Chennai Formula Racing Circuit launched, to host India’s first-night street races

Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin signed a Memorandum of Understanding of three years with race promoter Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL).

Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin at launch of Chennai Formula Racing Circuit. | Photo Credit: X @UdhayStalin

In a first, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday launched the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit that will host India’s first-night street circuit races – Formula 4 Indian Championship and the Indian Racing League – on December 9-10 later this year.  

Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin signed a Memorandum of Understanding of three years with race promoter Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL), during the launch of the street circuit.

“We’ll start the initial work by this month and it will be in full-fledged force by the end of September,” Akhilesh Reddy, chairman and managing director of RPPL, said. 

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“We started working on the ground two-and-a-half months earlier, and work for lights and the safety aspects will begin a month-and-a-half before the race,” he added. 

The government will fund 42 crores during the event while 200 crores will be invested by RPPL, according to Reddy. 

The 3.5 km layout will be the longest street circuit in India and South Asia that will host a night race, stretching across Island Grounds, Victory War Memorial and the Napier Bridge in the city. 

F4 Indian Championship

The Formula 4 championship, FIA certified, will have 12 drivers – Indian and International – participating in the race that will have FIA super license points enabled in an individual driver racing championship format like Formula One. 

“We have multiple simulations that we’ll go through at various different levels. Only post those simulations which are assessed by the FIA will we be able to go ahead with the race itself. We went through this during Hyderabad last year, so we have a bit of experience,” Armaan Ibrahim, one of the directors of RPPL, said. 

All Mygale F4 cars will have Alpine Renault engines which will run on speeds above 220 kph. 

Indian Racing League 

The league will be a team-based format with four drivers per team – two Indians and as many internationals including one mandatory female driver. 

“Even last year, we had one female out of four drivers, and this time as well, we’ll have six female drivers and there might be a couple of drivers in the Formula 4 racing as well,” Reddy said.

All Wolf racing cars will have 1.1L Aprilia engines which will run on speeds above 240 kph. 

Reddy said that they will be coming up with Formula 3 as well next year in this circuit.