amateurs are racing on the GT-R650.
Former National Champion Senthil Kumar made his debut in the Professionals category this year. He’s already gotten off to a dominant start, winning all three races held over the weekend. Both Allwin Xavier and Anish D Shetty finished on the podium in all three races.
Kabir Sahoch, meanwhile, dominated in the Amateurs category, also taking a clean sweep.
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 1 results (Pro)
1. Senthil Kumar
2. Allwin Xavier
3. Anish D Shetty
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 2 results (Pro)
1. Senthil Kumar
2. Anish D Shetty
3. Allwin Xavier
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 3 results (Pro)
1. Senthil Kumar
2. Anish Shetty
3. Allwin Xavier
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 1 results (Amateurs)
1. Kabir Sahoch
2. Saurav Dey
3. Brandon Dsouza
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 2 results (Amateur)
1. Kabir Sahoch
2. Saurav Dey
3. Vaibhav Rao
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 3 results (Amateur)
1. Kabir Sahoch
2. Harish Yodhin
3. Prashaant C
Stephen Raj Antony
