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Indian Racing Festival Returns to Buddh International Circuit and Ends with a Navi Mumbai Night Race
The 2026 calendar is now complete: Chennai next, two rounds at Buddh International Circuit after a 13-year gap, and a finale under lights on the streets of Navi Mumbai.
Navi Mumbai Street Circuit, a 3.69 km layout near Palm Beach Road.
The Indian Racing Festival (IRF) has announced its complete 2026 calendar. Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida will host Rounds 4 and 5 on 31 October–1 November and 28–29 November, and the season will end with a night race at the Navi Mumbai Street Circuit on 5–6 December.
The 2026 calendar
The IRF combines the Indian Racing League (IRL) and the F4 Indian Championship. The schedule for the remainder of the season, as published by the organisers:
| Dates | Venue | F4 Indian Championship | Indian Racing League |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22–23 Oct | Madras International Circuit, Chennai | Round 3 | Round 1 |
| 31 Oct–1 Nov | Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida | Round 4 | Round 2 |
| 28–29 Nov | Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida | Round 5 | Round 3 |
| 5–6 Dec | Navi Mumbai Street Circuit (night race) | Round 6 | Round 4 |
F4 Rounds 1 and 2 have already been run at Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.
Buddh International Circuit returns
Rounds 4 and 5 will be the IRF’s first appearance at BIC, and the organisers describe it as the return of FIA-level racing to the venue after 13 years. The circuit hosted the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix and will now welcome top-level single-seater racing again, as a permanent-circuit stage in the middle of the season.
A night finale on the streets
The season ends at the Navi Mumbai Street Circuit, a 3.69 km layout near Palm Beach Road that will stage the finale under lights. According to the organisers, it will be the Festival’s second night race, after its first in Chennai in 2024, and takes the championship from a permanent facility into an urban setting.
The organisers’ circuit map shows 11 turns, with the lap run anti-clockwise.
“The 2026 Indian Racing Festival calendar reflects our ambition to take Indian motorsport into new spaces while continuing to raise the bar for the quality of racing and the experiences we create for fans.”
Reddy added that the organisers hope the two new venues will take Indian motorsport to a wider audience and contribute to their ambition of establishing India as a motorsport hub.
Where the season stands
The F4 Indian Championship has completed two rounds at Kari Motor Speedway. In Round 1, Aris Kyriakou took two runner-up finishes and a Race 3 win, in a weekend that produced seven different podium finishers across three races. In Round 2, Goa Aces JA Racing’s Luviwe Sambudla won two races and Hyderabad Blackbirds’ Bhuvan Bonu took the other. Kyriakou leads Sambudla 93 points to 88.
The championship moves to Madras International Circuit in Chennai on 22–23 October, where the Indian Racing League will make its 2026 debut alongside the F4 championship. The BIC and Navi Mumbai rounds will be streamed live on JioHotstar and Star Sports.
The two formats
The F4 Indian Championship is FIA-certified and offers Super Licence points. The IRL is FMSCI-approved, with six city-based teams and a gender-neutral format.