Salem's Sanjay wins IRL Race 2 in Coimbatore
After Raoul Hyman’s commanding victory in the Driver A race on Saturday, the spotlight shifted to Driver B on Sunday. Speed Demons Delhi’s Sai Sanjay capitalised on a strong start to clinch victory in Race 2 of Round 1;
Sai Sanjay
CHENNAI: The Indian Racing Festival (IRF) 2025 produced another thrilling weekend of action at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, with local favourite Sai Sanjay taking centre stage in the Indian Racing League while Greece’s Vasilis Apostolidis and India’s Ishaan Madesh split the honours in the Formula 4 Championship.
After Raoul Hyman’s commanding victory in the Driver A race on Saturday, the spotlight shifted to Driver B on Sunday. Speed Demons Delhi’s Sai Sanjay capitalised on a strong start to clinch victory in Race 2 of Round 1. Front-row starter Akshay Bohra initially seized the lead from Neel Jani but soon lost pace, opening the door for Sanjay to surge ahead. Behind him, Fabienne Wohlwend (Goa Aces) held second, while a dramatic three-way tussle for third saw Tijil Rao, Akash Gowda and Jani trade places. In the closing corners, Jani produced a daring move to snatch P3, completing an impressive comeback after early power issues. Sanjay, meanwhile, stayed clear of the drama to claim a comfortable win.
“It’s been a strong weekend, the car was great and the team did an amazing job,” Sanjay said. “Now the focus shifts to Chennai.”
The FIA-certified Formula 4 Indian Championship also saw Race 1 won by Apostolidis in wet conditions (Hyderabad Black Birds), who converted pole into victory despite late pressure. Chennai Turbo Riders’ Shane Chandaria took second, with Ishaan Madesh finishing third.
Race 2, however, belonged to Kolkata Royal Tigers’ Madesh, who launched from P4 to the lead on lap one and held on despite relentless pressure from Frenchman Sachel Rotge. Apostolidis battled back to take third from P5 on the grid.
Round 1 – IRL (Group B) Results:
Winner: Sai Sanjay (Speed Demons Delhi) - 26:51.373
Runner-up: Fabienne Wohlwend (Goa Aces) – 26:59.120
2nd Runner-up: Neel Jani (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru) – 27:10.506
Round 1 - Formula 4 Championship Results
Race 1 Winner: Vasilis Apostolidis (Back Birds Hyderabad) - 26:20.630
Race 2 Winner: Ishaan Madesh (Kolkata Royal Tigers) - 26:35.769