Autosport Seychelles delivers a historic celebration of speed, skill and community |11 July 2026
As Seychelles celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence, Autosport Seychelles proudly delivered what can only be described as the country's first true motorsport festival.
The three action-packed days united traditional motorsport, grassroots participation, esports, automotive heritage and community engagement under one banner.
Held at the Champions Park Raceway as part of the National Show celebrations, the festival welcomed thousands of visitors and demonstrated that motorsport is far more than racing. It is a sport that brings together families, young people, volunteers, technology, engineering, road safety, heritage and community spirit.
From the roar of kart engines to the precision of auto slalom, the excitement of international Sim Racing, and one of the country's largest collections of classic and modern vehicles, the festival showcased every facet of motorsport to the Seychellois public.
A festival built through partnership
The success of the motorsport festival was only possible through the tremendous support of our sponsors and collaborators.
Autosport Seychelles extends its sincere appreciation to:
H Savy Insurance – Event sponsor and sponsor of the kart slalom, auto slalom and car exhibition.
PMC Group – Official showcase partner, displaying a range of vehicles and offering exclusive Independence promotions throughout the event.
Intelvision – Sponsor of the Seychelles Open 50 Sim Racing championship, broadcasting the live final at its exhibition stand.
Battlegrounds Esports – Sim Racing collaboration partner.
Seychelles Motorsports Federation (SMF) – Collaboration partner for the car exhibition.
Together, these organisations demonstrated what can be achieved when public and private stakeholders work together to grow motorsport in Seychelles.
Saturday June 27 – Bringing motorsport to the public
The festival opened by giving members of the public the opportunity to experience motorsport first-hand through Come Karting, where approximately 100 participants took to the circuit over the course of the weekend.
Using the rental kart fleet, many adults and older participants enjoyed their first experience behind the wheel of a racing kart. The activity proved so popular that numerous participants returned to drive again on both Saturday and Sunday, demonstrating the growing appetite for grassroots motorsport in Seychelles.
The event also received a welcome boost with a visit from the Minister for Youth and Sports Kalsey Belle, who took time to visit the Autosport Seychelles stand, meet volunteers and officials, and show her support for the Come Karting initiative.
Her presence recognised the importance of introducing more Seychellois to motorsport and encouraging greater participation in healthy, active sporting opportunities.
Alongside the public karting sessions was the Kart Slalom, one of the disciplines introduced through the FIA's Motorsport in a Box initiative.
Drivers negotiated a challenging cone course where precision, consistency and car control proved more important than outright speed.
Following a competitive event, the podium was Dan Denis (first), Mitra Labrosse (second), and Roland Delcy (third).
The day concluded with the seeding rounds for the Seychelles Open 50 Sim Racing Championship, attracting competitors from both Seychelles and South Africa in preparation for the championship final.
Sunday maintained the momentum with another successful Come Karting programme before attention shifted to Autoslalom, another FIA Motorsport in a Box discipline.
The event challenged competitors to manoeuvre through a technical cone course where accuracy, vehicle placement and smoothness determined success.
After a highly competitive contest, the winners were Marlon Talma, Mitra Labrosse, and Dino Delpech.
Sim racing connects Seychelles with the World
One of the standout attractions of the festival was the Seychelles Open 50 Sim Racing Championship, proudly sponsored by Intelvision and organised in collaboration with Battlegrounds Esports.
The championship welcomed competitors from Seychelles and South Africa for an endurance race consisting of 50 laps, lasting just over two hours.
The event was broadcast live on the Autosport Seychelles YouTube Channel, while visitors at the National Show could also watch the race live from the Intelvision exhibition stand, exposing thousands of visitors to the rapidly growing world of esports motorsport.
After an intense battle, the final standings were Fred Bridgens (South Africa), Shaun Claasen (South Africa), and Marcus Fahner (South Africa).
The event demonstrated how sim racing is creating new opportunities for Seychellois competitors to compete internationally while showcasing the technological side of modern motorsport.
Celebrating automotive heritage
Independence Day saw Champions Park Raceway transformed into one of the country's most impressive displays of automotive history through the car exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Seychelles Motorsports Federation (SMF).
A remarkable collection of 35 classic and modern cars and motorcycles was assembled, providing visitors with a journey through decades of motoring history.
Among the highlights were:
A beautifully restored 1956 Morris Minor, celebrating an incredible 70 years of motoring history.
A 1976 Mini Cooper, commemorating 50 years alongside Seychelles' Independence.
A wide variety of classic, modified and performance vehicles that reflected the passion of local enthusiasts.
The exhibition attracted tremendous public interest, with 452 votes cast in the People's Choice Award, eventually won by a motorcycle, highlighting the diversity of the display.
Throughout the car exhibition, children and families enjoyed memorable ride-alongs in two beautifully restored classic cars, giving many of the festival's youngest visitors their very first experience inside a classic vehicle.
The excitement on their faces perfectly reflected the festival's aim of making motorsport enjoyable and accessible for the whole family.
Adding further excitement to the event, PMC Group showcased a range of their latest vehicles while promoting exclusive Independence offers throughout the weekend.
Their display complemented the exhibition perfectly, with several of their vehicles also taking to the circuit to demonstrate modern automotive technology alongside the classic collection.
As the sun set on three unforgettable days of motorsport, the festival came to a spectacular conclusion with a dramatic parade of classic cars and motorcycles around Champions Park Raceway.
More than racing
The inaugural Motorsport Festival was about far more than competition.
Over three days, the festival introduced hundreds of visitors to karting, showcased FIA grassroots disciplines including Kart Slalom and Auto slalom, celebrated Seychelles' automotive heritage, highlighted the growing world of esports, and provided family-friendly entertainment during the nation's 50th Independence celebrations.
As the FIA-recognised national sporting authority, Autosport Seychelles used the festival to promote participation, road safety and the development of future competitors and officials, while inspiring the next generation of motorsport enthusiasts.
The festival featured four motorsport disciplines, welcomed around 100 members of the public onto the kart circuit, showcased 35 classic and modern vehicles, and hosted an international Sim Racing endurance championship broadcast live worldwide.
Autosport Seychelles hopes future editions will continue to grow and receive wider recognition, helping to encourage greater public participation and support for motorsport in Seychelles.
Autosport Seychelles thanks its volunteers, officials, marshals, committee members, sponsors and partners – including H Savy Insurance, PMC Group, Intelvision, Battlegrounds Esports and the Seychelles Motorsports Federation – for their invaluable support.
The organisation also extends its appreciation to the organisers of the Seychelles 50th Independence Day National Show for providing the opportunity to showcase motorsport as part of this historic national celebration.
The accompanying photos highlight the festival.
Text and photos: Contributed