Mumbai, July 16, 2025:
The Indian Racing Festival (IRF) 2025 officially roared to life with the first-ever Driver Draft hosted at Taj Lands End, Mumbai. Organised by Racing Promotions Pvt. Ltd. (RPPL), the draft finalised the complete team rosters for the upcoming Indian Racing League (IRL) season, featuring 24 drivers across six city-based franchises.
For the first time in Indian motorsport, teams built balanced line-ups: an experienced international driver, an Indian or Indian-origin emerging talent, a domestic driver, and a female racer — reflecting IRF’s inclusive, competitive, and data-driven vision.
Big global names like Neel Jani (Le Mans winner), Jon Lancaster, and Raoul Hyman join Indian stars Ruhaan Alva, Sohil Shah, Sai Sanjay, and rising talents including Akshay Bohra and Kyle Kumaran. Women racers like Fabienne Wohlwend, Gabriela Jilkova, Caitlin Wood, and Laura Camps Torras add international depth and diversity.
Franchise owners and public figures — John Abraham (Goa Aces), Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Royal Tigers), Arjun Kapoor (Speed Demons Delhi), Sudeep Kichcha (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru), and others — took the stage to reveal their teams and share visions for the league.
“With this driver draft, we’re building a new foundation for motorsport in India — inclusive, structured, and globally competitive,” said Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman & MD of RPPL.
The IRL 2025 season starts this August, racing across permanent circuits and iconic city street tracks.
🏁 IRL 2025 Final Team Line-Ups:
✅ Speed Demons Delhi (Arjun Kapoor):
Alister Yoong, Sai Sanjay, Shahan Ali Mohsin, Caitlin Wood
✅ Hyderabad Blackbirds (Naga Chaitanya):
Jon Lancaster, Akshay Bohra, Mohamed Ryan, Gabriela Jilkova
✅ Goa Aces (John Abraham):
Raoul Hyman, Akash Gowda, Chetan Surineni, Fabienne Wohlwend
✅ Kolkata Royal Tigers (Sourav Ganguly):
Tom Canning, Sohil Shah, Sandeep Kumar, Alexandra Hervé
✅ Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru (Sudeep Kichcha):
Neel Jani, Ruhaan Alva, Kyle Kumaran, Jem Hepworth
✅ Chennai Turbo Riders (Keerthivasan):
Aqil Alibhai, Shibin Yousaf, Tijil Rao, Laura Camps Torras
About RPPL:
Founded by Akhilesh Reddy, Armaan Ebrahim, and Aditya Patel, RPPL powers the Indian Racing Festival, driving India’s FIA-recognised motorsport ecosystem with innovation, inclusivity, and local identity.
