Cinema VinesOn the evening of Saturday, September 12, 2026, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay kicked off the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the Silverstone circuit in Northampton, United Kingdom, just after 5 p.m. local time. The event marked Vijay’s first trip abroad following his party’s victory in the May 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Vijay was accompanied by his fellow Tamil star and motorsport racer Ajith Kumar, who had been competing in the LMP3 Pro/Am category for the Ajith RedAnt by Virage team. The two posed together at the track and even shared a brief moment in Kumar’s race car before the start of the race. A large crowd of Tamil diaspora fans filled the stands, while Tamil Nadu’s Public Works and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna was seen with the Chief Minister earlier in the day.
During his visit, Vijay met with industry leaders and company heads to discuss attracting investment to Tamil Nadu. He also announced plans to build a ‘Motor Sports City’ that would host Formula 1, 2, 3, and 4 races, as well as an ‘Olympic City’ in Chennai to train athletes for the Olympics.
Ajith Kumar expressed his gratitude to Vijay for attending the circuit, saying in a social‑media reel that the visit could help bring such events to India and enable Chennai to host them. He added that the Chief Minister’s presence would help illustrate what it takes for India to host international motorsport and sporting events.
