In a landmark weekend for Indian motorsport, 11-year-old karting sensation Atiqa Mir delivered a career-best performance at the World Series Karting (WSK) Euro Series Round 2 at the South Garda Karting circuit in Lonato, Italy, finishing second in Race 1 of the OKNJ (Junior) category — the highest-ever race finish by an Indian in WSK history.
Mir, who races in the highly competitive OKNJ class against some of the best young kart drivers in the world, showcased remarkable speed and racecraft. In qualifying she narrowly missed pole position by a fraction of a second, ending up fourth fastest in her group, just 0.1s shy of the pole time.
The highlight of her weekend was undeniably Race 1, where she held a podium position throughout and crossed the line P2, missing out on victory by only 0.8 seconds. This result marked only the second time a female driver has finished second in the OKNJ class at WSK, and the best finish by an Indian competitor in the series.
In the remaining heats, Mir faced a series of hard-fought battles and on-track incidents that resulted in nosecone penalties and mixed results. By the end of the weekend, she was classified 15th overall out of a field of around 60 drivers, a highly respectable placing given the quality and depth of the competition.
Her performance did not go unnoticed on the sidelines. Among the spectators at South Garda were Mercedes Formula 1 Team principal Toto Wolff and Mercedes F1 driver George Russell, both of whom were present at the event where many future racing stars cut their teeth.
Atiqa’s achievement in Italy adds to a string of notable results in her burgeoning career. The young racer, born in Srinagar and now based in Dubai, was previously vice-champion in the UAE IAME National Championship’s Mini R category and has earned pedigree credentials with international podiums and a race win at the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy in Le Mans. She is also part of the Formula 1 Academy’s “Discover Your Drive” development programme, the first Indian and Asian female driver to be selected for this initiative.
The WSK Euro Series itself serves as a key international karting platform, attracting elite young talents across multiple classes and providing a stepping stone to higher levels of motorsport. Many past WSK competitors have gone on to professional careers, including in Formula 1.
Reflecting on her performance, Mir described the weekend as a breakthrough and emphasised the positives she drew from both her qualifying pace and her podium finish. Her father, former Formula Asia Vice-Champion Asif Mir, highlighted the progress and resilience his daughter has shown in such a demanding field.
With attention from top names in motorsport and a landmark result in one of karting’s premier series, Atiqa Mir’s trajectory continues to be watched with keen interest by the racing world.
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