Atiqa Mir Shines in Slovakia Karting Series, Finishes Fourth in Thrilling Race
Young Indian racing prodigy narrowly misses podium in COFTA series, setting new benchmarks for female drivers in international karting.
India’s 10 year old racing prodigy Atiqa Mir turned heads in Orechova, Slovakia, by finishing an impressive fourth in round 4.1 of the Champions of the Future Academy (COFTA) karting series. Atiqa, who recently won the DAMC series in Dubai, showcased exceptional race craft, running in a leading position for much of the race before narrowly missing a podium finish by just 0.32 seconds.
Competing in a male-dominated mini category at the Slovakia Karting Centre, Atiqa became the first Indian to secure a top-four finish in the championship’s history and the highest-placed female driver of the ongoing season. In the second race of the weekend, she was in third place until being hit from behind on lap seven, resulting in an 11th-place finish.
Reflecting on her performance, Atiqa said, “I was so close to the win and the podium but happy at the same time with my progress and performance against this top European Grid. It’s nice to see all the hard work and training paying off.”
Her father, Asif Nazir Mir, a former Formula Asia Vice Champion, praised her drive: “Atiqa’s performance against this quality of drivers was incredible. She is probably the least experienced on the grid and yet delivers such remarkable results.”
Atiqa, supported by the F1 Academy DYD program, continues to make history as the first Indian driver backed by Formula 1 and is steadily emerging as a rising star in international karting.
