Championship leader Luviwe Sambudla on track
Fifteen-year-old Aaron Mehta delivered the defining story of Round 3 of the F4 Indian Championship at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai, becoming the youngest race winner in the championship’s history with a composed and courageous victory for Kolkata Royal Tigers.
After the restart, Mehta rebuilt a lead of around 1.5 seconds over weekend star Luviwe Sambudla, but another safety car following Bhuvan Bonu’s retirement set up a tense final sprint to the finish. Meanwhile, Speed Demons Delhi’s Shahan Ali Mohsin converted pole position into victory in a closely contested opening race of the Indian Racing League (IRL), 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.
Mehta initially controlled the race as incidents unfolded behind him, with championship contender Aris Kyriakou sliding into standing water and Swarnav Das also going off circuit. Sambudla left Chennai as the championship leader after two wins and a third-place finish.