New Delhi:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay waved the ceremonial green flag to start the Michelin Le Mans Cup race at Silverstone in the United Kingdom, as actor and motorsport competitor Ajith Kumar took to the track for the fifth round of the 2026 championship.
The appearance brought two of Tamil cinema’s most prominent figures together at one of Britain’s best-known motorsport venues, although in very different roles. Vijay, who is now Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, attended the two-hour race as a special guest and officially started proceedings in front of a 44-car grid. Ajith, meanwhile, competed in the LMP3 Pro/Am category for Ajith RedAnt by Virage.
The official Le Mans account on X highlighted Vijay’s appearance with the message “@actorvijay in action!”, alongside footage of the actor-turned-politician waving the green flag to begin the race.
@actorvijay in action! 🎥
Watch the full race LIVE and FREE on FIAWEC+ https://t.co/DYCHBX6lvB pic.twitter.com/12EgOUsYGy
— Le Mans Cup (@LeMansCup) September 12, 2026
The Michelin Le Mans Cup had confirmed ahead of the event that Vijay would perform the ceremonial start at Silverstone while supporting Indian drivers taking part 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.
Speaking at a pre-race press conference, Ajith thanked Vijay for making the journey to the circuit and said he hoped the visit could contribute to efforts to bring major international motorsport events to 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.
“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 is competing in the LMP3 Pro/Am class with the Ajith RedAnt by Virage team. He shares the No.16 Ligier with French driver Romain Vozniak.