The reunion brought together two of Kollywood’s biggest stars, who shared a warm and spirited embrace on the tarmac prior to the fifth round of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup. Footage and photos of the Chief Minister approaching with open arms to embrace Ajith—clad in his racing suit—quickly went viral online, delighting fans across social media platforms.

The encounter holds great cultural and political resonance in Tamil Nadu. Although their respective fan groups have engaged in intense digital and box-office rivalries for more than a quarter-century, the genuine camaraderie demonstrated at one of motorsport’s premier venues highlighted their deep-seated mutual respect.

Currently on an official overseas outreach mission to the United Kingdom to seek industrial investments and foster partnerships in electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and global capability centres, Mr. Vijay attended the endurance race as a special guest, waving the ceremonial green flag for the 44-car grid.

Meanwhile, Ajith has restarted his motorsport career through his outfit, Ajith RedAnt by Virage. He is competing in the LMP3 Pro/Am class, co-driving the No. 16 Ligier with French racer Romain Vozniak.

Addressing media representatives before the race, Ajith expressed his appreciation for his longtime colleague’s visit. “I am extremely thankful to the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C. Joseph Vijay, for taking time off his busy schedule to come and visit us at Silverstone,” Ajith stated. “We have been colleagues in the film industry for the last 34 years. The government has been doing a lot to promote sports, and we extended the invitation so he could see what infrastructure and logistics it would take for India and Chennai to host events like the Le Mans series.”