Vihaan Joshi crowned first F1 Sim Racing India Open champion

Formula 1 marked its return to India with the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, as Mumbai’s 10-year-old Vihaan Joshi emerged as the Under-15 category champion at the National Finals held at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai. Agastya Crasto, also of Mumbai, finished second, while Hridaan Sanadhya from Pune secured third place, completing the podium in the junior category.

Organised by Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) in partnership with Formula 1, the India Open brought together some of India's most promising young sim racing talent following a nationwide qualifying process. The Under-15 National Finals featured 20 shortlisted drivers competing across tracks on the current F1 calendar including the Albert Park Circuit (Australia), Bahrain International Circuit (Bahrain), Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Canada), Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain), Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (Mexico) and Yas Marina Circuit (UAE).

Vihaan topped the field throughout the qualifying stages and carried his form into the finals where he maintained his hot streak winning five out of the six races to be crowned the champion. The Under-15 championship forms part of MFRL’s wider One in a Billion initiative, which aims to identify and develop promising Indian racing talent. The top-performing junior racers will have an opportunity to progress into MFRL’s karting programme, providing a pathway from sim racing to real-world motorsport.

The Open category of the National Championship will conclude on November 6, with 20 shortlisted drivers competing for the senior title. The top two finishers will earn the opportunity to represent India at the Cup of Nations, which will take place from November 7 to November 9. The Cup of Nations will bring together sim racing competitors from around the world in an international team championship, with India taking on some of the leading names in global sim racing.