IRL: Fabienne Wohlwend scores podium at season opener in Kari Motor Speedway
- RACERS
- Aug 18
- 6 min read
Fabienne Wohlwend started her fourth season in the Indian Racing League with a second-place finish in the 2025 season opener at Kari Motor Speedway, where the Goa Aces JA Racing driver collected her third podium in the series, following a victory for her teammate in the previous day, in a stellar start for the duo.
Fabienne Wohlwend started her fourth season in the Indian Racing League with a second-place finish in the 2025 season opener at Kari Motor Speedway, where the Goa Aces JA Racing driver collected her third podium in the series. Her teammate Raoul Hyman — with whom she shares the #5 car — claimed victory in Race 1, sealing a stellar start for the duo.
The Indian Racing League kicked off its 2025 season with an action-packed first round at Kari Motor Speedway, where six teams – each featuring two local talents, an international driver, and a female driver – returned to battle in the fourth season of India’s premier racing championship.
All drivers compete in the single-seater Wolf GB08 Thunder, powered by a 215 hp Aprilia engine. The calendar features five events: two rounds at Kari Motor Speedway, one at Madras International Circuit, and two more still to be confirmed.
The driver lineups, selected via a draft on July 15th, therefore feature six female drivers – a mix of returnees and new entries. Fabienne Wohlwend and Gabriela Jílková both switched teams but bring the most IRL experience, while Caitlin Wood and Laura Camps Torras return as well. Two rookies joined the roster: Jem Hepworth and Alexandra Hervé.
Frequent podium finisher Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein, entering her fourth IRL season, was third in the 2024 championship standings, having consistently raced at the front. A former Ferrari Challenge World Champion and W Series podium finisher, she now races mostly at the mighty Nurburgring Nordschleife in NLS and returns to India, this time for Goa Aces JA Racing, alongside reigning champion Raoul Hyman — with the duo tipped as one of the top championship contenders.
On Saturday, Driver A contested practice, qualifying, and the first race. Hyman was behind the wheel for the opening race day and topped the official practice with a 1:04.690, the only driver under the 1:05 barrier. He then secured pole in qualifying after Kyle Kumaran had a lap deleted for track limits, with Jon Lancaster taking third.
In extremely tricky, rain-soaked conditions, Hyman made a perfect start from pole and immediately took control of the race, fending off pressure from Lancaster and Alister Yoong in the opening laps. As the rain intensified, several drivers struggled for grip, with cars sliding off track. Hyman, however, remained unchallenged, steadily extending his advantage, while Lancaster dropped down the order and Yoong ran wide, allowing Kyle Kumaran to charge through from the back of the grid into second. Behind them, Aqil Alibhai battled hard with Kumaran for the podium, while other contenders such as Alva retired late in the race.
Hyman ultimately mastered the changing conditions to claim a dominant season-opening win by nearly half a minute — in his sixth career victory in the series and a remarkable start to the season for the Goa Aces duo of Hyman and Wohlwend.
RACE 2 - DRIVER B
On Sunday it was time for Driver B to take over: Fabienne Wohlwend would pilot the #5 Goa Aces machine, while Jem Hepworth — coming off a race win in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and making her IRL debut — aimed to follow up on her teammate Kyle Kumaran’s strong performance from Race 1.
Australian Caitlin Wood also returned to IRL, this year moving to Speed Demons Delhi, where she teamed up with Alister Yoong in a strong lineup. However, her teammate had technical issues on the first day and retired while in podium contention. Racing for Chennai Turbo Riders this year, Laura Camps Torras also returned for her third season in IRL. The Spanish driver, a winner of the prestigious FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars program, made her race car debut in IRL in 2023. After her teammate Shibin Yousaf scored sixth on Saturday, she aimed to collect more points in Race 2.
The practice for Driver B opened Sunday morning at Kari Motor Speedway. Wohlwend, Wood, Camps, and Hepworth would be the female drivers to take part. Halfway through the session, Wohlwend was improving steadily and climbed to fourth, just ahead of Hepworth, with Wood not far behind after earlier top-five runs. Camps, meanwhile, spent most of the session in the pits with car issues. After Neel Jani went second fastest, Hepworth set a 1:06.0 with two minutes to go to take fifth, before Wohlwend clocked a 1:05.5 to move up to third. Hepworth finished sixth, Wood eighth, and Camps 11th after limited running.
In qualifying, run in single-lap format, pole went to Akshay Bohra (teammate to Gabriela Jílková), who lined up alongside Neel Jani. Despite being unlucky with a red flag that interrupted her improvements, Wohlwend still managed a positive fifth (1:06.359), ahead of Hepworth by a tenth. Wood took seventh (1:06.729) and Camps lined up eleventh.
On Sunday afternoon, the race started in overcast conditions. Bohra was brave on the brakes into Turn 1 and held the lead from Jani, but the Swiss driver soon hit gearbox issues and dropped back. Wohlwend moved up to fourth, while Hepworth held sixth. Wood made a strong start to seventh, battling with Hepworth.
Moments later, Hepworth spun and was unfortunately collected by Wood, who had nowhere to go to avoid. The unfortunate collision forced both to retire and brought out the Safety Car.
As the field settled under neutralization, Bohra led Sai Sanjay and Akash Gowda, with Wohlwend in fourth ahead of Rao and Ryan. Camps, having taken a clean, cautious start, climbed to ninth.
At the restart with 18 minutes to go, Bohra kept the lead from Sanjay, with the pack running cleanly.
Neel Jani began recovering quickly and was soon up to sixth; Sanjay attacked Bohra for the lead, forcing the pole-sitter to defend hard on lap 5. The leading duo pulled away from Gowda and Wohlwend, but the Liechtensteiner was closing in for the final podium spot. Setting laps in the 1:05.2 range, she pressured Gowda heavily.
Drama unfolded when Bohra lost power — just as teammate Jílková had the day before — handing Sanjay the lead on lap 7, with Gowda and Wohlwend now suddenly battling for second. Behind them, Jani was closing on Rao for fourth.
Camps’ luck also turned, as she was forced to retire with mechanical issues, capping an unfortunate weekend for the Catalan driver.
At the front, Gowda and Wohlwend ran nose-to-tail; both drivers from the same team, Wohlwend initially was cautious, but on lap 11 she made a decisive move into the chicane, overtaking Gowda for second. She immediately pulled away, setting a 1:04.3 in clear air as she closed the gap to Sanjay.
With 10 minutes to go, Wohlwend slowly continued to reduce the deficit but Sanjay eventually managed to maintain a stable margin out front, while she extended her gap over Gowda by nearly a second per lap.
In the final laps, the leaders matched each other’s pace: Wohlwend settled into second, securing valuable championship points. Behind them, Gowda was under pressure from Rao, who recovered from a spin and briefly passed for third — only to lose power on the final lap, allowing Gowda and Jani to slip past. In a dramatic photo finish, Jani snatched third, with Gowda fourth, Rao fifth, Kumar sixth, and Ryan seventh.
Wohlwend therefore claimed second place, her third IRL career podium, and completing a strong weekend for the Goa Aces JA Racing #5 car, which now leads with a win and a second-place finish.
“After a less-than-ideal qualifying due to an unfortunate red flag, I started from P5. With strong pace, I was able to fight my way forward and confidently bring home this fantastic second place,” Wohlwend explained. “What an amazing weekend and a strong start for Raoul, myself, and our team Goa Aces JA Racing.”
“Now it’s time to explore India for four days before we hit the track again on Friday in Chennai at the Madras International Circuit for IRL Round 2.”
The second round in fact takes place next week at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai, a circuit where Wohlwend has good experience from the previous years.
