Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and former actor Vijay C. Vijay Joseph made a memorable appearance at Silverstone on Saturday as his former colleague Ajith Kumar competed in the latest round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Vijay attended the event to support Ajith Kumar and waved the green flag to officially start the race, becoming the first Indian to do so.
Greeting Ajith Kumar at the circuit before the race, Vijay was seen hugging his former colleague. In a video shared by the CMO, Vijay was seen at the Silverstone circuit ahead of the Michelin Le Mans Cup round. He later stood trackside and waved the green flag as the race got underway.
Videos from the venue showed Vijay meeting Ajith Kumar before the competition, with the two stars exchanging greetings. Vijay also posed for photographs and applauded Ajith Kumar’s appearance at the event.
Trisha Krishnan, who is currently in London for a film shoot, also attended the circuit during the race event, according to sources. In videos from the event, Trisha was seen walking past security in a white top, blue jeans and a brown jacket.
The Silverstone round was the fifth event of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup championship. Ajith Kumar has continued to pursue motorsport alongside his acting career and represented his team at the UK circuit.
Ajith Kumar was later seen interacting with fans around his car. In one video, he gestured to the crowd and asked them not to scream as he stepped out of the vehicle.
Ajith Kumar’s racing team, Ajith RedAnt by Virage, faced a difficult outing at Silverstone. According to local media, the team finished 38th overall after completing the two-hour Michelin Le Mans Cup race.
The No. 16 car was driven by Ajith Kumar and French racer Romain Vozniak. The pair finished three laps behind the overall winner after a challenging contest.
The team had entered the race with a stronger starting position. Ajith Kumar and Romain Vozniak had qualified eighth in the LMP3 Pro/Am category earlier on Saturday. However, the qualifying result did not translate into a points-scoring finish.
Ajith RedAnt by Virage therefore could not maintain its position during the main race and eventually finished outside the points.
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Joseph is set to inspect the infrastructure at Silverstone, one of the most renowned motor racing venues, where he will examine racetrack safety arrangements, spectator facilities and the commercial model for hosting international competitions.
CM Vijay’s participation is a major engagement during his six-day official visit to the UK.
The visit assumes significance as CM Vijay announced on Tuesday that Tamil Nadu would establish a world-class motorsports city in the state. Officials hope the Silverstone inspection will provide useful inputs for developing the facility.
Besides, he is also expected to explore opportunities for attracting investments in motorsports, sports tourism, automotive technology, racing and event management.
The government believes the proposed motorsports city could generate employment and help position Tamil Nadu as an international destination for racing events.