Ajith Kumar bags ‘Gentleman Driver of the Year’ in Venice; Shalini expresses pride
Actor Ajith Kumar received the ‘Gentleman Driver of the Year 2025’ award in Venice for his debut season with Ajith Kumar Racing. Wife Shalini expressed pride on Instagram, calling it an honor to stand beside him during the recognition of his international racing journey.
Chennai: Actress Shalini, who has accompanied her husband actor Ajith Kumar to Venice, Italy, where he received the award for Gentleman Driver of the Year 2025, has now expressed her happiness saying, she felt honoured to stand beside her husband in Venice.
Taking to her Instagram page to post a few pictures from the event, actress Shalini wrote, “Honoured to stand beside my husband in Venice, as he is being awarded ‘Gentleman Driver of the Year 2025’ in honour of entrepreneur and racing driver, the late Philippe Charriol.”
The award was presented by SRO Motorsports Group, considered to be a global leader in GT racing. The CEO of the group, Stéphane Ratel, is one of the leading decision-makers in international motorsport.
The award is being seen as a fitting recognition to actor Ajith Kumar, who chose to realise his dream of becoming a car racer this year. He announced his team Ajith Kumar Racing, which made the country proud by participating in at least four demanding international racing championships and winning several laurels. Interestingly, Ajith Kumar did not stop at just owning the team and chose to participate in races along with other members of his team.
It may be recalled that in October this year, Ajith Kumar Racing had announced the conclusion of the racing season with a note of gratitude.
In the note, Ajith Kumar had said, “We could write countless stories from this incredible year, but that’s for another day. What matters most is that we grew stronger with every lap and every challenge. This is only the beginning.”
The team, among other things, disclosed that behind every race weekend, there were countless hours of preparation, setbacks, and moments of quiet determination.
“The mechanics and engineers spent sleepless nights fine-tuning machinery that demanded perfection. The drivers adapted to new tracks, new teams, and new weather conditions pushing through physical and mental limits,” the team recalled.
“There were moments of heartbreak, mechanical issues, missed opportunities, and races that didn’t go as planned. But each disappointment became a stepping stone. Every lap, win or loss, contributed to the team’s growing strength and understanding of what it takes to compete internationally,” it revealed.
The team had observed that Ajith Kumar Racing’s debut year was one that was filled with firsts. Ajith Kumar Racing became the first Indian team to race full-time across multiple European and Middle Eastern endurance series and the year also saw the team take its first international podium.
“None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of the people and organisations who believed in the journey,” it said and extended its gratitude to series organisers, partner teams, team members, to its support staff and finally its fans and supporters for their downpour of love, encouragement, and faith through every race, every post, and every late night at the paddock.
Ajith Kumar Racing said that as the first season concluded, it stood not just as a team that competed, but as a team that evolved.
“We couldn’t have done it without everyone who stood by us. This season was built on hard work and humility. We’ll carry forward everything we’ve learned into the next chapter with even greater focus and dedication,” Ajith Kumar, who owns the team, said.
