In The Fast Lane

Over the past decade, motorsporting have gained considerable popularity in India. Experts bet on the immense sporting talent that our country has, but agree there are fewer opportunities for this talent to shine. This is also the reason why we have not seen a significant Indian presence at the international level. When we look at the motorsports world, India has a lot of catching up to do. However, all of this is set to change. And soon. 

To usher in a new era in the motorsports domain in India, Akhilesh Reddy, Director MEIL and Chairman, RPPL (Racing Promotions) is opening up opportunities for aspiring Indian racing drivers to take up the sport more seriously by bringing F3 and F4 racing to India. 

Reviving motorsports in India 

RPPL is all set to host the inaugural Indian Racing Festival, powered by a vision to revive motorsports in India. The festival which will bring multiple franchises into the format will enthrall the audience on weekends in multiple cities including all kinds of exciting racing tracks and even a street circuit. The festival will begin from the weekend of November 11th and run every weekend until the weekend of December 10th across five weekends across multi-city locations including the former F1 track at BIC Greater Noida, the debut of India’s first street track at Hyderabad, Coimbatore, and MMRT Chennai. 

The Indian Racing Festival by RPPL will host three race events – Formula Regional Indian Championship, Formula 4 Indian Championship, and the Indian Racing League.

Formula Regional Indian Championship and the F4 Indian championships will be certified by the FIA; championship winners will be awarded FIA Super Licence points. However, these three championships are not the only ones on the horizon. RPPL has great intentions to establish racing infrastructure and begin developing talent from the ground up. 

F3 and F4 are FIA-sanctioned championships that are run under the rules and regulations of the FIA, following the protocols set by the racing commission for the respective championships. But what is unique is that it will be the first time that an FIA-sanctioned championship will be held in India.  

RPPL’s vision is to make India a strong player in the motorsports world, and open up opportunities to aspiring Indian racing drivers to take up the sport more seriously as they have the platform to graduate to the top right in their home ground. 

The potential of formula racing

What makes both these championships truly monumental is the fact that they are eligible for Super Licence points. To race in F1, you need a Super Licence which can be obtained by earning 40 Super Licence points. The FIA awards a fixed number of points for various international series. 

RPPL creates a clear pathway for Indians to move up to racing internationally. Karting and sim racing in India will lead to the F4 Indian Championship, followed by the Formula Regional Indian Championship, which in turn acts as a stepping stone for FIA-sanctioned international racing. 

There is no denying that what started as and was always perceived to be a niche sport for the affluent in the early years, has gained mainstream popularity and has been considered as a serious sport after the establishment of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) in the 1970s. 

As we know, Formula 1 racing is the pinnacle of motorsports and one of the major global sport series in the world.  It represents the top-tier of motorsport, with a global TV audience of 1,922 mn during the year (Brazil, Germany, Italy, UK, Netherlands being the top viewing markets) according to Nielsen. 

Overall, Europe is the first market for TV audiences (66.7 per cent), followed by Central and South America (22.1 per cent), Asia Pacific (5.1 per cent), North America (3.4 per cent) and Africa and Middle East (2.8 per cent). Formula 1 today is a sophisticated, globally recognised sport portraying a rich bouquet of values and propositions that quickly transfer onto the brands sponsoring the series.  

With RPPL’s inaugural Formula Regional Indian Championship, Formula 4 Indian Championship, and the Indian Racing League, the stage is set for Indian racing enthusiasts to aim for global recognition.