Kiaan Shah clinches Asia Trophy runner-up finish in Thailand karting showdown
Synopsis
Kiaan Shah's second-place finish at the RMC Asia Trophy in Thailand signals his emergence as a credible junior karting prospect. At 15, the Mumbai racer's ability to recover from mid-race adversity — a stalled engine in Heat 3, a sixth-place slip in the Super Heat — and still mount a podium assault in the Final suggests tactical maturity beyond his years. With dual trophies and clear upward trajectory, Shah is positioning himself as one of India's brightest junior motorsport talents.
Key Takeaways
Kiaan Shah finished second in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy at Pattaya, Thailand on 4 May .
The 15-year-old Mumbai racer clocked 51.218 seconds in qualifying, just 0.118 seconds behind pole-sitter Pannu Stienmonkong .
Shah clinched dual trophies — one for the Asian Championship and one for the Thailand Championship .
He finished the Final 3.8 seconds behind race winner Toby Gale , with Stienmonkong third.
Coach Rayomand Banajee highlighted Shah's improved qualifying pace and weekend consistency.
Kiaan Shah, a 15-year-old racer from Mumbai competing for Rayo Racing, secured a second-place finish in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy on 4 May at the Bira circuit in Pattaya, Thailand, marking his strongest international karting performance to date. The result earned him dual trophies — one for the Asian Championship and one for the Thailand Championship — underscoring his competitive standing in a star-studded field.
Qualifying and Heat performances
Shah delivered an impressive qualifying lap, clocking 51.218 seconds on the 1.2 km circuit, just 0.118 seconds behind Thailand's Pannu Stienmonkong, who secured pole position. In Heat 2, Shah started fourth but recovered to overtake Japan's Shun Sekiguchi, Eason Tseng of Chinese Taipei, and Stienmonkong himself, finishing second behind Thailand's Toby Gale. However, Heat 3 proved troublesome when his engine stalled while running third; though he diagnosed and repaired a loose wire, he crossed the line last.
Super Heat and Final breakthrough
Starting seventh in the Super Heat, Shah drove tactically to finish second before a Full Course Yellow flag halted proceedings following an on-track incident requiring paramedic intervention. When racing resumed amid rain and chaos, Shah slipped to sixth after a handling error but recovered to fourth by the chequered flag. The aggregate results determined the Final grid, where Shah lined up fifth.
In the Final, Shah lost a position off the line but executed an aggressive manoeuvre to claim fourth on Lap 1. A sequence of strong laps saw him pass Tseng for third, then overtake Krish Gupta to run second. Despite matching the pace of race leader Gale, Shah could not close a 3.8-second gap and finished second, with Stienmonkong rounding out the podium.
Driver and mentor perspectives
Point of View
But for the resilience it reflects. A stalled engine in Heat 3, a mid-race slip in the Super Heat — these are moments junior racers either panic or learn. Shah recovered both times and still mounted a Final charge, suggesting the tactical maturity that separates one-hit wonders from sustained competitors. At 15, against a star-studded Asian field, that composure matters more than the gap to Gale.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kiaan Shah and what did he achieve in Thailand?
Kiaan Shah is a 15-year-old racer from Mumbai competing for Rayo Racing. He finished second in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy at Pattaya, Thailand on 4 May, earning dual trophies for both the Asian Championship and Thailand Championship.
How close was Shah's qualifying lap to pole position?
Shah clocked 51.218 seconds on the 1.2 km Bira circuit, just 0.118 seconds behind Thailand's Pannu Stienmonkong, who secured pole position. It was one of his best qualifying performances in international karting.
What challenges did Shah face during the heats?
In Heat 3, Shah's engine stalled while running third. He quickly diagnosed and fixed a loose wire but finished last. In the Super Heat, he recovered from a sixth-place slip caused by a handling error to finish fourth.
How did Shah perform in the Final?
Shah started fifth in the Final, lost a position off the line, then executed aggressive overtakes to move into contention. He finished second, 3.8 seconds behind race winner Toby Gale, with Pannu Stienmonkong third.
What did Shah's coach say about his performance?
Coach Rayomand Banajee praised Shah's pace consistency throughout the weekend and highlighted his improved qualifying performance on new tyres, noting visible progress at the international level.
