Atiqa Mir nearly made history in Slovakia over the weekend after finishing fourth in the fourth event of the Champions of the Future Academy (COFTA) karting series. The 10-year-old prodigy put up a superb performance and was in contention for victory for much of the race, only to miss out on a podium finish by a mere 0.32 seconds.
The 10-year-old, who participated in the F1 Academy DYD program and won in the DAMC series in Dubai earlier this month, is the first Indian to receive Formula 1 support.
In the mini category, Atiqa finished just 0.32 seconds behind the winner, demonstrating the fierce competition on the Slovakia Karting Center's male-dominated grid. It was the highest finish by a female in the current season and the first time an Indian driver had ever finished in the top four in the championship's history.
Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the young racing prodigy. In his tweet, he wrote, Well done to young Atiqa. Her natural talent & enthusiasm for racing shine through. I hope the day is not far when she will be the first Kashmiri to race at the pinnacle of motor racing - F1. Keep up the good work, Atiqa & best wishes always.
Who is Atiqa Mir?
Atiqa comes from a racing family, and her father, Asif Nazir Mir, a Formula Asia Vice Champion, travels with her daughter to races around the world. He too was left impressed. She made history last year in this championship by becoming the first Indian to get a podium the Mini Under 10 category at Round 6 in Abu Dhabi.
She also happens to be the first Asian to be signed by F1 Academy – an all-female racing series launched by the Formula One Group for the promotion and development of young female drivers.
