New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) The Indian Racing Festival (IRF) will bring international-standard circuit racing back to the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) after 13 years, with the F4 Indian Championship and Indian Racing League (IRL) set to compete at the Greater Noida venue on October 31 and November 1.
The two championships will hold Round 4 and Round 2 of their respective 2026 campaigns at the 5.125-km circuit, which previously hosted the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix and MotoGP Bharat.
The return to Buddh offers motorsport fans in the Delhi-NCR region an opportunity to witness two racing championships at one of India’s prominent racing venues, with the F4 title battle gathering momentum and the IRL entering another important phase of its season.
The F4 Indian Championship heads into the fourth round after an impressive performance by Goa Aces JA Racing’s Luviwe Sambudla at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai. Starting sixth on the grid, Sambudla won the first two races before finishing third in the final race of the weekend.
His consistent results took him to 138 points and the championship lead, giving him a 21-point advantage over Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru driver Aris Kyriakou.
Speed Demons Delhi’s Ntiyiso Mabunda also enjoyed a strong outing in Chennai, finishing second in all three races. His performance in the opening race stood out as he climbed from 10th on the grid to secure second place.
Kolkata Royal Tigers’ Aaron Mehta, meanwhile, produced one of the weekend’s major highlights by winning the third race from pole position. The 15-year-old held off Mabunda by just 0.546 seconds to secure victory and become the youngest race winner in Indian F4 history at 15 years, six months and six days.
With Sambudla looking to consolidate his position at the top of the standings, the Buddh round will provide an important opportunity for his rivals to reduce the gap in the championship race. Mabunda’s consistency and Mehta’s breakthrough victory have added further interest to the contest as the season progresses.
The Indian Racing League will also return to action at Buddh for its second round of the 2026 campaign. Teams and drivers will aim to make the most of the circuit challenge and improve their positions in the standings as the championship continues.
–IANS
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