London [UK], September 12 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will wave the ceremonial green flag to start the Michelin Le Mans Cup race at Silverstone on Saturday, with famous Kollywood actor and racer Ajith Kumar set to compete in the fifth round of the 2026 championship.
The unusual crossover will bring together two of Tamil cinema's biggest names at one of the world's most iconic motorsport venues, with Vijay attending the two-hour race as a special guest and Ajith taking to the track for Ajith RedAnt by Virage.
Vijay's appearance at Silverstone was confirmed by the Michelin Le Mans Cup with a post on X, which said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister would officially start the Silverstone round in front of a 44-car grid while supporting the Indian drivers competing in the UK.
"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 in a post on X.
Ajith, who has combined his successful film career with a passion for motorsport, 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.
Speaking at a pre-race press conference, Ajith welcomed Vijay's visit and said he hoped events of this scale could eventually be hosted in India.
"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 during a pre-race press conference at Silverstone.
“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 will be part of a notable Indian contingent at Silverstone, with former Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan and Aditya Patel also competing at the event.
The Silverstone race will be held on the 5.891-kilometre Grand Prix circuit and will run for two hours. It is the fifth round of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup season, which will conclude at Portimao, Portugal, in October.
The Michelin Le Mans Cup is an endurance racing championship featuring LMP3, LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3 categories. Unlike Formula One, where drivers compete in single-seater cars, the championship involves endurance racing, with drivers sharing cars during races.
Ajith joined the championship for the 2026 season and is competing in a purpose-built Le Mans Prototype in the LMP3 Pro/Am category.
Vijay's appearance also comes amid Tamil Nadu's wider push to strengthen its motorsport infrastructure.
The Chief Minister is currently on a week-long visit to the United Kingdom as part of an overseas outreach programme focused on attracting investments and expanding partnerships across sectors including advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, electronics and Global Capability Centres. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay to wave green flag as actor Ajith Kumar races at Le Mans Silverstone
