Ajith hopes grand Le Mans-style races come to India; here's what he hopes Vijay govt does for sports

Actor and racer Ajith Kumar has expressed hope that India, particularly Chennai, will eventually host motorsport events on the scale of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay prepares to attend the Silverstone round of the championship.

Ajith thanked Vijay for taking time out of his schedule to visit the race in the UK, where the actor will compete in the fifth round of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup season.

The two-hour race will be held at Silverstone on Saturday, with Vijay set to wave the ceremonial green flag in front of a 44-car grid.

Speaking at a pre-race press conference at Silverstone, Ajith said Vijay's visit could offer an opportunity to understand what would be required for India and Chennai to host events of a similar scale.

"I am extremely thankful to the Honourable CM of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, for taking time off his busy schedule to come and visit us at Silverstone. We’ve been colleagues in the film industry for the last 34 years, and I’m very happy for him that he is now the Chief Minister-elect,” Ajith said.

“They have been doing a lot to promote sports, and they’re looking at sport as well. So, yes, we did extend the invitation for him to come and see what it would take for India and Chennai to host events like these. My wish is to see these events come to India,” he added.

Ajith to share Ligier with French driver

Ajith will compete in the LMP3 Pro/Am category for Ajith RedAnt by Virage. He will share the No. 16 Ligier with French driver Romain Vozniak.

The actor, who has combined his film career with a long-standing interest in motorsport, joined the Michelin Le Mans Cup for the 2026 season. He is competing in a purpose-built Le Mans Prototype in the LMP3 Pro/Am category.

The Silverstone round will be held on the 5.891-kilometre Grand Prix circuit and will run for two hours.

The event is the fifth round of the 2026 championship, which will conclude at Portimao in Portugal in October.

Vijay to wave green flag at Silverstone

The Michelin Le Mans Cup confirmed Vijay's participation in a post on X, describing him as a special guest who would officially start the Silverstone round.

"A special guest will be waving the green flag at Silverstone this weekend! C. Joseph VIJAY - The Indian actor and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu @actorvijay, will be joining us to support our Indian drivers in the UK and officially start the Silverstone Round in front of the 44-car grid. We can’t wait to go racing this Saturday!" the championship said. 

Vijay's visit brings together the two Tamil film personalities at a major international motorsport event, with Ajith competing on the track and the Chief Minister attending as a guest.

Narain Karthikeyan also in Indian contingent

Ajith will be among several Indian drivers competing at Silverstone. Former Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan and Aditya Patel are also taking part in the event.

The Michelin Le Mans Cup features LMP3, LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3 categories. It is an endurance racing championship in which drivers share cars during races, unlike Formula One's single-seater format.

Vijay's appearance at Silverstone comes during his week-long UK visit, which is focused on attracting investments and expanding partnerships for Tamil Nadu in areas including advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, electronics and Global Capability Centres.