Kerala startup to design affordable racing car, ropes in Austrian racing champion Mathias Lauda as partner

M&N Racing Team, a Kerala-based startup, is planning to design a new racing car that bridges the gap between go-karts and Formula 4 cars, making the transition to competitive racing more affordable. The company has secured the backing of one of the recognisable names in international racing, Mathias Lauda, son of legendary Formula One champion Niki Lauda.

While the concept design will be developed in Kerala, the car will be manufactured in Europe using Italian technology.

The initiative was announced at Huddle Global 2026, organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), in Kovalam, where Lauda spoke about the spiralling costs of competing in F1 feeder series and his own journey into motorsports. “It was expensive even when I entered the F1 world in the early 2000s. It has gone up much more,” he said.

Lauda, who has joined the venture as a partner, said the rising cost of racing was shutting out talented youngsters across the world. He began racing in his twenties, although aspiring drivers ideally need to start much earlier to progress through the ranks. But the financial burden makes an early start difficult for many.

Jose Pottomkulam, founder of M&N Racing Team, described the initiative as an effort to take motorsports “from Kerala to the World”. “While others are working to bring the world of F1 races to India, we want to take this idea to the wider world,” said Pottomkulam. According to him, a season of go-karting can cost around Rs 25 lakhs per season for an aspiring driver in India. The move from karting to Formula 4 can cost four times as much. "In Europe and the US, expenses can be around 10 times higher," he said.

The project also seeks to tap motorsports talent across the world and create a structured pathway for aspiring racers, with an emphasis on safety and professional development.

The project has received support from Kerala Startup Mission, with some leading automobile manufacturers and individual financiers also backing it at an early stage. Pottomkulam said more funding would be needed to take the initiative to its next phase, adding that Lauda’s association was expected to give it a significant push.