Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay’s appearance at Silverstone to flag off Ajith Kumar’s Michelin Le Mans Cup race has triggered a political row back home, with the DMK questioning whether the Chief Minister’s UK visit was being used for government work or to meet his actor friend.
Vijay, who is on his first official overseas visit as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, waved the ceremonial green flag at the Silverstone circuit on Saturday, September 12, as Ajith competed in the race. The two actors also shared a warm hug before the event, producing one of the most talked about moments of the visit.
The optics, however, quickly moved from the racetrack to politics.
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan took a swipe at Vijay’s visit, pointing to the contrast between the government’s stated investment agenda and his appearance at Ajith’s race. The criticism centred on the question of why the Chief Minister was spending time at a motorsport event involving his longtime film industry friend while visiting Britain ostensibly to attract investment to Tamil Nadu.
DMK MLA Markandeyan also questioned the priority given to the Silverstone event, raising issues concerning farmers, fishermen and other matters in Tamil Nadu.
But the controversy has another side.
Why Vijay Was At Silverstone
Vijay’s presence at Silverstone was not announced simply as a private meeting between two film stars. The Michelin Le Mans Cup had invited him as a special guest to support Indian drivers and ceremonially start the Silverstone round.
The event featured a 44 car grid, with Ajith competing in the LMP3 Pro Am category for Ajith RedAnt by Virage. Vijay’s appearance therefore had an official sporting dimension in addition to the obvious interest generated by the two stars meeting at the same venue.
The visit also dovetailed with Vijay’s recently announced plans to establish a world class Motor Sports City in Tamil Nadu. During his Silverstone visit, the Tamil Nadu delegation was expected to examine the circuit’s design, safety systems, commercial operations and its links with sports tourism and the automobile industry.
That gives the Chief Minister’s critics and supporters very different ways of interpreting the same event while the DMK has presented it as a questionable use of an official overseas trip, the government side can point to motorsport infrastructure and sports tourism as legitimate policy interests.
Vijay’s UK Trip Is Primarily About Investment
The Silverstone appearance was only one part of Vijay’s UK itinerary.
His first overseas visit as Chief Minister has been focused primarily on attracting investment to Tamil Nadu and strengthening economic links with British and European companies. The schedule includes meetings with investors and discussions around areas such as advanced manufacturing, automobiles, electric vehicles, electronics and Global Capability Centres.
The trip comes after Tamil Nadu signed a large number of investment agreements under the new administration. Government figures cited in reports say MoUs worth more than rs 1 lakh crore have been signed within the first 100 days, while European companies have proposed investments worth around rs 8,491 crore, with the potential to create nearly 5,690 jobs.
The visit also comes against the backdrop of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which came into effect on July 15, 2026, creating additional opportunities for trade, investment and technology partnerships.
The Ajith-Vijay Moment Steals The Show
For Tamil cinema fans, however, it was the meeting between Ajith and Vijay that overshadowed much of the political and economic agenda.
The two actors have been at the centre of one of Tamil cinema’s most intense fan rivalries for decades. Yet their relationship away from the spotlight has generally been portrayed as cordial.
At Silverstone, Vijay and Ajith were seen together before the race, with Vijay hugging Ajith in a moment that rapidly went viral.
Ajith later thanked Vijay for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit the circuit. He also spoke positively about the Chief Minister’s interest in understanding what it takes to host motorsport events on this scale.
Ajith has also expressed a larger ambition: bringing a major international motorsport event such as the Michelin Le Mans Cup to India.
That ambition fits neatly with Vijay’s own proposal for a Motor Sports City in Tamil Nadu.
What Happened In The Race?
Ajith competed at Silverstone for the Ajith RedAnt by Virage team. The team finished 38th overall, with its championship tally reported at 21 points.
The race itself became secondary in public attention to the extraordinary crossover taking place around it an actor turned Chief Minister officially starting a race in which another of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars was competing.
Actress Trisha Krishnan was also spotted at the circuit, while Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna was among those present with Vijay. Veteran actor Radhika Sarathkumar also met Ajith in London and praised his dedication to motorsport.
From Cinema Rivalry To A Political Flashpoint
The Silverstone episode is unusual because it sits at the intersection of three worlds politics, cinema and sport.
Vijay is no longer simply a leading Tamil actor. As Chief Minister, his public appearances are inevitably viewed through a political lens. At the same time, his decades long association with Tamil cinema means that even a government event involving another major star can attract enormous fan attention.
For the DMK, that provides an opportunity to question Vijay’s priorities during his first overseas trip.
For Vijay’s supporters, the Silverstone appearance offers a different narrative the Chief Minister supporting an Indian competitor on an international sporting platform while studying one of the world’s best known racing facilities for a proposed motorsport project in Tamil Nadu.
And for Ajith and Vijay fans, the most memorable image may simply be the two former screen rivals standing together at Silverstone.
The political argument over why Vijay was there is unlikely to disappear quickly. But one thing is already clear what began as a stop on the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s UK itinerary has become one of the biggest talking points of his overseas visit.
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