A 56-year-old became the first Indian driver to finish the Dakar Rally 2025
The year is 2025, heading into 2026, and yet, the majority of Indians cannot
look beyond cricket. However, in recent years, India has witnessed a growth in motorsports followers, thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive and the F1 movie, which have led youngsters to explore not only Formula One but also other motorsports such as MotoGP, the Dakar Rally and so on.
On the professional front, even though India is far from becoming a motorsport giant, some individuals are quietly pursuing their dreams while representing India on the motorsport stage, without seeking fame and fortune.
As the year comes to an end, here’s a recap of how some Indians performed in motorsports at the international stage.
Kush Maini
(Credit- The Bridge)
For the first time in Formula One history, the Indian national anthem was played during the award ceremony. Kush Maini became the first Indian to win a Formula 2 sprint race during the Monaco Grand Prix, putting India on the F1 circuit.
Given Maini’s successful Formula 2 stint, merely a few weeks ago, he got the opportunity
Jehan Daruvala
(Credit- The Indian Express)
Kush Maini wasn’t the only Indian to taste some amount of success this season in Formula 2. Jehan Daruvala, another seasoned F2 racer from India, won the Feature race at Monza, which is known as the Temple of Speed.
Sanjay Takale
(Credit- Outlook)
Sanjay Takale, a 56-year-old racer, became India’s first driver to finish the Dakar Rally in the Dakar Classic class in a Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ78. Along with his co-driver Maxime Raud, the duo survived through extreme weather and driving conditions for two weeks and finished in 18th position.
Aishwarya Pissay
>(Credit- The New Indian Express)
Hailing from Bengaluru, 30-year-old motorcycle racer Aishwarya Pissay won the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal 2025. She became the first Asian and Indian woman to win her class, i.e., the Rally2 – women’s category. Pissay has been racing for nearly a decade, with victories in the Honda One-Make Championship, the Indian National Rally Championship, and more.
Ajith Racing
(Credit- Ajith Kumar Racing)
Ajith Racing, owned by Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar Subramaniam, also had success on the international racing stage. The actor, with his team, secured third place in the 991 category at the 24H Dubai 2025 endurance race held at the Dubai Autodrome. The team also grabbed a fourth-place finish in the Barcelona 24H race, part of the European Endurance Championship.
Atiqa Mir
(Credit- NDTV Sports)
A sensational karting prodigy, Srinagar’s 11-year-old Atiqa Mir secured a podium finish at the IAME Summer Cup at the Yas Marina Circuit. The young female talent became the only Asian to be selected for the Formula 1 Academy “Discover Your Drive” driver development program, aimed at promoting females in motorsport.
As we head towards 2026, we certainly hope the craze for motorsport will increase across the nation, and more youngsters will care for the above-mentioned motorsport personalities who often spend their lives in oblivion despite fighting for India against the best of world talent with limited resources and support.
