Chennai, Oct 23 (IANS) The Madras International Circuit in Chennai witnessed thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles, dramatic recoveries and a historic breakthrough as round 3 of the F4 Indian Championship, part of the Indian Racing Festival 2026, delivered three action-packed races on October 22 and 23.
Goa Aces JA Racing’s Luviwe Sambudla emerged as the weekend’s standout performer, claiming two victories and a third-place finish to take the championship lead, while 15-year-old Aaron Mehta of Kolkata Royal Tigers made history by becoming the youngest race winner in the championship’s history.
Sambudla turned a five-point deficit into a 21-point championship advantage, moving to 138 points ahead of Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru’s Aris Kyriakou on 117.
Across the 3.717-kilometre circuit, Sambudla showcased exceptional pace and racecraft, winning the opening two races from sixth on the grid before completing his weekend on the podium. Speed Demons Delhi’s Ntiyiso Mabunda was equally impressive, finishing second in all three races, while Mehta delivered a composed performance under pressure to secure his maiden victory in the final race.
The 16-driver field, representing eight franchise teams, arrived in Chennai with Kyriakou leading the standings after a consistent run of podium finishes. However, challenging wet-weather conditions and fiercely contested battles quickly changed the complexion of the title fight.
The opening race saw Kyriakou take the early lead, with Mehta initially keeping pace and Sambudla making up two places on the opening lap. As the wet conditions tested the field, Sambudla worked his way past Mehta for second before capitalising on a loss of rear grip from Kyriakou on lap nine to seize the lead.
Ntiyiso Mabunda, who started tenth for Speed Demons Delhi, produced an impressive recovery drive, overtaking Mehta and Kyriakou to move into second, while Goa Aces JA Racing’s Aryan Narola also joined the fight at the front.
With rain returning to the circuit, Sambudla pulled clear to win by 9.606 seconds, setting the fastest lap in 1:48.647. Ntiyiso Mabunda completed a remarkable climb from tenth to second, with Narola finishing third. Mehta crossed the line fourth, while Kyriakou had to settle for fifth. Speed Demons Delhi’s Krishay Gutte finished sixth as the highest-placed Indian driver. The result handed Sambudla a 10-point championship lead and shifted the momentum decisively in his favour.
Sambudla carried that form into the second race, once again starting sixth under the reverse-grid format. Working his way through the field, the Goa Aces JA Racing driver secured his second consecutive victory in 33:22.590 after 13 laps, but the contest proved considerably closer.
Ntiyiso Mabunda maintained the pressure throughout, finishing just 1.211 seconds behind the winner, while Sambudla recorded the fastest lap in 1:50.071.
Ntiyiso Mabunda’s second consecutive runner-up finish underlined his consistency, while Kyriakou recovered to third for Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru after his difficult opening race. Narola maintained fourth for Goa Aces JA Racing, followed by Gutte of Speed Demons Delhi, who again led the Indian contingent, and Mehta in sixth for Kolkata Royal Tigers.
With the top six separated by just 5.414 seconds, the race highlighted the increasingly competitive nature of the field. Sambudla’s second victory extended his championship advantage over Kyriakou to 14 points heading into the final race.
The weekend’s defining moment came in the third race, as Mehta converted pole position into a breakthrough victory. The Kolkata Royal Tigers teenager held his nerve through a race punctuated by incidents, a red flag and a safety car intervention before resisting a late charge from Ntiyiso Mabunda to win by just 0.546 seconds.
Mehta initially retained the lead as Narola of Goa Aces JA Racing challenged strongly through the opening corners. However, the slippery conditions soon caught several drivers out, with Kyriakou of Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru running wide into the grass and becoming stranded in a deep puddle, while Swarnav Das of Kolkata Royal Tigers also slid off the circuit.
The incidents prompted a red flag to allow the stranded cars to be recovered, with the field subsequently resuming behind the safety car. Kyriakou and Das were forced to restart from the back of the field, while Narola resumed in 13th.
Following the restart, Mehta gradually established a lead of approximately 1.5 seconds over Sambudla. However, the retirement of Hyderabad Blackbirds’ Bhuvan Bonu, who had been running fourth, brought out the safety car and erased the advantage.
As the race approached its conclusion, Ntiyiso Mabunda closed rapidly on Mehta, setting up a tense final-lap battle. The Speed Demons Delhi driver looked for a way through, but Mehta defended his position to secure his first championship victory and make history at just 15 years of age.
Ntiyiso Mabunda finished second for the third consecutive time in Chennai, while Sambudla secured third to cap his double-win campaign. Das recovered from the back of the field to finish fourth for Kolkata Royal Tigers, ahead of Godspeed Kochi’s Mahlori Mabunda in fifth. Kyriakou mounted a recovery drive from 16th to sixth, while Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru’s Enzo Rujugiro finished seventh. Narola climbed to eighth and recorded the fastest lap of the race in 1:39.676.
The weekend also tested the resilience of the wider field, with Ahmedabad Apex Racers’ Mathias Alexander Forland retiring after one lap in the opening race. Godspeed Kochi’s Lily-May Watkins and Hyderabad Blackbirds’ Janine Wermuth also encountered difficulties in the wet conditions, highlighting the fine margins that shaped the three races.
The Chennai round has significantly reshaped the championship battle, with Sambudla moving from five points behind Kyriakou to a 21-point lead after winning twice and finishing on the podium in all three races. Ntiyiso Mabunda’s three consecutive second-place finishes highlighted his consistency, while Mehta’s historic maiden win added another milestone to a weekend defined by close racing, challenging weather and determined recovery drives.
With the championship continuing into its next round, Sambudla leaves Chennai firmly in control of the standings, while Kyriakou faces the task of closing the gap. Mehta, meanwhile, emerges as one of the weekend’s breakthrough performers after converting his pace into a landmark victory for Kolkata Royal Tigers.
Speed Demons Delhi’s Shahan Ali Mohsin converted pole position into victory in a closely contested opening race of the Indian Racing League (IRL) at the Madras International Circuit, holding off Goa Aces JA Racing’s Raoul Hyman by just 0.506 seconds over eight laps. Mohsin completed the race in 18:32.970 and recorded the fastest lap of 1:36.354, while Hyman charged from fourth on the grid to finish second.
Chennai Turbo Riders’ Shane Chandaria completed the podium 2.690 seconds behind the winner, while Hyderabad Blackbirds’ Mohammed Ryan recovered from seventh to fourth.
Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru’s Emil Heyerdahl finished fifth, while Chennai Turbo Riders’ Sai Shiva Sankaran crossed the line sixth after starting third. Speed Demons Delhi also placed Sachel Rotge seventh following an impressive recovery from 11th, giving the team two drivers in the top seven.
The top eight finished within 8.523 seconds of the winner, underlining the close competition in the opening IRL encounter.
–IANS
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