Tamil Nadu CM Vijay to flag off Silverstone motor race in U.K. as actor Ajith competes

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is set to flag off the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the Silverstone circuit in Northampton, U.K., on Saturday (September 12, 2026) evening, just past 5 p.m. local time. Mr. Vijay, who arrived in London on Friday (September 11), is on his first foreign visit after the Tamil Nadu Assembly election in May 2026. He is also expected to hold discussions with industry and company heads with a view to attracting investments for Tamil Nadu, during his visit.

Earlier this month, Mr. Vijay had announced that he would establish a ‘Motor Sports City’ in Tamil Nadu to host Formula 1, 2, 3, and 4 races. He also announced the intention to build an ‘Olympic City’ in Chennai, which would train athletes for participating in the Olymics.

Tamil cinema actor Ajith Kumar, a participant in the Silverston race and a former colleague of Mr. Vijay, thanked the Chief Minister for coming to the circuit.

“My wish to see these events come to India,” Mr. Ajith said in a reel posted on social media, saying the visit would enable the Chief Minister to see what it would take for India and Chennai to host such events. Mr. Ajith, representing Ajith RedAnt by Virage (the team), is competing in the LMP3 Pro/Am category and driving a Ligier along with French driver Romain Vozniak.