This 26-YO From Chennai Is the Only Indian Racing a Ferrari in the Italian GT Championship
While most of us were learning to ride bicycles, Mahaveer Raghunathan was dreaming of racing in Ferraris.
Born and raised in Chennai, Mahaveer (26) didn’t follow the usual playbook. No cricket academies, no engineering entrance coaching; just a deep love for speed and a heart set on something wildly unconventional: professional racing.
What started as a childhood fascination with cars soon became a full-blown mission to compete on the world’s biggest tracks.
Fast forward to today, and Mahaveer is not only living that dream — he’s doing it with style, skill, and steel nerves. At just 26, he’s the only Indian driver on the grid of the prestigious 2025 Italian GT Championship, racing for the iconic AF Corse team in a roaring Ferrari 296 GT3.
Speed was in his blood
“I was fascinated with cars since I was a child. And speed, of course,” he laughs. It was 2011 when Mahaveer took his first lap around a go-kart track in Chennai. That first taste of racing wasn’t just fun; it was a spark.
Soon, he was competing in local events like the Amaron Karting Challenge, where he secured podiums in Chennai and Kolhapur. “That’s how it all started,” he recalls. As he racked up more wins, one thing became clear: this wasn’t just a phase. It was a calling.
Since childhood, Mahaveer was captivated by the speed of racing cars.
Like many young fans, he was glued to Formula One on TV, especially when Sebastian Vettel was dominating the Indian Grand Prix between 2011 and 2013. “Watching him, I wanted to pursue motorsports more,” Mahaveer says. “That’s when I told my family I wanted to do this full-time, and they were completely supportive.”
“When he was racing in the highly competitive Asia Max Karting Championship in Malaysia, he started performing well and fighting at the front of the field. That’s when we knew that he should pursue motorsports seriously,” shares Raghunathan, Mahaveer’s dad, who is a Chartered Accountant.
Accelerating towards the dream
Over the years, Mahaveer moved up the ranks — Formula BMW India, GP2 tests, and eventually, Formula 2 in 2019. But it wasn’t a smooth ride. The jump from Auto GP to F2 was a tough nut to crack.
“I had a one-year break before joining Formula 2, and the track time was limited. It was a big step,” he admits. “But I improved throughout the year, and by the end, my lap times were much closer than they were at the beginning.”
That constant improvement paid off. In 2021, he became only the third Indian to drive a Formula One car during a testing stint with Alfa Romeo.
Mahaveer was the third Indian to test drive an F1 car.
“It was a last-minute opportunity, but I prepared well. I was very close in lap times to the other drivers,” he says, beaming with pride. “Being part of an official F1 team was a major moment, and driving a Formula One car was rare. I’m grateful.”
In early May 2025, Mahaveer and his AF Corse teammate finished P6 overall and P4 in the Pro-Am class at the Italian GT season opener. But, they missed the podium finish by just 1.2 seconds.
“We were all disappointed because it would have been fine if the gap between finishing third was big. But with such a small gap, it was tough,” he says. “We were expecting to be in the top three. But, after the first half of the race being in the top 15, we are also happy in a way to come back and get good points.”
Simulators, sacrifices, and staying sharp
Behind those high-octane moments is an intense regime. With limited track time available in real races, Mahaveer turned to simulators to sharpen his craft. “I have a simulator at home, and during the pandemic, I trained every day. It helped me close the gap and learn the tracks,” he says.
“Even now, I do a lot of online simulator racing with other drivers. Simulator training is where you fine-tune your skill.”
But success in motorsport can be pocket-pinching. Mahaveer acknowledges the financial strain. “Motorsport is tricky financially, but I was lucky to get sponsors. The teams I worked with were also cooperative,” he says.
Mahaveer’s parents were also very supportive towards his racing journey.
All credit to his stint at Coloni Motorsport from 2016 to 2018. “That team helped me grow. I won the championship with them in 2017.”
“Motorsports is a risky one, especially when he moved from karting to single-seaters. While those were concerns as a parent, there was no time to think about it since the only goal was to do well in the upcoming races,” adds Raghunathan.
Making his mark in GT racing
In recent years, Mahaveer has shifted focus to GT racing, a format that includes high-performance sports cars like the Ferrari 296 GT3 he now drives for AF Corse. With a field of 36 cars this season, including veterans from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and GT World Challenge, it’s one of the most competitive grids he has faced.
Yet, Mahaveer is thriving. “I think the Italian GT is the championship I enjoy the most,” he says. “In the last three years, I’ve been doing quite well here. I know the tracks well, and I’m constantly improving.”
Amato Ferrari, the team principal of AF Corse, shares his opinion about Mahaveer’s skills.
Mahaveer’s goal is to compete in Formula 1.
“After joining the team last year, he has made quite a good improvement adapting to the Ferrari 296, which is new for him, and the engineers in the team are happy with the progress,” adds Amato.
Being the only Indian driver in the 2025 Italian GT Championship is a point of pride, but also pressure. “Of course, there’s pressure, but that’s part of racing. It’s about learning to manage it and perform well.”
“His work ethic with the engineers is good and is always focused on where to improve, watching onboard videos to enhance his skills, etc,” shares Amato, all of which will push him to become a better racer day-by-day.
He’s also optimistic about how motorsport is growing back home. “I think it’s already quite big now. Many Indian drivers are competing internationally, and we have more competitions within India, too. If India gets a Formula One race again, like in 2011–13, it’ll be mega,” he says.
Eyes on the bigger price – F1
Mahaveer’s short-term goal is clear: win the Italian GT Pro-Am championship. But the long-term dream remains the same: to get back into single-seaters and, one day, a full-time Formula One seat. “That’s the goal for every driver in the world,” he says. “But whichever race I do, I just want to do well.”
His message to young Indian racers? “Trust that it will work out in the end. Keep working hard and on yourself. If you perform well, everything becomes easier. It’s all in your hands.”
From watching his racing idol on TV to him being celebrated by many, Mahaveer is showcasing how the Indian flag can fly high, even on the world’s fastest tracks.
Edited by Vidya Gowri Venkatesh; All images courtesy Mahaveer Raghunathan
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