Indian Racing League Round 4 Concludes With Hyman And Wohlwend Emerging Victorious For Goa Aces JA Racing

The fourth round of the Indian Racing League, part of the Indian Racing Festival, was held in Goa over the weekend, bringing high octane track action. The race was held on a street circuit developed right outside the Manohar International Airport (MOPA), bringing high energy to the coastal state. Round 4 saw drivers Raoul Hyman and Fabienne Wohlwend of Goa Aces JA Racing take home the win in front of the home crowd.

Both Hyman and Wohlwend guided the team to a memorable relay-format victory with a combined time of 42:11.779s. Stretching just over 2 km, the Goa street circuit was full of fast straights and 12 technical corners for the racers to battle it out. Raoul Hyman was influential in giving his team a significant lead in the first stint. He laid the foundation by setting the fastest lap of 53.527s and steadily stretching his lead. With a comfortable lead, Hyman entered the mandatory swap window and handed over the car whilst still having a 20-second window.

Speaking about the race, Hyman said, “This was our first time racing in the driver-swap format together, so it was truly a team effort. I managed to bring the car in with the lead, but the safety car meant Fabienne had to handle the restart and the pressure. She did a fantastic job and answered every challenge. I’m really proud of her, and I’m glad we could bring the win home.”

In the Driver B stint, Fabienne Wohlwend maintained the lead but much of it was quickly erased  behind the safety car. Nevertheless, the young racer doubled down with a strong restart, and defended her position, gaining distance over her biggest threat, Ruhaan Alva. The driver crossed the chequered flag with ease, asserting her dominance over the weekend. Wohlwend has become only the second female race winner in IRL’s history.

Speaking about her stint, Wohlwend said, “There was a lot of pressure, especially after Raoul’s strong start and the gap he built. When the safety car came out, my focus was on staying calm and not cracking under pressure. I managed a strong restart, created a gap and from there it was about keeping things clean and bringing the car home safely.”

The Indian Racing League is a franchise-format championship with Indian and international drivers racing Formula 4 cars. The fourth round saw celebrity team owners John Abraham (Goa Aces JA Racing), Kichcha Sudeep (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru), Naga Chaitanya (Hyderabad Black Birds) and Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Royal Tigers) present at the circuit, supporting their respective teams.

Key Results:
1 - Goa Aces JA Racing (Raoul Hyman & Fabienne Wohlwend) – 42:11.779
2 - Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru (Sachel Rotge & Ruhaan Alva) – 42:12.759
3 - Speed Demons Delhi (Alister Yoong & Caitlin Wood) – 42:16.601
 

With the fourth round coming to a conclusion, IRL now moves towards its grand finale for this season, set to take place in Navi Mumbai next month. The final round will see the streets of Navi Mumbai being transformed into a race track.