Indian Racing Festival 2024 guide: Tickets, Chennai street circuit and more

    Round 1 of the 2024 Indian Racing League, F4 India will be held at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai on August 24-25.

    Published On Aug 23, 2024 01:39:00 PM

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    Indian Racing League

    Six franchise teams will be competing in the Indian Racing League this year.

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    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 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, from August 31 to September 1. This 3.5km track, featuring 19 corners, is located around the Island Grounds in the heart of the city and will host the first night race on a street circuit in India

    Round 3 will be held at Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway from September 13-15. After a break, Rounds 4 and 5 are scheduled for 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
    RoundVenueDates
    Round 1Madras International Circuit, ChennaiAugust 24-25
    Round 2Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, ChennaiAugust 31-September 1
    Round 3Kari Motor Speedway, CoimbatoreSeptember 13-15
    Round 4TBAOctober 19-20
    Round 5TBANovember 16-17

    Indian Racing League car, format

    The Indian Racing League returns for its third season, maintaining the same format 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 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 John Abraham, Naga Chaitanya, Sourav Ganguly, Arjun Kapoor

    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
    TeamDrivers
    Rarh Bengal TigersRuhaan Alva, Nikhil Bohra, Alister Yoong, Fabienne Wohlwend
    Chennai Turbo RidersMohamed Ryan, Sandeep Kumar, Jon Lancaster, Emily Duggan
    Speed Demons DelhiAkash Gowda, Sai Sanjay, Alvaro Parente, Angelique Detavernier
    Bangalore SpeedstersKyle Kumaran, Rishon Rajeev, Julius Dinesen, Caitlin Wood
    Goa AcesSohil Shah, Shahan Ali Mohsin, Raoul Hyman, Gabriela Jilkova
    Hyderabad BlackbirdsAkhil Rabindra, Anindith Reddy, Neel Jani, Laura Camps

    F4 India format

    F4 is the first step on the single-seater ladder, and crucially, it offers Super Licence points, which are required to qualify for 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

    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
    TeamDrivers
    Rarh Bengal TigersTarun Muthiaiah, Ruhaan Alva
    Chennai Turbo RidersIsaac Demellweek, Jayden Hamilton
    Speed Demons DelhiZakariya Mohammed, Alba Hurup Larsen
    Bangalore SpeedstersAbhay Mohan, Jaden Pariat
    Goa AcesGiancarlo Artho, Aiva Alexis Anagnostiadis
    Hyderabad BlackbirdsShriya Lohia, Aqil Alibhai
    Godspeed KochiHugh Barter
    Ahmedabad Apex RacersVeer Amar Sheth, Divy Nandan

    Where to watch Indian Racing League, F4 India

    All races will be streamed live on FanCode and broadcast on Star Sports Select 2. For those who want to witness the action in person, tickets are available on Paytm Insider.

    Also see:

    Could India produce the next gen of motorsport engineers

    Cooper Webster crowned F4 India champion

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