Mumbai’s Vihaan Joshi, 10, emerged as the Under-15 champion at the National Finals of Formula 1’s F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, marking the sport’s return to India. The event was held at the NSCI Dome in the city. Agastya Crasto, also from Mumbai, finished second, while Hridaan Sanadhya from Pune secured third place.
Vihaan Wins Five Of Six Races To Finish With 134 Points
Vihaan, a student of Podar ORT International School in Mumbai, topped the field through the qualifying stages and carried his form into the finals, winning five of the six races. He scored 134 points, while Agastya Crasto and Hridaan Sanadhya secured 108 and 76 points, respectively. The other drivers who finished in the top 10 in the Under-15 category were Yuvaan Ahirao, Aarav Gupta, Riyansh Sharma, Kaiwaan Irani, Dev Bamb, Jujhaar Singh Johar and Atharva Hemani.
Seven Other Young Racers Complete Under-15 Top 10
The Under-15 championship is part of MFRL’s wider One in a Billion initiative, which aims to identify and nurture promising Indian racing talent by building a sustainable talent pipeline for Indian motorsport. Its long-term objective is to help India produce its next Formula 1 driver in the coming decade. The top-performing junior racers will have an opportunity to progress to MFRL’s karting programme, providing a pathway from sim racing to real-world motorsport. Organised by Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) in partnership with Formula 1, the India Open brought together some of the country’s most promising young sim racing talent following a nationwide qualifying process. The Under-15 National Finals featured 20 shortlisted drivers competing on circuits from the current F1 calendar, including Albert Park Circuit in Australia, Bahrain International Circuit, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Canada, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico and Yas Marina Circuit in the UAE. The Open category of the National Championship concluded on Friday, with 20 shortlisted drivers competing for the senior title. The top two finishers will earn the opportunity to represent India at the Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place from November 7 to 9. The international team championship will bring together sim racing competitors from around the world, with India taking on some of the leading names in global sim racing. MFRL is the current Formula Regional Middle East Trophy Teams’ and Drivers’ champion and the UAE4 Series Drivers’ champion.
