Chennai, India, August 23, 2026: A talented group of teenage racers stole the spotlight as the opening round of the MRF Indian National Racing Challenge 4W 2026 concluded at the Madras International Circuit (MIC) on Sunday.

The opening round produced several impressive performances, with 18-year-old Saishiva Sankaran, 16-year-old Bhuvan Bonu and Sri Lanka’s 16-year-old Kaveen Diyyan Rajapaksa among the standout winners.

Sankaran completed a hat-trick of victories in the MRF Formula 2000, while Bonu won both races in the MRF Formula 1600. Rajapaksa was equally dominant in the Junior category of the Formula LGB 1300, winning all three races over the weekend.

At the other end of the experience spectrum, established campaigners Ritesh Rai, Diljith TS and Pratik Sonawane also enjoyed unbeaten weekends in their respective categories.

Saishiva Sankaran Completes Formula 2000 Hat-Trick

Pune’s Saishiva Sankaran produced one of the most impressive performances of the opening round, winning all three races in the MRF Formula 2000.

The 18-year-old repeatedly demonstrated his ability to recover from difficult starts. In each race, Sankaran lost ground at the beginning but fought his way back through the field to claim victory.

Interestingly, he had to regain the lead from Aditya Patnaik of Navi Mumbai in all three races after conceding the position during the opening phases.

Sankaran’s ability to maintain his pace and composure under pressure ultimately secured him a perfect three-win weekend.

Bhuvan Bonu Impresses in MRF Formula 1600

Visakhapatnam’s Bhuvan Bonu, aged just 16, was another major star of the weekend.

Bonu won both MRF Formula 1600 races on Sunday, displaying composure during a weekend that produced several challenging moments on track.

His double victory underlined the growing depth of young talent emerging in Indian single-seater racing.

Kaveen Rajapaksa Dominates Formula LGB 1300 Junior Category

Sri Lankan teenager Kaveen Diyyan Rajapaksa completed a clean sweep in the Junior category of the Formula LGB 1300.

The 16-year-old won all three races in the category, capping an impressive weekend at the Madras International Circuit.

Rajapaksa’s success also follows a Formula 1300 victory in Sri Lanka a fortnight earlier, giving him further momentum heading into the Indian racing season.

“I loved every moment here. Back in Sri Lanka, we do not get such big grids. So, it was fun to be competing with so many drivers,” Rajapaksa said.

“I am very happy that I won all three races in the Junior category.”

Viswas Vijayaraj Completes Formula LGB 1300 Triple Crown

Viswas Vijayaraj was another driver to enjoy a perfect weekend in the Formula LGB 1300 Open category.

After winning Race 1 on Saturday, Vijayaraj returned on Sunday to win both Race 2 and Race 3, completing a triple crown.

His Race 2 victory was particularly impressive because he started from eighth on the reverse grid.

Vijayaraj quickly moved into the leading group by the end of the opening lap before progressing through the field to claim victory.

He was even more dominant in Race 3, converting pole position into a lights-to-flag victory.

Experienced Drivers Shine in Touring Cars

While the teenage drivers dominated the headlines in the single-seater categories, experienced racers also delivered strong performances across the grid.

Ritesh Rai remained unbeaten in the Indian Super Touring Cars, winning both of his races.

Rai did receive some assistance from circumstances in the opening race when his main rival, Arjun Narendran, spun and retired while leading.

Narendran was unable to start Race 2 after the repairs required on his car could not be completed in time.

In the Super Stock category, Diljith TS also completed an unbeaten weekend, winning both races.

Meanwhile, Pratik Sonawane remained undefeated in the Polo Cup, although he faced strong opposition from youngster Neel Shah.

Shah twice found himself in winning positions but was unable to convert his advantage, allowing Sonawane to fight back and take both victories.

Provisional results (all 10 laps unless mentioned):

MRF Formula 2000 (Race-2): 1. Saishiva Sankaran (Pune) (20mins,11.403secs); 2. Aditya Patnaik (Navi Mumbai) (20:13.709); 3. Krishay Gutte (Mumbai) (20:15.857). Race-3: 1. Saishiva Sankaran (16:22.565); 2. Aditya Patnaik (16:27.649); 3. Swarnav Das (Pune) (16:33.095).

MRF Formula 1600 (Race-2): 1. Bhuvan Bonu (Visakhapatnam) (21:19.141); 2. Evan Shrawan (Mumbai) (21:47.811). Only 2 finishers. Race-3: 1. Bhuvan Bonu (18:10.216); 2. Gyan Satish (Chennai) (16:22.952 + 1 lap); 3. Shivansh Bejoy (New Delhi) (16:34.435 + 1 lap).

Indian Super Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) (19:01.310); 2. Aman Nagdev (Noida, Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) (19:15.179); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad, Buzzing Hornet Motorsports) (19:23.583). Race-2: 1. Ritesh Rai (19:05.125); 2. Aman Nagdev (19:18.370); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (19:23.919).

Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (20:58.700); 2. Deepa S John (Thiruvananthapuram, DTS Racing) (19:02.465 + 1 lap); 3. Lal Kattikulam Bharathan (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:07.680 + 1 lap). Race-2: 1. Diljith TS (20:58.700); 2. Lal Kattikulam Bharathan (21:03.047); 3. Deepa S John (19:21.307 + 1 lap);

Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-1): 1. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (19:38.049); 2. Neel Shah (Mumbai) (19:40.454); 3. Hitarth Bhatt (Ahmedabad) (19:43.247). Race-2: 1. Pratik Sonawane (19:39.604); 2. Neel Shah (19:55.514); 3. Balaji Raju (Chennai) (20:00.495);

Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2) Open: 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (22:21.644); 2. Vinithkumar (Tirupur, DTS Racing) (22:24.307); 3. Liron Jaden Samuels (Tirunelveli, DTS Racing) (22:27.640). Junior: 1. Kaveen Diyyan Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka, Momentum Motorsports) (22:41.719); 2. Abhijit Vadavalli (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (22:51.719); 3. Aadam Junaid (Sri Lanka, Momentum Motorsports) (22:54.102).

Race-3 (Open – 7 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (13:15.418); 2. Liron Jaden Samuels (13:23.756); 3. Vinithkumar (13:24.135). Junior (7 laps): 1. Kaveen Diyyan Rajapaksa (13:36.878); 2. Shatveer Shetty (Bengaluru, Meco Racing) (13:43.726); 3. Yash Vikram Singh (Agra, Delta Speeds) (13:51.885).