The inaugural season of India’s first official F1-sanctioned sim racing competition wrapped up, with the finale held at Mumbai’s NSCI Dome. Organised by Mumbai Falcons, the F1 Sim Racing India Open was divided into two categories, with Vihaan Joshi taking home the tile in the Junior (Under 15 category) and Karl Verghese winning the Senior title.
Mumbai also hosted the Cup of Nations, featuring some of the world’s top sim racers backed by the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull, Aston Martin and Alpine.
- Top performers will join Mumbai Falcons’ karting programme
- Registrations for Season 2 open on November 19
F1 Sim Racing India Open Junior winner: Vihaan Joshi
Following a nation-wide qualifying process, the top 20 from each category made it to the national finals. Here, races were conducted on virtual versions of the Albert Park Circuit (Australia), Bahrain International Circuit (Bahrain), Circuit Gilles Villeveuve (Canada), Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain), Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (Mexico) and Yas Marina Circuit (Abu Dhabi).
10-year-old Vihaan Joshi won five out of the six races to be crowned Junior champion, defeating his nearest rival Agastya Ivan Crasto by 26 points.
Over the years, Mumbai Falcons has fielded teams in several international karting and Formula Regional championships. The team has played a crucial role in the junior careers of prominent drivers, including Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Arvid Lindblad and Kush Maini. The Junior category now slots into the team’s driver development strategy as well, with the top-performing participants earning the chance to join their karting programme.
F1 Sim Racing India Open Senior winner: Karl Verghese
Karl Verghese dominated in the Senior category, winning all three six races to clinch the title with a total of 150 points. Siddharth Sathgare finished 54 points behind him in second place. Both of them progressed to the international phase – the Cup of Nations – featuring a total of 20 teams.
Team Spain White wins Cup of Nations
The top two finishers from F1 sim racing championships across the world competed in the Cup of Nations. The top 10 teams made it to the finale, featuring four races on virtual versions of Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez (Mexico), Interlagos Circuit (Brazil), Lusail International (Qatar) and Yas Marina Circuit (Abu Dhabi).
Team Spain White, with drivers Ismael Fahssi and Alejandro Loureiro, won all four finale races to take home the title. Team Netherlands Red finished 43 points behind in second place, while Team Hungary Red completed the podium, another 11 points adrift.
“Representing Spain and winning this title means a lot to me. It's special to be able to represent my country on an international stage like this and bring this achievement home. I am incredibly happy with how everything came together, and to finish with four wins from four races makes the experience even more memorable,” said Fahssi.
With the inaugural edition of the F1 Sim Racing India Open now wrapped up, all focus moves to Season 2. Online registrations for this open on November 19, 2026.
Stephen Raj Antony
Saptarshi Mondal
