Panjim (Goa) [India], February 15 (ANI): With the streets of Goa turned into an into a high-octane racing arena for the Indian Racing Festival (IRF), team owner and actor John Abraham shared his enthusiasm for the event, emphasising the importance of motorsport culture in India through strong grassroots initiatives and government support.

Speaking to ANI, Abraham highlighted the importance of nurturing grassroots talent and building a robust motorsport culture in India.

'Indian Racing Festival is very significant because I always say you need young grassroot talent like Arjun Maini and Kush Maini, who participated in F2..We are grateful to the government of Goa because, at the end of the day, you need political support, you need bureaucratic support. And to make a track like this is not easy. So, very grateful that they are promoting motorsport,' he said.

Abraham, who owns Goa Aces JA Racing, has consistently advocated for the growth of motorsport in India, stressing the need for sustained government and bureaucratic support to strengthen infrastructure and nurture grassroots talent.

'Formula 1 is the most watched motorsport in the world.. I think motorsport in India will grow. We need government and bureaucratic support. We need them to be proactive and be very supportive,' he added.

Recalling India's previous stint as a host of a Formula 1 race, Abraham referred to the event won by Germany's Sebastian Vettel and noted that the sport had then been categorised under the 'entertainment tax' bracket. 'We did host an F1 racing, when Sebastian Vettel won it. But at that time, the government had put F1 under the category of entertainment tax. Which is kind of baffling. You know, it just beats me...now we in India consider motorsport a sport and not entertainment...So, hopefully, we will see things change in the future,' he said.

The on-track highlight saw Raoul Hyman and Fabienne Wohlwend guide Goa Aces JA Racing to a memorable relay-format victory with a combined time of 42:11.779. Team owners John Abraham (Goa Aces JA Racing), Kichcha Sudeep (Kichcha's Kings Bengaluru), Naga Chaitanya (Hyderabad Black Birds) and Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Royal Tigers) were present at the venue, adding star presence to a weekend that blended sport, entertainment and destination appeal.

Raoul Hyman laid the foundation with a clinical opening stint, setting the fastest lap of 53.527s and steadily stretching his lead on the tight street circuit. Executing a clean run through traffic, Hyman entered the mandatory swap window (19-22 minutes) in control and handed over the car with nearly a 20-second cushion, putting Goa Aces JA Racing firmly on top.

The win marks Goa Aces JA Racing's 10th victory in the Indian Racing Festival and reinforces how teamwork and composure are decisive on a street circuit where fortunes can change instantly. (ANI)