~ From F1 pedigrees to homegrown speedsters, India’s premier motorsport league ignites the grid with its first-ever Driver Draft, featuring global talent, female racers, and celebrity-owned teams.
In a groundbreaking first, the Indian Racing League (IRL) launched its season with an official Driver Draft, hosted in Mumbai. In what can only be described as a turbocharged moment for Indian motorsport, six city-based franchises selected 24 elite drivers, each crafting a four-driver squad built for adrenaline and audience appeal.
The draft held on July 15th marks a strategic reshuffle of teams and formats, with the IRL becoming the first motorsport league in India to adopt this transparent and data-driven selection process. Each franchise was tasked with creating a balanced team: one seasoned international driver, an emerging talent of Indian origin or global repute, a domestic Indian driver, and a female racer—solidifying the league’s inclusive and high-performance vision.
The team lineups and their celebrity owners add further fuel to the excitement:
- Goa Aces (Owner: Sourav Ganguly) Drivers: Raoul Hyman, Akash Gowda, Chetan Surineni, Fabienne Wohlwend
- Kolkata Royal Tigers (Owner: Arjun Kapoor) Drivers: Tom Canning, Sohil Shah, Sandeep Kumar, Alexandra Hervé
- Chennai Turbo Riders (Owner: Rana Daggubati) Drivers: William Butler, Jehan Daruvala, Vishnu Prasad, Laura Camps Torras
- Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru (Owner: Kichcha Sudeepa) Drivers: Neel Jani, Ruhaan Alva, Kyle Kumaran, Jem Hepworth
- Speed Demons Delhi (Owner: John Abraham) Drivers: Alister Yoong, Sai Sanjay, Shahan Ali Mohsin, Caitlin Wood
- Black Birds Hyderabad (Owner: Naga Chaitanya) Drivers: Jon Lancaster, Akshay Bohra, Mohamed Ryan, Gabriela Jílková
In total, six female racers will compete in the 2025 season—two making their debut and four returning, ensuring a visible and vital role for women in motorsport. These fierce competitors come armed with international GT, endurance, and open-wheel experience, adding serious depth to an already charged grid.
From Le Mans winner Neel Jani to two-time IRL champion Raoul Hyman, and a dynamic mix of Indian rising stars such as Ruhaan Alva, Sohil Shah, and Akshay Bohra, the 2025 grid promises a fierce battle at every turn. Each team was built not just on fan appeal but around data, track compatibility, and race-day chemistry, with owners and technical directors fully invested in crafting race-winning machines.
RPPL Chairman Akhilesh Reddy hailed the event as a defining leap for motorsport in India: “This isn’t just another season—it’s a new standard. With the Driver Draft, we’ve built a platform that champions merit, inclusivity, and world-class competition. The world isn’t just watching—we’re inviting them to race with us.”
Season Calendar – 2025 IRL
- Round 1: August 15–17 – Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore
- Round 2: August 22–24 – Madras International Circuit, Chennai
- Round 3: October 3–5 – Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore
- Round 4: October 31–Nov 2 – TBD Urban Circuit
- Round 5: November 29–30 – TBD Finale Venue
All drivers will race in the Wolf GB08 Thunder, a single-seater machine powered by a 215 hp Aprilia engine, delivering blistering acceleration and unmatched agility across circuits and city tracks.
