Mahaveer Raghunathan (born 17 November 1998, Chennai, Tamil Nadu) is an Indian professional racing driver. Currently, he races in the 2025 Italian GT Championship with Lazarus Corse in the GT3 Pro–Am class, driving the Ferrari 296 GT3 and representing the AMR Driver Academy.
Early Career[]
Raghunathan began karting in 2012 and made his single-seater debut in the JK Racing Asia Series the same year. He progressed through Italian F4 (2014), European F3 (2015), Auto GP and BOSS GP (2016–2017) — winning the BOSS GP Formula class championship in 2017.
Single-Seater & GP‑Series[]
In 2016, he finished runner-up in the Auto GP Formula Open championship, then briefly contested GP3 in 2016 and stepped up to FIA Formula 2 with MP Motorsport in 2019, scoring a single point at Monza despite receiving multiple reprimands.
Formula One Career[]
Mahaveer Raghunathan became only the third Indian driver to test a Formula One car when he participated in a private test with Alfa Romeo Racing on 5 August 2021 at the Hungaroring. Driving the Alfa Romeo C38, Raghunathan completed 71 laps, posting lap times approximately 1.9 seconds off fellow test driver Théo Pourchaire. Despite not having raced in Formula One, the test marked a significant milestone in his career and for Indian motorsport. Raghunathan later conducted another F1 test with McLaren in July 2023 at Portimão, although this led to legal issues after McLaren successfully sued for unpaid testing fees in early 2025. These outings, while not leading to a race seat, highlighted his persistent efforts to break into the elite level of motorsport.
Italian GT Career (2023–Present)[]
- 2023: Debuted in the Italian GT Championship with Imperiale Racing, driving a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 — took a GT3 Pro‑Am podium (7th in standings).
- 2024: Joined AMR Driver Academy and Lazarus Corse — drove a Ferrari 296 GT3 in selected endurance rounds alongside William Alaló and Jorge Lorenzo.
- 2025: Signed with AF Corse and Lazarus Corse for full Pro–Am campaign across 8 endurance events, partnering Lorenzo Ferrari and Riccardo Ponzio.
- Secured class win in Italian GT Sprint Championship at Vallelunga and leads GT3 Pro-Am standings.
- Claimed a high-profile P2 in GT3 Pro-Am and P3 overall at Monza endurance round.
Driving Style & Reception[]
Mahaveer Raghunathan was removed from the FIA Formula 2 grid in 2019 due to a consistent series of on-track infractions that resulted in him accumulating too many license penalty points.
During the 2019 season, Raghunathan repeatedly breached regulations—among the most serious were three Virtual Safety Car infractions in the Feature Race at Paul Ricard, which alone awarded him 9 penalty points. Combined with previous violations including passing the chequered flag twice in Bahrain, weigh bridge non-compliance in Baku, track-limits infringements, yellow flag violations, and collisions, his total reached 12 points—the threshold for an automatic race suspension.
He served his first ban at the Red Bull Ring after Paul Ricard, marking the first suspension in F2 history. Despite collecting another 12 points during Abu Dhabi practice, a regulatory loophole—which the FIA later closed—allowed him to compete in the final round, as penalty point totals reset at season’s end. These repeated breaches and formal relegations effectively led to Raghunathan being kicked off the F2 grid, underscoring his struggles with discipline and situational awareness during that campaign.
Although early in his career Raghunathan was noted for aggressive on-track behavior and accumulation of penalties, he has matured considerably in GT racing, delivering consistent podiums — earning respect for his speed and strategic racecraft.
Full Racing Career Results[]
| Year | Series | Team(s) | Class/Level | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | JK Racing Asia | Meco Racing | Junior formula | Debut |
| 2014 | Italian F4 | F&M | 12th overall | Best finish P6 ×4 (es.wikipedia.org) |
| 2015 | European F3 | Motopark | 39th overall | |
| 2016 | Auto GP Formula Open | PS Racing | 2nd overall | Runner-up |
| 2017 | BOSS GP Formula Class | PS Racing | Champion | Won title |
| 2019 | FIA Formula 2 | MP Motorsport | Scored 1 point | P20 overall |
| 2021 | F1 (test) | Alfa Romeo | Private test | 71 laps at Hungaroring |
| 2023 | Italian GT (Endurance) | Imperiale R. | GT3 Pro-Am | P7 in points |
| 2024 | Italian GT (Endurance) | Lazarus Corse | GT3 Pro-Am | Selected rounds |
| 2025 | Italian GT Championship | AF Corse / Lazarus | GT3 Pro-Am | Class win and Sprint race victory |