Rivaan Dev Preetham impresses with two top 10 finishes in Bahrain

Manama (Bahrain), Dec 6 India’s Rivaan Dev Preetham delivered two top-10 performances in the highly competitive Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, which concluded at the Bahrain International Circuit, here on Saturday.

Rivaan, the 12-year-old from Chennai who recently completed a hat-trick of National Championship titles, came up with a solid drive in the Pre-Final to finish a creditable sixth after starting from P12. In the Final, Rivaan managed to finish ninth in a field of 72 drivers.

In the process, Rivaan showcased not just his talent but also his grit and determination to fight his way through the field after starting from mid-grid positions.

Meanwhile, two other Indian entries, Bengaluru’s Ishaan Madesh in the Senior category and Eshanth Vengatesan from Chennai in the Junior class, came away wiser for the experience, though neither qualified for the Finals.

The Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF) is widely regarded as one of the fairest and most international events in global karting competition. For the Bahrain event, 394 drivers qualified from 60 countries.

The three Indian entries – Ishaan Madesh, Eshanth Vengatesan, and Rivaan Dev Preetham – qualified for the Grand Finals after winning the championship in their respective categories in the MECO-FMSCI National Karting Championship RMC, 2025, that concluded last month.

At just 12 years old, Rivaan is already doing well for Indian motorsport. Hailing from Chennai, the teendriver is a two-time Indian National Karting Champion (2023 & 2024) and two-time winner of the Meco Meritus Cup. He’s the first and only Indian to win a race at the FIA Motorsport Games, where he placed 8th overall in his debut international season.

The young driver is mentored by stalwarts Armaan Ebrahim and backed by his father, Preetham Dev Moses, a seven-time national bike racing champion.

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