Indian Racing Team Akcel GP Announces 2025 Formula 4 Middle East Campaign
Indian racing outfit Akcel GP has officially announced its 2025 Formula 4 Middle East campaign at a grand launch event held at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Indian racing outfit Akcel GP has officially announced its 2025 Formula 4 Middle East campaign at a grand launch event held at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Akcel GP has partnered with German team PHM Racing for the 2025 F4 Middle East Championship and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship. This collaboration aims to combine Akcel GP’s global platform with PHM Racing’s technical expertise to fight for the championship in a highly competitive 32-car field in the 2025 F4 Middle East. Akcel GP also intends to nurture budding racing talent worldwide through the Akcel GP Academy.
Who is Akcel GP, and What’s the Indian Connection?
Akcel GP started as the Indian Warriors Racing team, which participated in the 2024 GB4 Championship in the UK. Headed by former Indian racing driver Rohit Koul, the Milton Keynes-based team has since been acquired by the Akcel Group, led by UK-based businessman of Indian origin Amit Kaushal. Rohit Koul now serves as the team principal.
With significant investment from the Akcel Group and its sponsors, Akcel GP is poised to be a strong contender in both the 2025 F4 Middle East Championship and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship. The team will field three cars in the 2025 F4 ME Championship and an additional two cars in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC).
Why should Indians be excited?
Indian drivers Jaden Pariat and Aditya Kulkarni are part of the Akcel GP driver lineup for 2025, alongside three other drivers. Eighteen-year-old sensation Jaden Pariat, from Shillong, most recently raced in British Formula 4, where he scored a podium finish. He also enjoyed a successful Indian F4 campaign, claiming multiple podiums. Jaden is the 2024 F2000 Champion and was the Vice National Karting Champion in 2021.
Aditya Kulkarni, a British-born racer, competed in the full 2023 GB3 Championship season with the front-running team Hillspeed. Despite starting his racing career later than most, the 16-year-old impressed by winning the 2021 Junior TKM Karting Championship. He also has several podium finishes in GB4, finishing his rookie car racing season in an impressive fifth place.
Team Principal Rohit Koul has an accomplished racing career of his own, starting with karting in Canada before winning multiple Formula races in Dubai.
The rest of the Akcel GP driver lineup for the 2025 F4 Middle East Championship includes Emirati star Hamda Al Qubaisi. Fresh off a stellar F1 Academy season, where she achieved multiple podiums and a third-place finish, Hamda is breaking barriers in the male-dominated sport. Joining her is Dutchman Reno Francot, the 2023 CEZ F4 Vice Champion, with a best finish of 4th in the 2024 Italian F4 Championship. Romanian David Cosma Cristofar will also make his Formula racing debut in F4 Middle East.
We also caught up with Founder Amit Kaushal to discuss what this means for India and the Indian motorsport enthusiast. Here’s what he had to say:
On the Partnership with PHM Racing
“PHM Racing will assist us with all the technical expertise they bring in through the Akcel GP family. They take care of all our cars, look after them, and are on the track with all the engineers. We are using the best technology and the best engineers that we brought from Europe, and they’re going to support us on the track, making sure that our cars are in fine condition and ready to go.”
“PHM is already a very renowned racing team globally, so they have previously partnered with AIX. We found them, and we put a proposal to them. We were looking for a technical partner to strengthen our team, ensuring that our drivers have the best of the best in the world. That’s when we reached out to a few others, but PHM is the best.”
On his passion for sport
“There has always been a passion for any kind of sport. I always wanted to buy a team. It started with cricket, then it went on to hockey. We had nearly finalized a deal to buy a hockey team, but it didn’t go through. The other thing is, like now, India — since we are of Indian origin and British nationals — there’s always a feeling of ‘phir bhi dil hai Hindustani,’ anyway. So, that’s always in our minds. We thought, 'Okay, why not enter into motorsport, especially in racing, and take it back home to nurture the talent here in the UAE while supporting local Emirati talent?' Similarly, we have drivers from India, Europe, and the UAE, so it’s a kind of collaboration, a shared vision where we are trying to bring the best together. At the same time, we want to promote Formula racing, the passion of Indian youth, and develop the team.”
On the Akcel GP Academy
“The whole idea of Akcel GP Academy is all about nurturing young talent, so that they can progress and stay in-house. We can then provide them with the opportunity to move on to F4 and further. We scout young, budding talent and want to develop a global platform, especially for Indian youth, particularly from the south, who don’t have access to such facilities. That’s the kind of vision we have — to promote and develop their talent. That’s why we have this wonderful international team who is going to take care of that.”
On future plans to enter Indian motorsport
“We definitely have plans to enter Indian motorsport. At this stage, I would say we are more focused on the UAE and the global circuit, but in the near future, there is definitely a plan. Of course, we are also looking to bring Indian drivers onto this platform. We’ve already signed a 10-year deal with Jaden, an Indian driver, so we already have a roadmap and a long-term blueprint for him.”
The Formula Middle East season is now a top destination for racing teams worldwide, offering ample track time, fierce competition, and world-class venues. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes' new F1 recruit, clinched the Formula Regional Middle East title just two years ago with Mumbai Falcon Racing.
The five-event F4 Middle East Championship will kick off at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi from January 17-19, followed by a doubleheader scheduled for January 21-23. The third round will take place at Dubai Autodrome from February 7-9, before another round in Abu Dhabi from February 14-16. The season finale is set for the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia on February 25-27.
