Goa to Host South Asia's First Oceanfront Racing Circuit

Goa will become home to South Asia's first oceanfront racing circuit when it hosts the Goa Street Race 2025 on November 1-2, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced yesterday. The 3.2km circuit at Headland Sada, Bogda, will serve as the venue for Round 4 of the 2025 Indian Racing Festival (IRF), featuring both the Indian Racing League and FIA-certified Formula 4 Indian Championship.

The announcement was made at Maquinez Palace in Panjim, with officials including Asvin Chandru, IAS, CM Secretary and CEO of the Entertainment Society of Goa, Sankalp Amonkar, MLA for Mormugao, and Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman of Racing Promotions, in attendance.

The Indian Racing League operates as India's only four-wheel racing league and the world's first gender-neutral racing championship series, featuring six city-based franchise teams. Formula 4 serves as an entry-level single-seater category for junior drivers transitioning from karting, offering Super License points and allowing Indian talent to compete domestically rather than travelling abroad. The racing festival follows previous successful rounds in Coimbatore and Chennai earlier this season. Goa represents the third street racing venue for the Indian Racing Festival, after Chennai and Hyderabad.

The coastal circuit will present unique challenges for drivers, including crosswinds, salt-air conditions and a mix of tight urban corners and sweeping seafront straights along Goa's coastline. The event aims to attract motorsport enthusiasts, tourists, corporate partners and sponsors, with expected benefits for hotels, hospitality, transport and retail sectors. The Goa Tourism Department supports the initiative as part of efforts to attract high-value tourism and create sustainable infrastructure for future international sporting events.