Kolkata Royal Tigers’ Sohil Shah Converts Pole into Brilliant Victory in Final Day at Round 2 of Indian Racing Festival
– Shane Chandaria Seals Dominant Lights-to-Flag Victory for Chennai Turbo Riders
Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 24th August 2025 – While we saw slightly cloudy skies in Day 1 in Chennai, Day 2 brought nothing but sunshine. With track temperatures already high, drivers didn’t need to worry about warming up their tyres. The real challenge was preventing them from overheating.
The second day of racing in Chennai featured a packed schedule with four events in total: three races for the Formula 4 Indian Championship and one for the IRL Group B drivers.
In the final IRL race of the weekend, Sohil Shah, driving for Saurav Ganguly’s Kolkata Royal Tigers, converted his spectacular pole position into a commanding victory. At the start, he held off early pressure from Akshay Bohra (Hyderabad Black Birds).
Despite a couple of safety cars and a red flag, Shah was able to settle into a rhythm and control the pace all the way to the chequered flag. Bohra followed him home in second place, while Jon Lancaster bounced back from a tough opening round in Coimbatore to claim the final podium spot, making it a 2-3 finish for the Hyderabad Black Birds.
Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4 Indian)
In Race 2 of Round 2 in Chennai, Ishaan Madesh (Kolkata Royal Tigers) stormed to victory after a hard-fought battle. Starting all the way back in 8th, Ishaan launched off the line with a blistering start that propelled him into 2nd place on the opening lap.
From there, his pace was too strong and it didn’t take long for the Kolkata Royal Tigers driver to seize the lead. But the fight was far from over. Charging from behind, Ghazi Motlekar (Kolkata Royal Tigers) and Sachel Rotge (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru) battling for P2. What followed was an intense duel, with both drivers trading blows in their bid for second place.
In the end, it was Rotge who pulled off a daring move, using sheer race craft to clinch 2nd, denying the Kolkata Royal Tigers what would have been a dominant 1–2 finish.
In Race 3, Chennai Turbo Riders’ Shane Chandaria delivered a commanding lights-to-flag victory from pole. Behind him, Saishiva Sankaran (Speed Demons Delhi) held off relentless pressure from Ishaan Madesh (Kolkata Royal Tigers) to secure second place. With Ishaan taking his second podium of the day, he’s cementing himself as one of the standout drivers of the Championship. Just outside the podium, Sachel Rotge (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru) pulled off another thrilling overtake, reminiscent of his move in the previous race, to snatch P4 from Zakariya Mohammed (Godspeed Kochi).
The final Formula 4 race of the weekend once again belonged to Sachel Rotge.
The Frenchman showcased his pace and racecraft all weekend long, and Race 4 was no exception. Starting from P3, Rotge quickly worked his way past the two cars ahead to claim victory. Luviwe Sambudla put up a strong fight to hold Rotge back but eventually had to settle for second place. Behind them, Saishiva Sankaran delivered a composed drive to secure the final step of the podium.
Looking Ahead
With the conclusion of Round 2 in Chennai, attention now shifts back to Coimbatore and the Kari Motor Speedway for Round 3. Speed Demons Delhi has quickly established itself as one of the teams to beat in the Indian Racing League, securing two victories in the opening 2 rounds. Goa Aces, meanwhile, will be aiming to mount a strong challenge when the action resumes in Coimbatore.
In the Formula 4 Indian Championship, Sachel Rotge bounced back from a bittersweet weekend in Coimbatore to claim the top step of the podium in Chennai. He’ll be eager to carry that momentum into Round 3. Ishaan Madesh has already won 2 races in the first 2 rounds of the 2025 F4 Indian Championship.
From what we have seen in the first 2 rounds, Sachel Rotge and Ishaan Madesh will be the drivers fighting for the Championship this season.
You can catch all the exciting action from the Indian Racing Festival live on Jio Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2.
The Indian Racing Festival 2025 is powered by JK Tyres, fuel partner – Nayara Energy, Performance by Mobil1, and hydrated by Bisleri.
