Sambudla wins twice and Bonu grabs first Indian victory as Kyriakou keeps championship lead

Luviwe Sambudla took two victories at the second round of the 2026 F4 Indian Championship at Kari Motor Speedway, while Bhuvan Bonu earned the season’s first win by an Indian driver and Aris Kyriakou stayed on top of the points table. Starting from pole, Sambudla led Race 1 from start to finish; a safety‑car period followed a clash between Mathias Alexander Forland and Sai Aditya, but Sambudla kept the lead after the restart and also set the fastest lap. Aris Kyriakou finished second and Speed Demons Delhi’s Ntiyiso Mabunda claimed his first podium by finishing third. In Race 2 Bonu began from the reverse‑grid pole and held the front to win, becoming the first Indian winner this year. Mahlori Mabunda was originally runner‑up but received a five‑place grid penalty and fell to seventh, promoting Mabunda to second and Kyriakou to third. Sambudla retired early after contact with Kolkata Royal Tigers’ Aaron Mehta at Turn 1. Sambudla returned for Race 3 and secured his third win of the season, with Kyriakou back in second and Kolkata Royal Tigers’ Swarnav Das completing the podium. Kyriakou entered the round with a 13‑point advantage after the opening event; after Round 2 his lead narrowed to five points over Sambudla. Bonu sits third in the standings, 42 points behind the leader. The championship moves to the Madras International Circuit for Round 3 on October 23‑25.