India is getting its first official Formula 1-sanctioned sim racing championship. F1 has granted Mumbai Falcons the rights to host the 2026 F1 Sim Racing India Open, which the team says has been designed to “create a structured pathway from virtual competition to professional motorsport”.
- Finale will be held in Mumbai this November
- Participants can compete on PC, PlayStation 5 or Xbox
F1 Sim Racing India Open: How to enter?
F1 runs its own global sim racing championship, which often acts as a launchpad for wider opportunities in both sim racing, as well as motorsport in general. Mumbai Falcons is hoping to replicate that with the Indian version.
Registrations will open on April 30 on the MFRL app, which is available on Play Store and Apple Store.
F1 Sim Racing India Open format
The championship will be played on the F1 25 game; participants can compete on PC, PlayStation 5 or Xbox. First up will be online qualifiers, followed by city-based rounds. The top players will progress to the national final, to be held in Mumbai in November 2026.
“India has long been central to the global growth story of Formula 1. With 78.8 million fans and a generation raised on F1 gaming, the time is right to introduce an official, competitive sim racing championship here,” said the country’s first F1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan. “Mumbai Falcons are the ideal partner, having invested years in building India’s motorsport pipeline. This initiative is unique, globally exclusive and will set a new benchmark for talent development.”
Mumbai Falcons says the Indian championship will feature the same circuits, formats and team liveries as the global championship. Further details about the calendar and points-scoring system will be announced in the coming days. Watch this space for all the latest updates.
Stephen Raj Antony
Saptarshi Mondal
