Atiqa Mir Finishes Sixth on FIA Karting World Championship Debut
Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir made an impressive debut at the FIA Karting World Championship, finishing sixth in the opening race after gaining 16 positions in a remarkable recovery at La Conca, Italy.
The 11-year-old from Srinagar, who is the first Indian racer backed by the Formula 1 Academy, competed in the 12-14 age category representing the Kart Republic team. Her sixth-place finish was also the best result by an Indian driver during the championship weekend.
Difficult Qualifying Session
Mir’s impressive performance came after a difficult qualifying session that left her with a major challenge. Two drivers who had crashed blocked her while rejoining the track, disrupting her flying lap and affecting her qualifying position.
As a result, she finished second-last in her group and was placed 83rd among 87 drivers overall. However, the setback did not affect her determination to fight back. Before qualifying, Mir had already demonstrated her pace by securing third position in the Qualifying Sim Practice Session.
Remarkable Comeback Across the Races
With only three heat races available to recover positions, Mir delivered an outstanding performance. She gained 16 places in Race 1 to finish sixth, followed by another 10-position improvement in Race 2 and four more places in Race 3.
Across the three heats, she gained 30 positions and recorded an overall improvement of 43 places, finishing 40th among the 87 competitors.
Her performance continued in Sunday’s Super Heat, where she started 14th on the grid and quickly moved up five positions. However, a crash in challenging weather conditions pushed her back to 16th place.
Atiqa Mir Confident About Competing at the Highest Level
Reflecting on her championship debut, Mir described the experience as an opportunity to gain valuable overtaking practice despite the qualifying setback. She said she believed she belonged at this level and was confident of fighting at the front with a better qualifying performance.
She also thanked her sponsors, Raise and JK Tyre, for supporting her racing journey.
Her father, Asif Mir, India’s first national karting champion, expressed his admiration for her performance. He said the team had initially expected a potential top-five result before the qualifying incident affected her position. However, he was impressed by the determination and fighting spirit she displayed throughout the weekend.
Mir’s performance at the FIA Karting World Championship marks an encouraging milestone in her young racing career, showcasing her overtaking ability, resilience and potential to compete against some of the best young karting drivers in the world.
