Indian Racing Festival 2025 kicks off with Star-Studded Driver Draft in Mumbai

The first-ever official Driver Draft for the Indian Racing League happened yesterday in Mumbai. The 2025 season of the Indian Racing Festival will feature six star-studded franchises and 24 drivers. 

Each team will have one international driver, one emerging international or Indian-origin talent, one domestic Indian driver, and one female driver. The rainy Tuesday was brought alive by a panel consisting of Dr. Shwetha, Ratul, John Abraham, Sourav Ganguly, Arjun Kapoor, Priya Sudeep, Akhilesh Reddy, and Vineeth. 

Drivers with backgrounds from GP2, Le Mans, F3 and GT series will be a part of the 2025 season with prominent names such as Fabienne Wohlwend, Gabriela Jilkova, Neel Jani and Jon Lancaster. At the Press Conference, the team owners and league officials shared their thoughts about the future of motorsport, as well as what Indians could expect from the Indian Racing League. The progress made by Akhilesh Reddy and his team from last year to this year’s season was underscored by Sourav Ganguly during his speech. “The fact that it is harder to sell motorsport in a country like India than cricket, which is a religion in the country, makes it even more crucial to support the growth of motorsport and the league, which is still at a very nascent stage,” said Ganguly.  

“Motorsport in our country is still developing, and there are still a lot of obstacles to overcome,” added actor Arjun Kapoor. To promote the development of the motorsport industry in India, the Indian Racing Festival is offering F4 seats at subsidised prices and is the cheapest championship, said Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Racing Promotions Pvt. Ltd. (RPPL). 

Starting August 2025, we will be seeing these six teams along with the owners and drivers, battling it out on the racetrack. 

Speed Demons Delhi owned by Arjun Kapoor: 

1. Alister Yoong (Malaysia) – Regular in Asian single-seaters, son of former F1 driver Alex Yoong

2. Sai Sanjay (India) – Consistent domestic performer across Indian circuit championships

3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (India) – Former F4 SEA champion and one of India’s top karting graduates

4. Caitlin Wood (Australia) – Experienced in W Series and GT World Challenge

Hyderabad Blackbirds owned by Naga Chaitanya: 

1. Jon Lancaster (UK) – Former GP2 winner and Le Mans podium finisher

2. Akshay Bohra (India) – Promising Indian-origin driver with F4 experience in Europe and UAE

3. Mohamed Ryan (India) – Young talent with strong sim-racing and F4 credentials

4. Gabriela Jilkova (Czech Republic) – Sim and GT racing expert with international recognition

Goa Aces owned by John Abraham:

1. Raoul Hyman (UK/SA) – Two-time IRL champion and F3 veteran

2. Akash Gowda (India) – Versatile Indian racer with multiple podiums in national series

3. Chetan Surineni (India) – Emerging domestic competitor known for pace and consistency

4. Fabienne Wohlwend (Liechtenstein) – W Series and Ferrari Challenge star

Kolkata Royal Tigers owned by Sourav Ganguly: 

1. Tom Canning (UK) – British GT Champion with endurance racing experience

2. Sohil Shah (India) – F4 India podium finisher and consistent IRL performer

3. Sandeep Kumar (India) – Returning driver with national championship wins

4. Alexandra Hervé (France) – F4 and Eurocup contender with strong racecraft

Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru owned by Sudeep Kichcha: 

1. Neel Jani (Switzerland) – Le Mans winner and former F1 test driver

2. Ruhaan Alva (India) – Bengaluru’s young prodigy and F4 India front-runner

3. Kyle Kumaran (India) – National karting and F4 talent

4. Jem Hepworth (UK) – British endurance and GT racing driver

Chennai Turbo Riders owned by Keerthivasan:

1. Aqil Alibhai (Kenya) – Formula 4 UAE race winner with strong international pedigree

2. Shibin Yousaf (India) – Consistent performer in Indian circuit racing

3. Tijil Rao (India) – Part of India’s new wave of single-seater talent

4. Laura Camps Torras (Spain) – Ferrari Driver Academy alumna and standout karting graduate

Finally, Akhilesh Reddy said that hopefully there would be a street track, and that we could get news on that front in a couple of days. The 2025 season, which begins in August, promises to be a rollercoaster of drama, chaos, and pure entertainment. As Vineeth from Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru aptly put it, “KKB represents cinema at 300 km/h.” With six powerhouses gearing up to battle it out, we’re all set for a season that’s fast, fierce, and unforgettable.