Indian F4 racer Ary Bansal (Aryaman Bansal) opens up in exclusive conversation with Pit Debrief, as he recounts his career so far and future step.
While the likes of Jehan Daruvala, Arjun Maini, Kush Maini and Mahaveer Raghunathan have taken space in media, of drivers from India in feeder championships off-late, Bengaluru’s Bansal is quietly doing the job, away from the humdrum and hype for now.
Born in Northern part of India in Chandigarh, he moved to Southern part in Bengaluru, which is also the home of Maini brothers. He took up karting in India and made a timely move to Europe in later part of 2021, to kick-start the journey he is in right now.
Big career move from India to UK/Europe
He went through the karting categories between 2022 and 2024, whether OK-J, Junior Max and Senior Max. The ultimate step into single-seater competitions at the far end of 2024 changed his career course. It followed with a full season in GB4 and championship win with Elite Motorsport.
He won a race in the British F4 Championship as well in a busy year, which saw him compete in handful of races in E4 Championship, Italian F4 Championship, F4 Saudi Arabian Championship and FIA F3 World Cup. The 16-year-old continued racing at F4 level in 2026, but again opted for multiple series.
He started by finishing third in Formula Winter Series with US Racing, followed it up with ongoing full season in Italian F4, where he is fourth in the drivers’ standings with 198 points, which is led by teammate Luka Sammalisto (288) after four rounds, with three more to go.
He got his first win in Italian F4 in the last round at Mugello, with three more podium finishes.
In an exclusive conversation with Darshan Chokhani for Pit Debrief, the youngster elaborates on his journey from India to UK/Europe, as he moves up the order in his career.
Q) Let’s start with your ongoing Italian F4 season first, in the Top 5 with your teammate leading the championship, so far so good, did you expect to be up there straightaway in your first full season?
Ary Bansal: “The objective going into the season was always to fight at the sharp end and be consistent. We were confident in the work we had put in, but you never quite know where you stand until the racing begins. So far, we’ve scored points consistently, but there’s still some way to go and the focus is on continuing to improve and maximise every round.”
Q) Of course winning the title is your aim, but will a Top 3 result also do? What are your expectations for the rest of the season, where do you think you need to improve?
AB: “The goal is to fight for the title and, with plenty of races still to come, that remains the focus. We need to keep maximising every opportunity, and improving in qualifying would put us in a stronger position to fight for wins and consistently score big points.”
Q) Now to see your journey, having started karting in India in 2021, you swiftly moved to Europe to complete the journey – how did you arrive on such a particular plan towards single-seater competition? We have seen among Indian drivers that they take their time in India or Asia before that step to the UK
AB: “I started racing in rental karts at a local track and quickly began learning about the different pathways in motorsport. When it came to taking the next step, the infrastructure, opportunities and level of competition made Europe the right choice for my development. I knew it would be a big step, but I felt it was the best environment to learn and progress as a driver.“
Q) Staying with it, you spent fairly less time in karting before the jump to single-seaters – was it the case of spending your money wisely or your first test in single-seater made you realise that you can be quick in it?
AB: “It was a mixture of both. Racing cars are very different from karts, and I realised quite early that they suited me better. One of the things I enjoy most is the engineering side of the sport and working with a team to understand the car and adapt it to my driving style. A race car gives you much more scope to adjust, experiment and find performance through setup and feedback, and that’s something I naturally gravitated towards.
“At the same time, moving to single-seaters felt like the right step for my development. The more time I could spend understanding the relationship between the driver, car and engineering, the more I could develop skills like giving precise feedback, working closely with engineers and consistently extracting performance from the package.”
Q) I ask this because no sooner that you moved to single-seater and you already got the GB4 title in the bag in a close competition? Did it come as a surprise because this was only your fourth year in racing in the UK and you won a championship
AB: “GB4 was a very competitive championship, so I don’t think the expectation was to arrive and immediately win it. But once the season got underway, it reinforced the confidence I had started to build after moving into single-seaters. I felt comfortable in the car and working with the team, and we were able to consistently perform across different circuits and conditions.
“Winning early in the season gave us confidence that we could fight for the championship, but from that point it became about executing consistently every weekend. To eventually secure the title at Donington was a proud moment because it validated the work we had put in throughout the season and showed that we could deliver when it mattered.”
Q) Was it a conscious decision to race so many events in a year? And can you name the team around you, in terms of coach/mentor, physio, manager, etc – who have helped you in this journey and decision making?
AB: “Yes, the goal was to maximise my rookie year in single-seaters and gain experience across events. I’m pleased to have a strong team around me who support different aspects of my career and have played an important role in my development and decision-making along the way.”
Q) Several from India have tried to make it to the highest level in the last few seasons, many diverted to other championships, do you feel confident to break the barrier eventually? There is Kush Maini closer to the step but if he doesn’t, there is a gap and dearth of Indian juniors
AB: “The aim is to make it all the way to the top, and I’m currently on that path and feeling confident with every race I do in the journey to my goal, which has always been Formula 1. There’s still a long road ahead, so my focus is on continuing to perform at my best and making the most of every opportunity along the way.”
Q) Is it good or bad to be away from Indian media scrutiny? Of course media helps in driving sponsors, etc, but it is also eyeballs which creates pressure – you must be feeling that, representing India, isn’t it?
AB: “It’s an honour to represent India. Motorsport is still growing back home but it’s good to see the interest that F1 has generated beginning to spread across the rest of the sport. As that interest grows, it’s natural that people start paying closer attention and expecting more from drivers representing India. I see that as a positive. I already set high expectations for myself, so having people believe that I can perform only adds to that drive. Expectation comes with opportunity, and it’s something I embrace.”
Q) And finally, you are in Italian F4, probably Regional in 2027 and possibly F3 in 2028 and aim for F2 in 2030 for the ultimate push to F1 in early 2030s?
AB: “That would be the natural progression, but the focus is on taking it one season at a time and making sure I’m ready for each step. The ultimate goal is to reach F1 and I know that a lot needs to come together to make that happen: right people, time, place etc. So, my focus now is to control what I can in terms of my development and delivering results on track. I believe those will lead me to opening the right doors in the future. There’s a long way to go and a lot of work ahead.”
