Dominating wins for Arshi Gupta, Zidaan Arshaan Anees. Akshat Misra, Hridaan Sanadhya grab maximum points

Bengaluru, Sept 6: Arshi Gupta, the nine-year-old from Faridabad, yet again showcased her undoubted talent and composure with a sizzling performance in the Mini Max class that saw her snatch maximum points in the fifth round of the MECO-FMSCI Indian National Karting Championship RMC India 2026, which concluded at the Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.

As in the fourth round a couple of days back at the same venue, Arshi (Leapfrog Racing) won both the championship points scoring races, the Pre-Final and Final, comfortably. She also put in eight consecutive fastest laps in the Finals.

Meanwhile, two Bengalureans and Peregrine Racing team-mates, Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Micro Max) and Akshat Misra (Senior Max) triumphed in their respective classes while Hridaan Sanadhya from Pune (Crest Motorsports) topped the Junior Max category. The trio earned maximum championship points by winning the Pre-Final and Final races.

Almost all the sessions had their fair share of contacts and collisions which spiced up the proceedings. Amidst the chaos, Arshi Gupta was simply unstoppable as she won the Mini Max races in a dominating fashion.

One of the exciting races was the Mini Max Final where Coimbatore’s Shivneel Karthikeyan (MSPORT), son of India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, clinched a third spot after fighting his way through the field, but could not pass Bengaluru’s Ridhaan Anil Kumarr (Red Rabbit Racing) who finished second behind Arshi.

Meanwhile, Zidaan, after jumping into the lead at the start, maintained consistent pace which saw him draw away from the chasing pack that included Round 4 topper Kolhapur’s Ayansh Patil (MSPORT) and the hard charging Rudrapratap Singh Shekhawat from Gurugram (Leapfrog Racing), both of whom finished on the podium in two races on Sunday.

One of the surprises was that fancied Rivaan Dev Preetham from Chennai (MSPORT) went winless in the Junior Max class. He was fourth in the Pre-Final and second in the Final where he exhibited his race craft and daring to move up from mid-grid to the podium.

The Senior class races, marked by 23-kart grids, also dished out nail-biting finishes where the track positions kept changing in both Pre-Final and Final. Akshat Misra, after holding off the challenge in the early laps, topped both outings. Bengaluru’s Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) managed to finish ahead of Eshanth Vengatesan in the Pre-Final. Later, in the Final, Rohaan looked good for P2 behind Akshat Misra until he got involved in a collision and dropped out of contention. Eshanth squeezed through for a P2 finish ahead of Mumbai’s Aahil Mecklai (Rayo Racing).

Provisional results:

Senior Max – Finals (17 laps): 1. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (15mins, 51.277secs); 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSPORT) (15:56.416); 3. Aahil Mecklai (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (15:57.954). Pre-Finals (14 laps): 1. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13:11.439); 2. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13:12.760); 3. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSPORT) (13:13.459). Best Rookie: Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSPORT).

Junior Max – Finals (16 laps): 1. Hridaan Sanadhya (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (14:58.444); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) (15:02.265); 3. Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai, Crest Motorsports) (15:04.813). Pre-Finals (14 laps): 1. Hridaan Sanadhya (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (13:12.488); 2. Swarnav Das (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (13:15.148); 3. Rishik Rohit Reddy (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (13:15.975). Best Rookie: Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT).

Mini Max – Finals (14 laps): 1. Arshi Gupta (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing) (13:31.660); 2. Ridhaan Anil Kumarr (Bengaluru, Red Rabbit Racing) (13:39.733); 3. Shivneel Karthikeyan (Coimbatore, MSPORT) (13:39.854). Pre-Finals (12 laps): 1. Arshi Gupta (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing) (11:34.763); 2. Ridhaan Anil Kumarr (Bengaluru, Red Rabbit Racing) (11:41.565); 3. Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (11:42.876). Best Rookie: Arshi Gupta (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing).

Micro Max – Finals (12 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (12:09.957); 2. Rudrapratap Singh Shekhawat (Gurugram, Leapfrog Racing) (12:10.710); 3. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (12:14.196). Pre-Finals (12 laps): 1. Zidaan Arshaan Anees (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (12:08.459); 2. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (12:08.797); 3. Rudrapratap Singh Shekhawat (Gurugram, Leapfrog Racing) (12:16.055). Best Rookie: Shriyan Rao Thakkallapelly (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing).

· Arshi Gupta, Ayansh Patil notch brilliant wins

· Krish Gupta, Rivaan Dev Preetham top

Bengaluru, September 4: Arshi Gupta from Faridabad and Kolhapur’s Ayansh Patil lit up the fourth round of the MECO FMSCI Indian National Karting Championship 2026 RMC India at the Meco Kartopia here on Friday with brilliant victories in the Mini Max and Micro Max categories, respectively.

Arshi (Leapfrog Racing), last year’s Mico Max champion, took the honours from lights to flag as did Ayansh (MSPORT) as the duo dominated their respective classes. The pair topped the Qualifying, two Heats, the Pre-Final and the Final sessions to underline their supremacy in Round 4 which attracted a massive 73 entries.

Equally impressive winners were Mumbai’s Krish Gupta (Rayo Racing) who made a brilliant overtake in the latter half of the race to win the Final in the Senior Max class which boasted of a 25-kart grid while 13-year-old Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSPORT) from Chennai was in a league of his own while topping the Final in the Junior Max category.

On an action-packed day, Krish Gupta was outstanding in the Senior Final where he came up with a brilliant pass on leader Akshay Misra from Bengaluru (Peregrine Racing) after both had overtaken pole-sitter and Pre-Final winner Arafat Sheikh (Crest Motorsports).

Rivaan Dev Preetham, last year’s Mini Max champion, was simply imperious in the Junior Max class, winning both Pre-Final and Final after surviving close attention early in both sessions. Behind him, there was action aplenty, especially in the Final with half-a-dozen drivers fighting for the remaining two podium spots. In the bargain, Rehan Khan Rasheed and Rishik Rohit Reddy suffered contacts. Both dropped down the grid and out of contention. Abhishikt Barse was placed second and Hamza Balasinorwala, third following post-race penalties.

In the Pre-final, Rivaan had to soak up considerable pressure throughout the race from Rishik Rohit Reddy who just could not pull out a bit more pace and finished second. In third spot was Rehan Khan Rasheed who drove well to fight his way on to the podium.

Nine-year-old Arshi Gupta was driving her own race in the Mini Pre-Final after getting a good start from pole position. She put in consistent lap times to stay comfortably ahead while Shiv Tummala came in second ahead of Micah Hayden Andrews. Arshi extended her winning streak by topping the Final, virtually unchallenged.

Ayansh Patil extended his domination in the Micro Max, winning the Pre-final and the Final in style. He barely put a foot wrong through all the sessions and emerged a deserving winner.

The results (Provisional):

Senior Max – Finals (17 laps): 1. Krish Gupta (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (15mins, 52.825secs); 2. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (15:54.466); 3. Arjun Chheda (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (15:55.168). Pre-Finals (14 laps): 1. Arafath S Sheikh (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (13:07.777); 2. Krish Gupta (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (13:08.091); 3. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13:08.806). Best Rookie: Kiaan Shah (Mumbai, Rayo Racing).

Junior Max – Finals (15 laps): 1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) (14:07.068); 2. Abhiskhit Barse (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (14:15.543); 3. Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai, Crest Motorsports) (14:15.433). 

Pre-Finals (14 laps): 1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) (13:08.542); 2. Rishik Rohit Reddy (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (13:09.058); 3. Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (13:12.617). Best Rookie: Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT).

Mini Max – Finals (14 laps): 1. Arshi Gupta (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing) (13:34.215); 2. Micah Hayden Andrews (Tirunelveli, Peregrine Racing) (13:38.484); 3. Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (13:38.566). Pre-Finals (12 laps): 1. Arshi Gupta (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing) (11:36.804); 2. Shiv Tummala (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (11:42.345); 3. Micah Hayden Andrews (Tirunelveli, Peregrine Racing) (11:43.952). Best Rookie: Arshi Gupta (Faridabad, Leapfrog Racing).

Micro Max – Finals (12 laps): 1. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (12:14.386); 2. Yeshwin Vinay Kishore (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (12:16.982); 3. Aarav Sureka (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (12:18.420). Pre-Finals (12 laps): 1. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (12:09.839); 2. Yeshwin Vinay Kishore (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (12:18.317); 3. Shriyan Rao Thakkalapelly (Hyderabad, Peregrine Racing) (12:18.526). Best Rookie: Yeshwin Vinay Kishore (Chennai, Peregrine Racing).