F4 Indian Championship to kick off 2026 Indian Racing Festival in Coimbatore
The 2026 Indian Racing Festival (IRF) will get underway at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore on September 12-13, with the F4 Indian Championship opening its six-round season. The championship will be followed by the four-round Indian Racing League (IRL), with both series set to conclude at the new Navi Mumbai Street Circuit in December.
Organised by Racing Promotions, the 2026 season will take the Indian Racing Festival to established racing venues before making its street-racing debut in Navi Mumbai.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryF4 Indian Championship seasonThe FIA-certified F4 Indian Championship will feature six rounds in 2026, beginning in Coimbatore. The championship is aimed at providing young drivers with experience in single-seater racing as they progress from karting, while also offering an opportunity to earn Super Licence points.
The 2026 F4 grid comprises 14 drivers representing eight nationalities across eight teams. The driver line-up includes competitors from India, Singapore, the USA, Kenya, the UK, South Africa, Norway and Australia.
India's Bhuvan Bonu, who will race for Hyderabad Blackbirds, said the championship represents the next stage of his motorsport career and his ambitions of reaching Formula 1.Indian Racing League begins in October
The Indian Racing League will begin its 2026 campaign on October 24-25 at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai. The series will feature six franchise teams and run for four rounds before culminating at the Navi Mumbai Street Circuit.
One of the biggest additions to the 2026 Indian Racing Festival will be the Navi Mumbai Street Circuit. The new venue will host the season-ending rounds of both the F4 Indian Championship and Indian Racing League in December.
The move marks the IRF's shift beyond permanent racing facilities, with RPPL looking to bring competitive motorsport into an urban street-racing setting.
Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, RPPL, said the 2026 season is aimed at expanding the motorsport ecosystem in India, with the F4 championship continuing to provide a pathway for young drivers and the IRL bringing together Indian and international talent.Where to watch the Indian Racing Festival
The 2026 Indian Racing Festival will be broadcast on STAR Sports KHEL in Hinglish, STAR Sports 2 Kannada in Kannada and STAR Sports 2 Tamil in Tamil.
The races will also be streamed on JioHotstar in English, Hinglish, Kannada and Tamil. The STAR Sports YouTube channel will stream the races in territories outside India.
