Ptamansamrat at 09:48, 17 February 2026

2026-02-17T09:48:35Z

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{{Motorsport season
|title=[[MRF Challenge|MRF Formula 2000]]
|link=MRF Challenge
|year=2025–26
|previous=2024
|previouslink=2024 MRF Formula 2000 season
|next=2026
|nextlink=2026 MRF Formula 2000 season|subheader=Drivers' Champion: [[Ishaan Madesh]]}}

The '''2025–26 [[MRF Challenge|MRF Formula 2000]] season''' was the eleventh running of the Formula 2000-level single-seater championship in India previously known as the MRF Challenge. This was the fifth season of the championship restarted in 2022 without support of the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]] and simply called MRF Formula 2000, with the field consisting of domestic drivers rather than foreign racers competing over the European and Northern American off-season.

The season began on 18 July 2025 and was run over four weekends until 25 January 2026.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Gidithuri |first=Unnatee |date=22 July 2025 |title=Balu, Chheda win at MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship Round 1 |url=https://www.autocarindia.com/motor-sports-news/balu-chheda-win-at-mrf-indian-national-car-racing-championship-round-1-436300 |access-date=22 July 2025 |website=Autocar India |language=en}}</ref> [[Ishaan Madesh]] won the championship title after a season-long battle with Arjun Chheda.

== Drivers ==
The following drivers, all of them Indian-registered, contested the championship:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"
!{{Tooltip|No.|Car number}}
!Driver
!Rounds
|-
|1
|Arjun Chheda
|All
|-
|7
|[[Chetan Korada]]
|1
|-
|11
|Tarun Muthiaiah
|All
|-
|21
|Akhil Agarwal
|1
|-
|55
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|All
|-
|65
|Shivesh Selvarathnam
|All
|-
|75
|Ethan Joy
|2
|-
! colspan="3" |Sources: <ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=19 July 2025 |title=MRF Racing on facebook: 'MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 Day 1 Round 1' |url=https://www.facebook.com/MRFRacingOfficial/videos/1442889857039017 |access-date=22 July 2025 |website=[[facebook]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 September 2025 |title=MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 Round 2 |url=https://www.facebook.com/MRFRacingOfficial/videos/1822920111985072 |access-date=20 September 2025 |website=[[facebook]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2026-01-04 |title=MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 Day 1 Round 3 |url=https://www.facebook.com/MRFRacingOfficial/videos/mrf-mmsc-fmsci-indian-national-car-racing-championship-2025-day-1-round-3/718861187949021 |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=[[facebook]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-24 |title=MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 Day 1 Round 4 |url=https://www.facebook.com/events/2099338900974287/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D |access-date=2026-01-24 |website=[[facebook]]}}</ref>
|}

== Race calendar and results ==
The 2025 season was initially set to feature five race weekends ranging from June to October of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MRF Motorsport: MMSC National Car Racing Championship |url=https://www.mrfmotorsports.com/championship/on-road/four-wheeler/mrf-mmsc-fmsci-indian-national-car-racing-championship-2025 |access-date=23 July 2025 |website=www.mrfmotorsports.com |language=en}}</ref> However, after the first round was not held, a revised calendar was announced that comprised four rounds from July of 2025 to January of 2026. The season opener, held at [[Kari Motor Speedway]], marked the series' first round held outside [[Madras Motor Race Track]] since 2020.<ref name=":0" /> Round three was rescheduled twice, from October to December and then to January.<ref name=":2" />
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"
!colspan=2| Round
! Circuit
! Date
!Pole position
!Fastest lap
!nowrap|Winning driver
!Support bill
!Map of circuit locations
|-
! colspan="8" |2025
| rowspan="14" |{{Location map+|India|caption=|width=200|float=right|places={{location map~ |India |lat=10.901389 |long=77.050833 |label='''[[Kari Motor Speedway|Chettipalayam]]''' |position=down}}

{{location map~ |India |lat=13.0025 |long=79.985833 |label='''[[Madras International Circuit|Irungattukottai]]''' |position=right}}}}
|-
! rowspan="3" |1
! {{Tooltip|R|Race number}}1
| rowspan="3" | [[Kari Motor Speedway]], [[Chettipalayam]]
| 19 July
|nowrap|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|Arjun Chheda
|nowrap rowspan="3" | ''Indian Touring Car National Championship Indian Junior Touring Car National Championship Polo Cup Formula LGB 1300''
|-
! R2
| rowspan="2" |20 July
| rowspan="2" |
|nowrap|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|nowrap|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|-
! R3
|Arjun Chheda
|Arjun Chheda
|-
!rowspan=3| 2
!R1
| rowspan="3" |[[Madras Motor Race Track]], [[Irungattukottai]]
| 20 September
|Arjun Chheda
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|Arjun Chheda
| rowspan="3" |''Indian Touring Car National Championship Indian Junior Touring Car National Championship Polo Cup MRF Saloons''
|-
! R2
| rowspan="2" nowrap|21 September
| rowspan="2" |
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|-
! R3
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|-
! colspan="8" |2026
|-
! rowspan="3" | 3
! R1
| rowspan="6" |[[Madras Motor Race Track]], [[Irungattukottai]]
| 4 January
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|Arjun Chheda
| rowspan="3" |''Indian Touring Car National Championship Indian Junior Touring Car National Championship Polo Cup MRF Saloons''
|-
! R2
| rowspan="2" |5 January
| rowspan="2" |
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|-
! R3
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|Arjun Chheda
|-
! rowspan="3" |4
!R1
|24 January
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|Arjun Chheda
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
| rowspan="3" |''Indian Touring Car National Championship Indian Junior Touring Car National Championship Polo Cup Formula LGB 1300''
|-
!R2
| rowspan="2" |25 January
| rowspan="2" |
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|-
!R3
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|[[Ishaan Madesh]]
|}

== Season report ==
The 2025–26 season began with six cars entering the championship's first round, held at [[Kari Motor Speedway]]. [[Ishaan Madesh]] claimed pole position in qualifying before stalling at the start of the opening race. He was able to recover to second ahead of Shivesh Selvarathnam, but the win went to Arjun Chheda. Madesh bounced back to win race two ahead of Chheda and Akhil Agarwal, before Chheda doubled up in race three to win again and take the lead in the standings. Madesh came second again, with Agarwal third.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-07-20 |title=Arjun, Ishaan share honours in MRF F2000 racing |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2025/Jul/20/arjun-ishaan-share-honours-in-mrf-f2000-racing |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

Three rounds at [[Madras Motor Race Track]] followed, and Chheda claimed pole position for the first of them. He converted that into a victory to further expand his points lead, with debutant Ethan Joy taking second place and Madesh coming third. Races two and three of the weekend saw identical podiums: Madesh used the second race's reverse grid to win ahead of points leader Chheda before taking another victory in race three to close right up to him in the standings. Tarun Muthiaiah took third place on both occasions.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2025-09-20 |title=Arjuns reign supreme in Indian National Car Racing Championship |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/arjuns-reign-supreme-in-indian-national-car-racing-championship/article70073943.ece |access-date=2026-02-11 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Entry numbers shrunk to four cars in 2026, and Madesh took the second pole position of his campaign in qualifying. A poor start to the first race saw him lose the lead to Chheda, who held on to take victory. Madesh had to be content with second ahead of Muthiaiah.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2026-01-04 |title=Nationak 4W Racing C'ship: Pune teenagers Arjun Chheda, Sai Shiva Sankaran top |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/sports/nationak-4w-racing-cship-pune-teenagers-arjun-chheda-sai-shiva-sankaran-top-1036484 |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=www.thehansindia.com |language=en}}</ref> He was able to use the reversed-grid in race two to bounce back and take victory, with Chheda this time consigned to second and Muthiaiah once again third. Race three saw the order of the top two switch once again, allowing Chheda to build a five-point lead.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ians |first= |date=2026-01-05 |title=Arjun Chheda, Ishaan Madesh shine; Sai Shiva Sankaran wins triple in National Racing Championship |url=https://telanganatoday.com/arjun-chheda-ishaan-madesh-shine-sai-shiva-sankaran-wins-triple-in-national-racing-championship |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=Telangana Today |language=en}}</ref>

The final round of the season saw Madesh once again go fastest in qualifying to take pole position. He followed that up with a win ahead of Chheda and Selvarathnam to reduce Chheda's championship to just two points going into the final day. Two more wins for Madesh followed on Sunday, with his clean sweep allowing him to take the championship title. Chheda came second on both occasions to finish the season four points behind the champion as third places were shared between Selvarathnam and Muthiaiah.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2026-01-25 |title=National Car Racing C'ship: Ishaan Madesh, Sai Shiva Sankaran emerge champions |url=https://www.indiatribune.com/national-car-racing-cship-ishaan-madesh-sai-shiva-sankaran-emerge-champions |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=India Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gidithuri |first=Unnatee |date=2026-01-29 |title=Ishaan Madesh crowned 2025 MRF F2000 champion |url=https://www.autocarindia.com/motor-sports-news/ishaan-madesh-crowned-2025-mrf-f2000-champion-438923 |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=Autocar India |language=en}}</ref>

== Championship standings ==
; Scoring system

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%; text-align: center;"
!Position
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |1st
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2nd
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3rd
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4th
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5th
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |6th
|-
!Points
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |25
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |19
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |17
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |15
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |12
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |10
|}
Half points were awarded if less than five cars took part in a race.
{|
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%; text-align: center;"
! valign="middle" |{{Tooltip|Pos.|Position}}
! valign="middle" |Driver
! colspan="3" |[[Kari Motor Speedway|KAR]]
! colspan="3" |[[Madras International Circuit|CHE]]1
! colspan="3" |[[Madras International Circuit|CHE]]2
! colspan="3" |[[Madras International Circuit|CHE]]3
! valign="middle" |Points
|-
!1
| align="left" |[[Ishaan Madesh]]
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |'''''2'''''
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1''
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |''3''
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1''
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1''
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |'''''2'''''*
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1*''
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |''2*''
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |'''1'''*
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1''*
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1''*
!199
|-
!2
| align="left" |Arjun Chheda
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |1
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |''1''
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |'''1'''
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |1*
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2*
| style="background:#ffffbf;" |1*
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |''2''*
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2*
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2*
!195
|-
!3
| align="left" |Tarun Muthiaiah
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3*
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3*
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4*
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4*
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4*
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3*
!136
|-
!4
| align="left" nowrap="" |Shivesh Selvarathnam
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |6
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |5
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4*
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4*
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3*
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3*
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3*
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4*
!123
|-
!5
| align="left" |Ethan Joy
|
|
|
| style="background:#dfdfdf;" |2
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4
|
|
|
|
|
|
!49
|-
!6
| align="left" |Akhil Agarwal
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3
| style="background:#ffdf9f;" |3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
!49
|-
!7
| align="left" |[[Chetan Korada]]
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |6
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |6
| style="background:#dfffdf;" |4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
!35
|-
!{{Tooltip|Pos.|Position}}
!Driver
! colspan="3" |[[Kari Motor Speedway|KAR]]
! colspan="3" |[[Madras International Circuit|CHE]]1
! colspan="3" |[[Madras International Circuit|CHE]]2
! colspan="3" |[[Madras International Circuit|CHE]]3
!Points
|}
| valign="top" |{{Motorsport driver results legend}}
'''Bold''' – Pole

''Italics'' – Fastest Lap
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Official website|http://www.mrfmotorsports.com/}}
{{Indian motorsports}}

[[Category:2025 in Indian motorsport|MRF Challenge]]
[[Category:MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship seasons]]

2025 26 MRF Formula 2000 season - Revision history

Ptamansamrat at 09:48, 17 February 2026