SPORTING LIFE

Kaveen Rajapaksa

FOCUSSED AND FEARLESS

Allaam Ousman traces the rise of Sri Lanka’s ambitious and youngest tarmac racing star

Rajapaksa’s journey in racing began during the COVID-19 lockdown. Confined to home in 2020, he discovered Formula One through Netflix’s Drive to Survive. “It explained everything in a very detailed and interesting manner. From that point on, I really liked motorsport and wanted to be part of it,” he recalls.

Before motorsport took over his life, Kaveen represented his school in swimming – an experience that laid the foundation for his physical endurance and mental discipline. He began racing relatively late, at around 13 years old.

“Many drivers have been racing since they were six years old or even younger but I struggled a lot at the beginning,” he confesses.

However, that early disadvantage became a powerful motivator.

Competing in Yamaha KT100, he learned the fundamentals of two-stroke racing and kart control. His progression into the faster and more demanding IAME X30 category pushed him further. As he explains, “the KT100 taught me the basics but the X30 was much more complicated. You have to be precise with your inputs. That class helped me become more consistent.”

Early podiums provided encouragement but as Rajapaksa advanced into higher level national competition, success became harder to achieve. The breakthrough came in 2024, when steady improvement translated into championship victories and multiple race wins.

Balancing racing with school life has been one of his greatest challenges. “Some days, I come home really late and studying becomes hard. Before races, especially the week leading up to them, I sometimes have to miss school,” he says.

A pivotal moment arrived last year, when Kaveen was invited by Momentum Motorsports in India to experience single-seater racing for the first time. Training sessions in Coimbatore introduced him to Formula style cars and laid the groundwork for what followed.

“They trained and helped us understand the basics of single-seaters. It was my first real experience in Formula racing,” Rajapaksa says.

You need to know when to be smooth and when to be aggressive

This preparation proved invaluable when he lined up at the Rotherham Circuit Meet 2025 – Round 2 at Katukurunda. With only one official practice session in the F1300 single-seater, expectations were modest. But what followed was extraordinary: Kaveen delivered a composed, mature drive to secure race wins and the coveted Best Driver Trophy.

“I didn’t expect it. It was my first real single-seater race in Sri Lanka and it meant so much because it’s not an award many drivers win,” he says. According to Rajapaksa, handling the F1300 was no easy task: “The car is always trying to fight you – sometimes oversteer, sometimes understeer. You need to know when to be smooth and when to be aggressive.”

The final lap of that race remains etched in his memory: “I was leading with a gap but kept checking my mirrors. It was my first time leading a Formula race, and that last lap was excitement, fear and tension all at once.”

International exposure has also shaped his development. In Australia, during his first visit to the LeMans karting circuit, Rajapaksa unexpectedly set a lap record. “I went there only to experience the track for fun; and without even realising it, I set a track record!” he exclaims.

Racing in India against grids of nearly 20 drivers exposed him to aggressive, high-pressure competition. “It taught me a lot about defending, attacking, being patient and racing in a pack,” he reveals.

His progress continued in the Asia Pacific Motorsports Championship, where he finished fifth overall in Formula LGB EFI 1300cc.

Rajapaksa maintains a demanding fitness routine, combining gym sessions three to four times a week with swimming up to five times weekly. He notes that “swimming really helps with endurance while gym training builds strength.”

Racing under the number 18, Rajapaksa represents Mora Racing, a team he credits with shaping him from the very beginning: “They taught me mental focus, fitness, nutrition and preparation.”

Supported by his family and inspired by his idol Max Verstappen, Rajapaksa lives by a simple motto: focused, fearless and fast. “If you’re not fearless, you won’t succeed – not just in racing but in life,” he reiterates.

His ambitions are clear – championship victories in Formula racing, progression into Indian Formula 4 and a future that blends racing with engineering. For Kaveen Rajapaksa, racing is more than competition: “Racing is my life – without it I don’t know what my life would be like.”