Thrilling Action at the Indian Racing Festival 2026: F4 Championship Highlights

The Indian Racing Festival 2026 brought thrilling moments to the F4 Indian Championship at Kari Motor Speedway. With Luviwe Sambudla of Goa Aces JA Racing clinching two victories and Bhuvan Bonu from Hyderabad Blackbirds winning the third race, the competition heated up. Aris Kyriakou maintained his championship lead, while Sambudla's impressive performance brought him closer to the top. The event marked a significant milestone with the 50th race in the series. As the championship heads to Chennai for the next round, fans eagerly await more action.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 20, 2026, 20:07 IST

Exciting Weekend at Kari Motor Speedway

The Indian Racing Festival (IRF) 2026 showcased an exhilarating second round of the F4 Indian Championship at Kari Motor Speedway (KMS) in Coimbatore on Sunday. Over the course of three races, the Goa Aces JA Racing team, owned by actor John Abraham, celebrated two wins thanks to driver Luviwe Sambudla, while Bhuvan Bonu from Hyderabad Blackbirds secured the victory in the remaining race. Notably, Race 2 marked a significant milestone as it was the 50th race in the F4 series since its launch, according to a press release.

Championship Standings Update

Aris Kyriakou from Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru maintained his lead in the championship standings after achieving three podium finishes throughout the weekend. Sambudla's two wins have propelled him closer to the top of the leaderboard.

Race 1: Sambudla's Dominance

In the first race, Luviwe Sambudla of Goa Aces JA Racing dominated from start to finish, securing his second victory of the season. Aris Kyriakou finished in second place, while Ntiyiso Mabunda from Speed Demons Delhi earned his first podium of the season by finishing third. Mahlori Mabunda from Godspeed Kochi took fourth place. The race experienced a safety car interruption due to an incident involving Mathias Alexander Forland from Ahmedabad Apex Racers and Aditya. After the restart, Sambudla maintained his lead and recorded the fastest lap.

Race 2: Bonu's Victory from Reverse-Grid

Bhuvan Bonu from Hyderabad Blackbirds capitalized on his reverse-grid pole position to win Race 2. The race featured a collision at Turn 1 between Aaron Mehta of Kolkata Royal Tigers and Sambudla, resulting in Sambudla retiring after getting stuck in the gravel due to steering damage. Although Mahlori Mabunda crossed the finish line second, he received a five-place penalty, which dropped him to seventh. Ntiyiso Mabunda was elevated to second place, with Kyriakou finishing third. Enzo Rujugiro from Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru and Aaryan Narola from Goa Aces JA Racing rounded out the top five.

Race 3: Sambudla's Comeback

Sambudla rebounded from his Race 2 retirement to clinch his second win of the weekend in Race 3. Kyriakou secured second place, while Swarnav Das from Kolkata Royal Tigers finished third. Sai Aditya from Chennai Turbo Riders made an impressive start from the 10th position, while Aaryan Narola had to retire due to a puncture, and Aaron Mehta also faced retirement due to brake issues.

Current Championship Standings

After two rounds, Kyriakou leads the championship with 93 points, closely followed by Sambudla with 88 points. Bonu holds third place with 51 points, while Mahlori Mabunda and Aaron Mehta are in fourth and fifth with 46 and 42 points, respectively.

Next Round Preview

The F4 Indian Championship will continue at the Madras International Circuit (MIC) in Chennai, with four rounds remaining in the season.