Gabriela Jílková claims fourth podium, ends IRL season with team championship

Gabriela Jílková added a fourth podium of the season to her Indian Racing League campaign, playing a crucial part in securing Goa Aces the Team Championship title with a second place in the season finale at Kari Motor Speedway.

Photo credits: Shameem Fahath / Indian Racing League

Gabriela Jílková added a fourth podium of the season to her Indian Racing League campaign, playing a crucial part in securing her team, Goa Aces, both the Car and Team Championship titles.

Jílková finished on the podium in all but one round of the Indian championship this year, when a technical issue in the closing laps denied her another strong result. Nevertheless, with three second-place finishes, the Czech driver carried the team through one of the most consistent runs in a highly competitive field, featuring some extraordinarily experienced racers, both local and international.

The Indian Racing League, now in its third edition in its current format, has been a game changer for the Indian motorsport scene, bringing together international racers and nurturing local talent while also championing gender equality. Each team, in fact, is required to include a female driver in its line up.

Historically, female drivers have performed outstandingly in the series, creating great opportunities for up-and-coming racers preparing for full-time programs. Among the women who have contributed to their teams' successes are Fabienne Wohlwend, Sarah Moore—who was also the first woman to win a race—and now Gabriela Jílková.

In 2024, the Indian Racing League featured an expanded race calendar with five double-headers across three circuits, spanning August to November. It also hosted the country’s first-ever night street circuit race and made its first visit to the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, which hosted the fourth and fifth rounds. The season finale took place on November 16-17, with both the car and team titles still on the line after an action-packed season.

Among the female drivers, Jílková consistently made headlines for her podium finishes. Fabienne Wohlwend, a former W Series driver and 2018 Ferrari Challenge World Champion, was also a standout all season: returning for her third consecutive appearance in the series, Wohlwend adapted quickly to the car and circuits, remaining a contender for podiums in every race.

Wohlwend, who teamed up with Ruhaan Alva in the #5 Rahr Bengal Tigers car, consistently finished in the top five throughout the season. Despite a series of unfortunate circumstances preventing a race win, their consistency saw the team enter the final round second in the championship standings.

Australian talent Caitlin Wood, also a former W Series racer, made her debut in the Indian Racing League this year. Despite showing glimpses of potential, her season was marred by numerous technical issues; Wood managed a top-five finish in the second round and collected valuable points, but her results didn’t reflect her skill.

Spaniard Laura Camps, a former FDA member, returned for her second season with Hyderabad Blackbirds. After making her car racing debut in the 2023 Indian Racing League, Camps demonstrated consistent improvement despite suffering from remarkable bad luck from technical issues, including a DNS in the third round, at every race meeting.

Belgian racer Angelique Detavernier, a rookie in the series but with prior experience in the Wolf GB08 Thunder cars in the French and Italian prototype championships, steadily improved throughout the season. By the final round, she was competing for top-ten positions.

Indian racer Mira Erda joined the series in the third round, stepping up from F4 cars to the more powerful Wolf machine with little preparation. Nevertheless, she made significant progress and frequently battled in the top ten, overcoming technical challenges along the way.

Photo credits: Shameem Fahath / Indian Racing League

ROUND 5

The 2.100-km, 15-turn Kari Motor Speedway provided a dramatic stage for the season finale, with both titles on the line.

Fabienne Wohlwend, Caitlin Wood, and Laura Camps were drafted in the first group and would be competing on Saturday. Wohlwend moved into P4 in the early minutes of practice, improving to third with a 1:05.298, behind Kumaran and Shah. Wood reached P6 before a red flag midway through the session, while Camps still hadn’t set a time.

The session resumed with 17 minutes to go. Camps' first timed laps put her in P11, with nobody improving due to rain. Fabienne ran competitive times under the 1:20 mark in the wet conditions, with Wood also in the 1:19 range, and Camps’ times improved consistently.

Wohlwend completed the most laps in practice and ultimately finished third. Wood ended P6, while Bohra managed to set his only timed lap at the end—a 1:15.011 that put him eighth fastest. Laura Camps was twelfth.

In the one-lap qualifying format, Fabienne Wohlwend was the first to complete her sole flying lap, clocking a 1:06.105. Alvaro Parente then set a new benchmark but was demoted by Sohil Shah and Neel Jani.

Laura Camps set a 1:07.530, initially putting her in eighth but eventually ending tenth. Lancaster was the last to cross the line, taking third, while Sohil Shah claimed pole position.

Fabienne Wohlwend would line up seventh on the grid, Laura Camps ninth, and Caitlin Wood continued to experience technical issues and couldn’t set a time, leaving her at the back of the grid.

Photo credits: Shameem Fahath / Indian Racing League

In the afternoon the track dried up but still had damp patches from morning rain. At the rolling start, pole-sitter Sohil Shah in the Goa Aces car executed flawlessly, maintaining the lead into Turn 1. Behind him, Jani and Parente jostled for second, while Jon Lancaster struggled off the line, allowing Kyle Kumaran and Fabienne Wohlwend to close in.

Fabienne’s strong start propelled her into sixth, overtaking Sai Sanjay early on. Camps held steady in P11, while Wood faced a challenging opening lap due to more mechanical troubles.

By the fourth lap, Wohlwend had caught up with Kumaran, who was engaged in a battle with Lancaster. The Liechtenstein racer started to pressure the lead pack while defending from a charging Shahan Ali Mohsin, who had made significant progress through the field.

Meanwhile, Camps was also on a mission to climb the order; running faster lap times than Sandeep Kumar, she steadily closed the gap, eventually reducing it to under a second. Her determination paid off on lap nine, as she capitalized on Kumar’s mistake to move into the top ten.

Unfortunately, Caitlin Wood’s race took a turn for the worse as her persistent technical issues forced her into retirement.

Up front, Shah extended his lead to over six seconds, showing great pace in clean air. Behind him, Jani found himself defending fiercely against Lancaster and Parente, while Wohlwend continued to close the gap to the lead group. Her battle with Kumaran culminated in a decisive move on lap ten, where she claimed P5. However, this fight was far from over, as Ali Mohsin launched a counterattack, briefly demoting Wohlwend to sixth.

Fabienne’s experience shone through in the final laps, as she retook fifth place from Ali Mohsin on lap fourteen after an intense side-by-side duel through the final sector.

As the race entered its closing stages, mechanical issues plagued Jon Lancaster, causing him to drop pace dramatically. This opened the door for both Ali Mohsin and Wohlwend to catch and battle him for position. Despite her efforts, Wohlwend however finished sixth—still a respectable result in the face of tough competition.

Laura Camps crossed the line in tenth, marking a solid points finish after a clean and consistent race. At the front, Sohil Shah took a dominant victory, strengthening his championship bid.

Photo credits: Shameem Fahath / Indian Racing League

The drivers for the second day included Gabriela Jílková, Angelique Detavernier, and Mira Erda. For Jílková, it was a chance to solidify her stellar season with another podium finish. Erda and Detavernier, meanwhile, sought to round out their campaigns with strong performances, proving their growth over the season.

The second practice session began with Raoul Hyman, one of the season’s top contenders, setting the early benchmark. Jílková, in the #11 Goa Aces car, quickly found her rhythm and delivered a 1:03.399 lap—placing her at the top of the timing sheets and continuing her team’s exceptional weekend.

Detavernier and Erda focused on improving their pace during the session: Erda clocked the ninth-fastest time and Detavernier, who had minimal practice due to prior technical issues, managed P12 with a single clean lap.

The pressure of one-lap qualifying returned as drivers took to the track to determine their starting positions for the decisive final race. Gabriela Jílková set a 1:03.919 lap, securing fourth on the grid and a spot on the second row. Her Goa Aces teammate Raoul Hyman claimed pole position with an outstanding lap that outpaced the rest of the field by over half a second. Mira Erda qualified eighth, with Detavernier lining up in tenth.

Photo credits: Shameem Fahath / Indian Racing League

Drama unfolded even before the start when Mira Erda’s car suffered an issue on the grid. Fortunately, she managed to get the car running during the formation lap, avoiding what could have been an early exit.

When the lights went out, chaos erupted almost immediately: a collision involving Alva, hit by Dinesen, sent cars spinning on the main straight. Alva’s car collided with Mohamed Ryan, triggering a chain reaction that saw Mira Erda also spun around. Detavernier, displaying quick reflexes, avoided the carnage and emerged unscathed, moving up to fifth place as the safety car was deployed.

The restart came with 20 minutes left on the clock. Raoul Hyman executed a flawless getaway, maintaining his lead while Jílková, up to second after a brilliant start, applied pressure. The two Goa Aces drivers quickly built a gap from the rest of the field in tricky damp conditions.

Detavernier, meanwhile, struggled to maintain her position after the restart, dropping back to ninth but kept her race clean. Erda, recovering from her early spin, overtook Detavernier and began setting consistent lap times, eventually climbing to eighth.

The midfield was hectic: Dinesen passed Reddy for third, while Alister Yoong charged through the field. Just ahead, Rabindra was spun by Rajeev, creating yet another shake-up in the running order.

At the front, Hyman and Jílková were the only drivers consistently lapping under 1:14 in the challenging conditions. Hyman steadily pulled away, but Jílková held firm in second, managing her race with precision while keeping Dinesen at bay.

As the race progressed, the track began to dry, and lap times improved. Yoong challenged Reddy for fourth place, resulting in an intense duel which then saw Mohammed Ryan capitalizing on the battle ahead to snatch fifth from Yoong in an opportunistic move.

With just three minutes remaining, the battle for fourth intensified. Reddy, under pressure from Ryan, made a mistake and spun coming out of the final corner, handing positions to both Ryan and Rajeev, dropping Reddy out of contention.

At the checkered flag, Raoul Hyman crossed the line first, sealing a commanding victory and clinching the 2024 Indian Racing League title. Gabriela Jílková followed, equaling her best finish of the season with a second-place result. Her masterful performance in the mixed weather secured her fourth podium of the year and delivered the team title to Goa Aces.

Photo credits: Shameem Fahath / Indian Racing League

Mohammed Ryan claimed the final spot on the podium, ahead of Rishon Rajeev in fourth. Mira Erda continued her upward trajectory, finishing eighth after a strong recovery drive, while Detavernier rounded out the points in ninth, ending her season on a positive note, having returned to the top-ten after the season opener.

The final race was again a testament of Gabriela Jílková’s consistency which proved instrumental in Goa Aces’ success: the 2024 Indian Racing League concluded with the team crowned as champions with 261 points.

Fabienne Wohlwend was however the highest-finishing female driver in the standings, as she secured third in the cars championship and demonstrated her talent against a competitive field of international drivers, in a series that continues to provide a unique platform.

Photo credits: Akhil Puthiyedath / Indian Racing League