Akhil Rabindra

Akhil Rabindra (born 22 May 1996) is an Indian racing driver.

Along with racing on track, Rabindra is also associated with the Sean Edwards Foundation, where he is a safety ambassador.

Early life and education

Rabindra is a graduate from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Racing career Karting and single-seater racing

Rabindra started his motorsports career by racing in National Go Karting Championship and Formula LGB Swift in India and by winning the JK Tyres MMS Rotax Max National Rookie Championship 2011, in the same year he also was crowned the Vice Championship of Amaron National Karting Challenge along with Red Bull Kart Fight as Champion. He made his racing debut in 2012 with JK Tyre National Racing Championship in the LGB Formula-Swift, the entry-level single-seater series. In the same year, Rabindra also made two guest appearances in the JK Racing Asia Series finishing a creditable seventh in three of the races.

Rabindra was the vice champion in JK Tyre National Racing Championship 2014. 2014 saw Rabindra competing in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship driving the ex-Formula BMW cars previously raced by the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastien Buemi and many more. Rabindra gained nine podium places in the four rounds and emerged as the runner-up. Rabindra also raced in a limited programme in the Formula Masters China Series driving the more powerful Tatuus FA010 chassis with a 2.0 Formula engine providing 180 HP with a best finish of fourth.

In 2014, Rabindra was nominated by the FMSCI to represent India for the FIA Institute Young Drivers Excellence Academy, where he won his place for the Asia-Pacific region. Rabindra was the winner of FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Award 2014.

In 2015, Rabindra competed in BRDC Formula 4 Championship in the United Kingdom with Wayne Douglas Motorsport, a series for young drivers from all over the world driving the new MSV F4-013, 2-litre Ford Durance engine and paddle shift gearbox. Having to learn a new car and new tracks, Rabindra scored 203 points finishing 14th overall. Along with his main programme in BRDC F4, Rabindra also raced in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship.

2016 saw a step up to 2016 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with the Championship winning team Lanan racing driving the all new Tatuus chassis with adjustable aerodynamics, F1 style splitters and powered by a 2-litre 230 bhp spec Cosworth engine, competing against other young drivers on F1 circuits such as Spa Francorchamps and Silverstone. Rabindra scored 124 points, finishing the series in 18th place overall.

Toyota Etios Motor Racing

Rabindra is the winner of Toyota Etios Colombo Night Race 2013, and the vice champion in Toyota Etios Motor Racing (EMR) 2013.

In 2012, Rabindra alongside racing in single seater car, debuted in touring cars driving the Toyota Etios Racing Series, and was the youngest finalist in the saloon car category in the championship and managed a podium finish at the Exhibition Race in Chennai and a strong finish in the race of Champions in Delhi ensuring his place at the Columbia Night Race 2013 He was titled vice champion in the Toyota Etios Motor Racing 2013. to race in the British GT Championship with team Black Bull Garage 59. The academy had chosen him along with seven other drivers from across the world.

Rabindra drove along with his teammate Dean Macdonald. They finished the series with seventh in the silver category and finished the series in 13th overall. Their team Black Bull Garage 59 stood second overall

24H TCE Series 2018

He had also participated in the 24H Series, 24 hours Silverstone 2018 in BMW M4 GT4 Car in the silver class alongside Belgian driver Stephene Leveret and finished 18th in the silver category with a best finish of fourth in Race-3 and a top-ten result in the French GT4 round in Spain. The season began on 6 April 2018 at Zolder and ended on 16 September 2018 at Nürburgring. The team finished 12th with 147 points. and competed in the GT4 European Series in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for PROsport Performance and Rabindra teamed up with 23-year-old Swiss racer Florian Thoma. The 2019 GT4 European Series began at Autodromo Nazionale Monza Italy on 12–14 April, where he finished eighth and seventh in two races securing ten points.

Rabindra took second in the Race-1 at the GT4 European Series held at Brands Hatch UK on 4 to 5 May 2019

2020 Rabindra was among 12 drivers to be retained by the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy for the 2020 season.

24H GT series 2019

Rabindra and his team scored third in the GT4 class at 2019 24H GT Series European held at Brno Circuit Czech Republic on 24 to 25 May.

X1 Racing League Rabindra has been selected by Blackbirds Hyderabad for the inaugural season of the X1 Racing League

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge 2019 Further, Rabindra debuted in the International Motor Sports Association 2019 Michelin Pilot Challenge held at Road America, United States on 2 to 4 August and the next round held at Virginia International Raceway, on 23 to 25 August. Rabindra and teammate Ross Gunn raced to a sixth-place finish at Virginia International Raceway for Stoner Car Care on Saturday in the Automatic Racing-prepared No. 09 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin GT4. The results marked the team's best finish of the year as the squad continued to learn more each time out with the all-new Aston Martin Vantage GT4 platform.

Racing record

Career summary

‡ Team standings.

Complete Indian Racing League results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Franchise 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos. Pts 2022 Hyderabad Blackbirds HYD11 HYD12 HYD13 IRU11 IRU12 IRU13 IRU21 IRU22 IRU23 HYD21 HYD22 HYD23 1st 143 2023‡ Hyderabad Blackbirds IRU11 IRU12 IRU21 IRU22 IRU31 IRU32 6th 56 2024‡ Hyderabad Blackbirds IRU11 IRU12 IGR1 IGR2 IRU21 IRU22 KAR11 KAR12 KAR21 KAR22 8th 73

‡ Standings based on entry points, not individual drivers. – Replaced a withdrawn driver. Season in progress.