Ahmedabad, 30th April, 2026 –Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) announced the appointment of star athlete Shreyas Iyer as the official brand ambassador for the F1® Program in India. Held under an agreement that grants Mumbai Falcons the rights to host an official Formula 1® sanctioned sim racing competition, the F1® Sim Racing India Open 2026 will establish a national competitive platform for emerging talent across the country. The appointment reflects Mumbai Falcons’ approach to building sporting culture and infrastructure that spans across sporting disciplines.
Shreyas Iyer has established himself as one of Indian cricket’s most consistent match-winners and a leader across formats. Off the field, he occupies a growing space in youth culture, with an audience that extends well beyond traditional cricket fans. His strengths and achievements represent high performance, adaptability, and a direct connection with India’s digital-native sporting generation, making him a fitting face for the Championship.
“Sport has always been about finding your edge and staying disciplined enough to act on it. When I heard what Mumbai Falcons is building in terms of a real pathway that takes young Indians from where they are today to where they could go, I didn’t need much convincing. This is the kind of initiative I would have wanted access to growing up, and I’m proud to be part of what’s coming.” said, Shreyas Iyer, Brand Ambassador for the F1® Program in India led by Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited.
Speaking about the brand ambassadors’ announcement, Ameet Gadhoke, Managing Director, Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited said, “We built Mumbai Falcons on the belief that India has world-class sporting talent, the potential however, has been constrained by structural deficiencies. Partnering with Formula 1®
to bring the F1® Sim Racing India Open 2026 to life is yet another significant initiative in that direction.
Shreyas represents exactly the kind of athlete we had in mind when shaping this initiative displaying sporting excellence and discipline paired with authentic resonance with the emerging demographic, the younger aspiring generations. The platform we’re about to launch is something India has not seen before in this space. The full scope of this initiative will be announced shortly.”
The Championship will be contested on F1® 25, the official game of the FIA Formula 1® World Championship™, featuring the same circuits, competitive formats, and team liveries as the global series. Registrations will commence on 30th April, 2026 through the MFRL App, available on Play Store and Apple App Store. Participants will be able to compete across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox. The online
qualifiers in the coming months will lead to city-based simulator rounds, culminating in a national final in Mumbai in November.
The upcoming initiative is its most ambitious nationwide project to date, designed to connect Indian youth to a global-format competition through a clearly defined pathway.
About Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) is one of India’s most ambitious high-performance sporting organisations, focused on building a world-class ecosystem for talent development, competition and global sporting excellence. Founded in 2019, MFRL has emerged as a pioneering force in Indian motorsport with a vision to create structured pathways for young Indian athletes to compete at the highest level. MFRL is the current Formula Regional Middle East Trophy Teams’ and Drivers’ champion and the UAE4 Series Drivers’ Champion.
Mumbai Falcons has earned recognition as the first Indian team to win an FIA-accredited single-seater Championship, securing both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles at the 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship. The team has also competed in leading international Championship s including the Formula Regional Middle East Championship and F4 Middle East Championship, while supporting grassroots motorsport in India and its involvement in sim racing talent pathways.
Beyond motorsport, MFRL is expanding into a broader high-performance sports ecosystem, including cricket through its ownership of SoBo Mumbai Falcons in the T20 Mumbai League. Across every sporting venture, Mumbai Falcons combines data, discipline, innovation and athlete-first development to help shape India’s next generation of champions.
