F4 Indian Championship 2026 Round 2: Sambudla wins twice, Kyriakou retains points lead

Luviwe Sambudla emerged as the standout performer in Round 2 of the 2026 F4 Indian Championship at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The Goa Aces JA Racing driver won two of the three races, while Hyderabad Blackbirds’ Bhuvan Bonu took the other victory. Despite Sambudla’s strong weekend, Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru driver Aris Kyriakou remains on top of the championship standings.

Sambudla delivers two wins

Sambudla opened the weekend with a controlled Race 1 victory, completing 25 laps in 31:28.915. Starting from pole, he stayed ahead of Kyriakou and Speed Demons Delhi’s Ntiyiso Mabunda to secure his second win of the season. He also recorded the fastest lap at 1:05.394.

The race was briefly neutralised by a safety car after Ahmedabad Apex Racers’ Mathias Alexander Forland made contact with Aditya. Sambudla regained control after the restart, with Kyriakou finishing 2.627 seconds behind.

Race 3 produced another win for Sambudla. He covered 29 laps in 31:39.757 and finished 11.870 seconds ahead of Kyriakou. Kolkata Royal Tigers’ Swarnav Das completed the podium.

Bonu capitalises in Race 2

Bonu converted reverse-grid pole into his first victory of the weekend in Race 2. A collision involving Aaron Mehta and Sambudla at Turn 1 ended the latter’s race after steering damage sent his car into the gravel.

Mahlori Mabunda originally crossed the line second but dropped to seventh after a five-place penalty. Ntiyiso Mabunda was subsequently classified second, ahead of Kyriakou.

Title battle tightens

Race 2 also marked the championship’s 50th F4 race. After six races, Kyriakou leads with 93 points, while Sambudla has 88 and Bonu 51. Mahlori Mabunda and Aaron Mehta follow on 46 and 42 points. The championship now moves to the Madras International Circuit in Chennai, with four rounds remaining.

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