Atiqa Mir Becomes Youngest Indian With Two Top-10 Finishes in 'Formula 1 of Karting'

Indian karting sensation Atiqa Mir, 11, has created history by becoming the youngest Indian to record two top-10 finishes in the FIA European Championship, one of the most prestigious competitions in international karting.

Competing in the 12-14 age category in Round 4, Atiqa finished ninth and 10th in the heat races. She had earlier qualified 11th, finishing just 0.13 seconds behind the fastest driver, underlining her pace against a highly competitive field.

With Kashmiri roots, Atiqa comes from a family closely connected to motorsport. Her father, Asif Mir, is India's first national karting champion and has been an important influence in her racing journey. At just 11, Atiqa has already competed against drivers as old as 14, including several leading junior racers and Formula 1 development drivers.

Atiqa was competing as a wildcard in only her second FIA event. She is also the first Indian driver backed by F1 Academy, making her progress particularly significant for Indian motorsport.

“I’m super happy with my performance here. We achieved all our targets and we have a good technical understanding of these FIA events,” Atiqa said. She added that she has improved her driving and feels ready to compete in a full championship next year.

Asif Mir praised his daughter’s maturity and speed, saying her performance against far more experienced competitors had exceeded expectations. He believes the experience will help her prepare for a championship challenge next year.

Atiqa had already made history in May, when she became the youngest Indian to finish sixth in Round 2 of the FIA European Championship in Spain.

The FIA European Championship is conducted directly by the FIA, motorsport's global governing body, and is considered the highest level of competitive karting.