Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons Racing launch official F1 Sim Racing Championship in India

Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited recently announced the launch of India’s first Official F1 Sim Racing Championship. Held under an agreement that grants Mumbai Falcons the rights to host the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, which will establish a national competitive platform for emerging talent across the country.

The championship is designed to create a structured pathway from virtual competition to professional motorsport, offering young drivers a first step into the wider racing ecosystem. In addition to that, the championship marks the first time Formula 1 has introduced a programme of this nature, exclusively for India. The announcement comes at a time when conversations around bringing Formula 1 back to India gain momentum, as fan interest in the sport continues to surge.

On this occasion, India's first Formula 1 Driver, Narain Karthikeyan, commented, “India has long been central to the global growth story of Formula 1. With 78.8 million fans and a generation raised on F1 gaming, the time is right to introduce an official, competitive Sim Racing Championship here. Mumbai Falcons are the ideal partner, having invested years in building India’s motorsport pipeline."

F1 Sim Racing Championship: Circuits, Formats, Liveries

The official recognition of e-sports under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, allows initiatives like the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 to connect India to the global driver pathway of F1. The Championship will be played on F1 25, the official game of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, featuring identical circuits, competitive formats, and team liveries as the global series.

“When we founded Mumbai Falcons in 2019, our ambition was to place India firmly on the global motorsport map and build a pipeline for world-class talent. Mumbai Falcons became the first Indian team to win an FIA-accredited international racing Championship. We have also supported the early careers of future Formula 1 stars. Partnering with Formula 1 to bring the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 to life is yet another significant initiative in that direction," said Ameet Gadhoke, Managing Director, Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited.

Mumbai Falcons Racing: History

The team has previously supported the early careers of drivers who went on to reach the pinnacle of the sport, including Jehan Daruvala, Kush Maini, Arthur Leclerc, Dino Beganovic, Sebastian Montoya, Rafael Camara, James Wharton, Freddie Slater, Kean Nakamura Berta, Oleksandr Bondarev, Kimi Antonelli, Arvid Lindblad and Oliver Bearman. Mumbai Falcons leverages its established history of finding and nurturing talent to create the first sustainable and expandable framework for motorsport development within the Indian racing landscape.

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