Bengaluru (Karnataka)[India], June 8 : India's latest racing sensation, nine-year-old Atiqa Mir, will make her much-awaited debut in the MECO-FMSCI National Karting Championship Rotax Max 2024 this weekend at the Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru.
The highest-ranked female driver under 10 years as per FIA (International Automobile Federation) and the CIK (Commission Internationale de Karting) in any national championship got a feel of the competition in India in 2022, taking part in two races as a 7-year-old.
This is the first time she will compete in all five rounds of the Championship. She will turn out for Team MSport Racing in the Micro Max category (7 to 12 years).
"We have been waiting to show our mettle in the highly competitive Indian National Championship. It's a homecoming for Atiqa," Atiqa's father, Asif Mir, India's first national karting champion and a former Formula Asia Racer, said.
Hailing from Kashmir, Atiqa is already a local star in the state. She now lives in Dubai where she trains with George Gibbons Motorsports. Atiqa juggles between European and UAE Karting Championships.
"We at MSport are happy to welcome Atiqa back to India. She's gained a lot of experience since her last stint in the country, which makes her a strong prospect to fight at the front in the Micro Max category this year. We hope to achieve a lot of success together," Armaan Ebrahim of MSport said.
Atiqa started karting when she was just 6 years old. Her first competitive race was in 2021.
Competing in the Micro Max and Mini X30 categories, Atiqa is the reigning Vice-Champion in the UAE IAME National Championship, Vice-Champion in the Mena Cup, 2nd Runner-up in the DAMC Cup among her various triumphs.
Atiqa is a Race winner in the UAE IAME National Karting Championship (Mini R category) and has scored multiple Pole Positions, Fastest Laps and Lap Records too.
"I watched my father race when I was just 3. I discuss driving techniques and race data with him now," Atiqa explains proudly. "I am looking forward to racing in India where I made my debut in Micro Max in 2022 and I have fond memories of the track," she added.
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