‘Motorsport is not as costly as people think’: Akhilesh Reddy and Arjun Kapoor talk racing and India’s future on track

The roar of engines and smell of burnt rubber made Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway come alive on October 4 and 5, as Round 3 of the Indian Racing Festival (IRF) 2025 unfolded. The two-day event brought together some of the fastest racers from home and abroad and featured multiple championships, including the Indian Racing League (IRL) and FIA-approved Formula 4 Indian Championship 2025.

The 28th edition of the FMSCI-approved JK Tyre National Racing Championship was also held under the banner, featuring its popular Formula LGB4 cars, which are based on 1300cc Suzuki Swift engines and can reach speeds of up to 150km/h. Meanwhile, the above-mentioned IRL and Indian F4 used Formula 4 cars powered by Alpine engines, capable of reaching a top speed of around 240 km/h.

Among the crowd and all the noise near the pit area were two people who shared the same passion for this sport – Akhilesh Reddy, chairman and Managing Director of Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL), the organisation behind IRF, and Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor, who is the team owner of Speed Demons Delhi. Both opened up on how the sport is growing in India and the challenges that come with it.

‘Motorsport is not as costly as people think’

Akhilesh Reddy, who has been working to grow motorsport in India through RPPL since 2019, feels that one of the biggest myths about racing in India is its cost. “It’s not so costly as people are thinking. Yeah, it was costly back in the days. But if you take any GoKart training or the expenses for getting into this, it’s the same as what it was in the late 90s or early 2000s,” he said.

He added that while motorsport once seemed expensive, today it’s similar to joining a reputed academy in cricket or badminton. “If you see any reputed academy for cricket or badminton, you pay around 1.5 lakh per month. Go-karting training costs around 50,000 to 60,000 per month, so the prices are almost matching,” Reddy told Firstpost.

Reddy also pointed out that aspiring racers don’t need to buy their own cars and can just buy a seat in a team, which, according to him, is a cost-effective option. “So it’s not that you have to buy the car. You can enter into any team and you can buy the seat over there. So it’s just that you’re buying a seat. You’re not really buying the whole car,” he said.

According to him, India’s Formula 4 setup is helping young drivers take the first step towards a professional racing career without having to go abroad. “Earlier, kids had to go to Europe and spend much more. But now, being in India, you can race at your doorstep and start your career here. We’re also giving subsidised prices for Indian F4 kids.”

While he is happy with the growing interest, Reddy believes there’s still a long way to go. “I don’t feel that we have already achieved. We have to achieve a lot. But yeah, in a way, I feel happy that slowly the traction is gaining towards the motorsport people are getting interested towards the motorsport. There has been a change in the mindset. So yeah, we are happy for that. But still, we haven’t reached where we have to. So we are working towards it now,” he admitted.

He also shared a message for young Indians, who aspire to become a Formula 1 driver. “Kids can dream about motorsport. It’s not something unreachable. So please don’t compromise your dreams, dream about the motorsport, you definitely have a future here.”

‘I always wanted to be part of this sport’

Meanwhile, team owner Arjun Kapoor, speaking to Firstpost, said that motorsport has always been a childhood fascination of his and shared his experience of owning a racing team. “I was very intrigued, and I was excited. I was like a kid in a candy store. I think as a kid, I grew up admiring cars and always wanted to be part of it. And then you start watching racing growing up and you admire and understand the kind of sport it is.”

“It’s a complex sport with a lot of logistics, a lot of mechanics, a lot of human elements. So I was curious, and I think the curiosity led me to it. And I think it was an impulsive thing. I’ve always wanted to support sport, no matter what kind, in our country. It felt like the right move for me to step in and learn and hopefully be able to help the sport grow as well and the league grow,” he added.

Arjun joined the Indian Racing League as one of the celebrity team owners and talked about what his role is in the team. “I think my job is to be there emotionally, encourage support, and be there as a representative to make sure the ownership doesn’t have to be in your face – more subtle, nuanced, and present in different ways rather than just trying to show that I’m the owner. So I think it’s been a learning curve for me also as an owner. I’m still learning about the sport and about what we can achieve. I’m just happy to see the team is doing really well this season. That’s enough. That’s a very positive.”

Arjun praised the league’s structure and his team’s hardwork. “I’m very blessed. I have a bunch of people who know their job better than I do. And the idea is to have trust and allow people to do their jobs because this is a sport that cannot be micromanaged; you can’t learn overnight about racing and about cars. You just have to hire the right people. And I think the league has already done a very good job in giving us a set of people that know their jobs.”

Arjun also spoke about meeting his drivers and being inspired by their dedication. “Well, I met them today. I’m happy that they’re doing well. We were involved in the selection process also, at the bidding, and because the drivers changed last year to this year, we’re building a new bond. I’m just happy about the fact that there’s a boy called Shahan who’s doing really well. He already has experience of racing. To have an Indian kid leading the way for our team – I’m very, very happy.”

When asked about the money involved, Arjun said he prefers to look at the bigger picture for now. “I think it would be very unfair and uncool to put numbers to it publicly. I think that would be unfair. What that does is give people unnecessary conversation. I think the idea is that you look at the bigger picture. It’s about how the league is doing and how financially supported they are in making sure the teams can do well. I think the idea is to make it competitive and liked by the community right now. The number crunching can happen after a few years.”

With the Coimbatore round now complete, the IRF caravan will head next to Goa for Rounds 4 and 5. While Goa will host India’s first-ever Oceanfront Street Circuit in late October or early November, Mumbai will host the grand finale – a night race on the streets in the same month. The final dates have not been confirmed yet.

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