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Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited (MFRL) announced the appointment of star cricketer Shreyas Iyer as the official brand ambassador for the F1 Programme in India.
Held under an agreement that grants Mumbai Falcons the rights to host an official Formula 1-sanctioned sim racing competition, the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 will establish a national competitive platform for emerging talent across the country, according to a release. The appointment reflects Mumbai Falcons' approach to building a sporting culture and infrastructure that spans across sporting disciplines. Shreyas Iyer has established himself as one of Indian cricket's most consistent match-winners and a leader across formats, the release said. "Off the field, he occupies a growing space in youth culture, with an audience that extends well beyond traditional cricket fans. His strengths and achievements represent high performance, adaptability, and a direct connection with India's digital-native sporting generation, making him a fitting face for the Championship," it added. Iyer said sport has always been about finding "your edge and staying disciplined enough to act on it". "When I heard what Mumbai Falcons is building in terms of a real pathway that takes young Indians from where they are today to where they could go, I didn't need much convincing. This is the kind of initiative I would have wanted access to growing up, and I'm proud to be part of what's coming," he said. Ameet Gadhoke, Managing Director of MRFL, said India has world-class sporting talent. "We built Mumbai Falcons on the belief that India has world-class sporting talent; the potential, however, has been constrained by structural deficiencies. Partnering with Formula 1 to bring the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 to life is yet another significant initiative in that direction," he said. "Shreyas represents exactly the kind of athlete we had in mind when shaping this initiative, displaying sporting excellence and discipline paired with authentic resonance with the emerging demographic, the younger aspiring generations. The platform we're about to launch is something India has not seen before in this space. The full scope of this initiative will be announced shortly," he added. The Championship will be contested on F1 25, the official game of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, featuring the same circuits, competitive formats, and team liveries as the global series. Registrations will commence on April 30 through the MFRL App, available on the Play Store and Apple App Store. Participants will be able to compete across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox. The online qualifiers in the coming months will lead to city-based simulator rounds, culminating in a national final in Mumbai in November. The upcoming initiative is its most ambitious nationwide project to date, designed to connect Indian youth to a global-format competition through a clearly defined pathway, the release said. (ANI)
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