The Indian Racing Festival (IRF) 2025 aims to redefine motorsport in India by adopting a transparent and performance-focused team-building process, drawing parallels with global sporting leagues. Each team drafted four drivers: an international star, an Indian or Indian-origin driver, a domestic talent, and a female racer.
Notable names include Neel Jani (Le Mans winner, F1 test driver), Raoul Hyman (two-time IRL champion), Jon Lancaster (GP2 and endurance racing), and top Indian prospects like Ruhaan Alva, Sohil Shah, and Akshay Bohra. Female racers like Fabienne Wohlwend, Gabriela Jilkova, Caitlin Wood, and Laura Camps Torras bring elite experience from W Series, GT, and F4 formats.
At the unveiling, all six team owners—including celebrities from Indian cinema and sport—revealed their rosters and shared their visions. Among them:
Arjun Kapoor (Speed Demons Delhi)
Naga Chaitanya (Hyderabad Blackbirds)
John Abraham (Goa Aces)
Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Royal Tigers)
Sudeep Kichcha (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru)
Keerthivasan (Chennai Turbo Riders)
Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman & MD of Racing Promotions Pvt. Ltd. (RPPL), stated, “With this driver draft, we’re building a new foundation for motorsport in India—structured, inclusive, and competitive. This is a sport for India, by India, with the world watching.”
The IRL 2025 season begins in August, with races across permanent circuits and urban street tracks in multiple cities. The evening concluded with a media interaction that celebrated a defining chapter in the evolution of Indian motorsport.
IRL 2025 Final Team Line-Ups:
Speed Demons Delhi (Owner: Arjun Kapoor)
- Alister Yoong (Malaysia)
- Sai Sanjay (India)
- Shahan Ali Mohsin (India)
- Caitlin Wood (Australia)
Hyderabad Blackbirds (Owner: Naga Chaitanya)
- Jon Lancaster (UK)
- Akshay Bohra (India)
- Mohamed Ryan (India)
- Gabriela Jilkova (Czech Republic)
Goa Aces (Owner: John Abraham)
- Raoul Hyman (UK/SA)
- Akash Gowda (India)
- Chetan Surineni (India)
- Fabienne Wohlwend (Liechtenstein)
Kolkata Royal Tigers (Owner: Sourav Ganguly)
- Tom Canning (UK)
- Sohil Shah (India)
- Sandeep Kumar (India)
- Alexandra Hervé (France)
Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru (Owner: Sudeep Kichcha)
- Neel Jani (Switzerland)
- Ruhaan Alva (India)
- Kyle Kumaran (India)
- Jem Hepworth (UK)
Chennai Turbo Riders (Owner: Keerthivasan)
- Aqil Alibhai (Kenya)
- Shibin Yousaf (India)
- Tijil Rao (India)
- Laura Camps Torras (Spain)
With its structured draft, celebrity ownership, and diverse grid, IRL 2025 is poised to deliver India’s most compelling motorsport season yet.
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