New Delhi: Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) has appointed Indian women’s cricket star Jemimah Rodrigues as the Brand Ambassador for the F1® Sim Racing India Open 2026, strengthening its efforts to expand the reach of motorsport in India and identify the country’s next sim racing talent for the global Formula 1 platform.
Rodrigues joins cricketer Shreyas Iyer as a Brand Ambassador for Mumbai Falcons, with the championship aiming to encourage greater participation from young gamers, motorsport enthusiasts and aspiring racers across the country.
As part of the initiative, Rodrigues has invited participants to compete in the nationwide championship and take part in the Time Trials being held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from July 30 to August 1, where racers will compete for a place in the next stage of the competition.
The company said the appointment comes at a time when Formula 1 is witnessing strong growth globally, particularly among younger audiences and women. According to the organisers, women now account for 42% of Formula 1’s global fanbase, while nearly 48% of new fans in 2025 were women. In India, women represent around 40% of the Formula 1 audience, with the country’s fanbase growing from approximately 31 million in 2020 to nearly 79 million.
The championship, which follows a successful engagement in Mumbai, will introduce a centralised Time Trials format in Delhi, offering direct entry into the zonal rounds. The announced prize pool of ₹2 crore will serve as a driver development fund to support emerging racing talent on their Formula 1 journey.
Speaking about joining the initiative, Jemimah Rodrigues said, “I’ve always believed that sport has the power to challenge perceptions and open doors for the next generation. Cricket has given me opportunities I could only dream of as a child, and I hope this programme inspires more young girls to believe that no sport is out of reach. Formula 1 and motorsport are attracting a whole new generation of fans, and it’s exciting to be part of an initiative that gives young people a chance to compete, learn and dream bigger. Cricket and racing both demand quick decision-making, consistency and composure under pressure, and I’m looking forward to meeting aspiring racers from across the country as they begin their journey.”
Speaking about the brand ambassador announcement, Ameet Gadhoke, Managing Director, Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited, said, “Formula 1 is evolving rapidly, and so is its audience. More youth and female audiences are following the sport than ever before, making this the right time to create opportunities that are open to everyone with the passion and talent to succeed. Jemimah represents the confidence, ambition and sporting excellence that resonates with this new generation, and her association strengthens our vision of building a more inclusive motorsport community. If more young girls begin to see motorsport as a sport they can actively participate in, we will have achieved something meaningful.”
The F1® Sim Racing India Open 2026 will be contested on F1® 25, the official game of the FIA Formula One World Championship™, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competition formats. Participants will compete across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox through online qualifiers before progressing to simulator-based city rounds across 10 cities, culminating in the national finals in Mumbai.
The championship forms part of Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited’s broader F1® India Programme, which also includes grassroots initiatives such as the recently launched Flagship Partner School programme aimed at introducing students to motorsport through structured simulator training and talent identification.
