We're low on opportunities, not talent, in motorsport: Indian Racing League boss

Despite the arrival of premier-class racing championships in the country, India has fewer motorsport icons when compared to other countries. And a big factor behind it is the lack of nurturing a supportive ecosystem, according to Akhil Reddy, Chairman of Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL), the organisers of the Indian Racing League. The IPL-styled motorsport championship aims to bring racing talent from India and abroad on its new platform.

Speaking to HT Auto, Reddy explains why India is lacking when it comes to nurturing new racing drivers. He says, “We have a lack of opportunities because we don’t have the ecosystem in India for motorsport. When it comes to motorsport, most people think only about Formula 1. But there are lots of legends out there who drive in Daytona, Le Mans and Eurocar. There are lots of other opportunities. We have multiple things to do over here like creating awareness. Even in cricket, you have only 11 players and 11 players can’t be changed every year. In the same way, at least F1 will have 3-4 new drivers every few years, so they sign up for only 2-3 years."

Reddy also highlights the need for more grassroots-level racing programs to support new talent in motorsport. The statement comes just as MotoGP arrived in India last year, while there are reports of a new Formula 1 circuit in Gujarat being developed, which could prompt the return of the championship in India. With the increase in coverage and access in recent years, the popularity of motorsport has increased in the country, which now requires more platforms to nurture new talent.

Reddy reveals that his company is working towards providing platforms to new drivers in the country. RPPL is already hosting the Formula 4 championship in India, giving new drivers graduating from karting a new platform to showcase their skills. The company has brought the Mygale F4 cars for the same.

“Coming to Formula 4, this is the first step where we are allowing Indian kids to start their racing career in India itself. Last year, the cheapest championship was Formula 4 from the driver’s point of view. This year, after the season, we are considering introducing Formula 3 as well. We do have the F3 rights also," Akhil further adds.

RPPL is aiming to organise the country’s first Formula 3 championship by the end of 2026. The national-level competition will not only hone the driver’s skills further but will also be a step up for Formula 4 champions, providing a natural growth program in India itself.

For now, Reddy is concentrating on successfully hosting the upcoming season of The Indian Racing League. The 2023 edition saw unexpected hurdles in the form of elections and changing governments in Telangana, followed by floods in Tamil Nadu. The team says it’s now more prepared than ever with a new calendar planned.

“We are starting from August and ending in November," explained Reddy. The organisers are looking to host the first round on August 24-25. The team has identified four circuits for a total of five rounds in 2024. The calendar will include the Buddh International Circuit in Delhi-NCR, a street circuit in Chennai respectively, as well as two new circuits - Bren Raceway in Bengaluru and CoASTT High Performance in Coimbatore.

RPPL aims to expand the Indian Racing League 2024 to five street circuits by the end of 2027, bringing the sport to the masses, while the plan is to eventually increase the calendar and weekends as well.