X1 Racing League Coming In 2019; Will Be The IPL Of Motorsports

The league will have eight city-based franchise teams, each comprising of two cars and four drivers

Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, two of India’s most successful International racing drivers, have come together and announced India’s first racing league. Called the Xtreme1 Racing League, or X1 Racing League, it is a custom-made two-seater sports car racing league backed by FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) that will kickstart from the first quarter of 2019.

Teams and Drivers

The X1 Racing League is claimed to be the world's first city-based franchise league in motorsports. A total of eight city teams (the process of owning a team will be announced soon) will be take part in the league. Each team will comprise of two cars and four drivers, of which there will be one international male driver, one international female driver, one Indian international driver and one Indian domestic driver.

While the Indian international driver will have to have five or more years of driving experience in an international series, the domestic driver can be a young upcoming racer picked from the numerous national racing championships in the country.

Various former Formula One, Formula E, Indy 500, Le Mans and NASCAR drivers have been contacted to be a part of the X1 Racing League, including Vitantonio Liuzzi‏, the Italian racing driver who drove for Torro Rosso, Red Bull and Force India in Formula 1.

Tracks and Races

The league races will be held on a mix of city and track circuits. While the track races will be organised at the Noida’s Buddh International Circuit and Chennai's Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT), the street races will be held in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Mumbai. It is said that the track layout of the city circuits will be similar to that of the Monaco and Singapore F1 races, which are amongst the toughest tracks on the F1 calendar.

The league will have a total of 24 races, which will be held over a duration of one month. The races will be organised on Saturdays and Sundays on four consecutive weekends in Q1 2019. Each race will be of 45 minutes-long and there will be three races per day.

Season

Apart from the month long league, the X1 Racing League will also have a year-long season in which an Indian driver and a "patron's seat" will score points for their respective franchises across 12 races. The “patron's seat” equips team owners to race for their respective team or appoint someone to race on their behalf.

Cars

The details of the cars that will be used in the league are still under wraps. However, it is known that they are two-seater sports cars custom made in India.

We think initiatives like this is a step forward in the right direction for the development of motorsports in the country. It will not only inspire and motivate youngsters to join motosports but also act as a stepping stone for the current breed of racers in reaching the highest levels of car racing, including Formula 1 and LeMans. Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim are both former national champions and are currently racing overseas representing Audi and Lamborghini, respectively.

Quote: Gautam Hari Singhania, Board Member, FIA World Motor Sports Council and Titular FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India)

"With growing participation in racing events, India’s role in the global motorsport scene has never been bigger. What started off as niche events in India, motorsports has picked up in the country and has a potential for further development to be seen as a serious sport like others. The introduction of the Xtreme 1 Racing League will add a new dimension the way motorsports is perceived in India and in its debut year. This will also provide equal opportunities to upcoming race drivers, with the inclusion of women drivers. I am excited with the possibilities of this new platform and wish the organisers a very successful launch."

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