Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited has brought cricket and motorsport together in a move that could give India’s sim-racing scene a major push. Indian women’s cricket star Jemimah Rodrigues has been named the Brand Ambassador for the upcoming F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, adding star power and wider appeal to one of the country’s most ambitious motorsport talent hunts.
The announcement comes as the championship moves into its Delhi Time Trials at Bharat Mandapam from 30 July to 1 August 2026, giving aspiring racers another chance to progress through the competition and potentially enter Formula 1’s global sim-racing pathway.
Why this matters
This is not just a celebrity endorsement. The F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 is designed to identify new Indian racing talent through a structured esports-to-motorsport pathway, and Jemimah’s involvement gives the programme a broader cultural reach. Her presence is likely to connect with younger audiences, especially women and first-time motorsport followers, who may not have engaged with racing before.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited says the goal is to help find the next Indian racer who can compete on the global F1 platform. By bringing in a widely recognised Indian sportsperson, the programme is making sim racing feel more accessible, aspirational and mainstream.
Jemimah’s role
Jemimah Rodrigues will encourage aspiring racers to participate in the nationwide competition and take part in the Time Trials in Delhi. She has also spoken about the importance of sports giving young people opportunities that once seemed out of reach.
Her message is especially relevant because motorsport is still a relatively new and fast-growing space in India. With cricket already giving her a strong youth following, Jemimah brings a familiar face to a sport that is trying to expand its base and attract more women and younger fans.
The bigger F1 picture
The timing of this announcement is notable because Formula 1’s audience is changing rapidly. According to the event details, women now make up 42 percent of Formula 1’s global fanbase, up from 37 percent in 2018, while nearly 48 percent of new fans in 2025 are women. India reflects a similar trend, with women forming around 40 percent of the country’s F1 audience.
That growth makes the appointment of Jemimah a smart move. It aligns the championship with the direction in which Formula 1’s fanbase is already moving and makes the programme feel more inclusive.
What the competition offers
The F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 runs on F1 25, the official game of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and features the same circuits, team liveries and competitive formats as the global series. Participants can compete on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, starting with online qualifiers before moving to city-based simulator rounds in ten cities and finally a national final in Mumbai.
The championship also comes with strong incentive value. It has a Rs 2 crore prize pool, and the eventual winner gets a place in MFRL’s “One in a Billion Hunt”, which includes a Rs 3 crore Driver Development Fund to support the move toward professional motorsport.
That makes the competition more than a gaming event. It is being positioned as a genuine route into racing, especially for young Indians who may have the talent but not the traditional access to motorsport infrastructure.
Delhi Time Trials
The Delhi Time Trials at Bharat Mandapam are one of the most important stages in the championship’s current phase. For participants, they offer a chance to race in a high-profile setting and move one step closer to the national final.
This also helps build momentum after the earlier engagement in Mumbai. MFRL has said the Delhi round will use a more centralised trial format that offers direct entry to the zonal stage, making the pathway clearer for participants.
Mumbai Falcons’ bigger vision
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited has been steadily building a larger sporting ecosystem beyond just sim racing. The organisation has a history of success in international single-seater championships and has already supported grassroots motorsport pathways in India.
The company says it wants to create structured pathways for young Indian athletes to reach the top level, and the F1 Sim Racing India Open is one part of that broader strategy. By linking esports, simulator training and real-world racing ambition, MFRL is trying to create an entry point that more young Indians can realistically access.
Jemimah Rodrigues joining the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 as Brand Ambassador gives the championship a major boost in visibility and credibility. Her association helps connect cricket fans, young women and aspiring racers to a programme that is trying to transform sim racing into a serious motorsport pathway.
With the Delhi Time Trials about to begin, strong prize money on offer and a structured route toward professional racing, the championship is shaping up to be one of India’s most exciting motorsport stories this year.
