Atiqa Mir Makes Indian Karting History With Two Top-10s

Atiqa Mir has become the youngest Indian to record two top-10 finishes in the FIA European Championship, producing ninth and 10th-place results in heat races at Round 4 in Sweden. The 11-year-old competed as a wildcard in the 12-14 age category and was taking part in only her second FIA event.

Mir’s results came in one of karting’s most demanding international competitions, with the FIA European Championship described as the highest level of the sport and run directly by karting’s governing body. She faced a field that included drivers as old as 14 while being among the youngest competitors on the grid.

Strong qualifying pace in Sweden

Before her two top-10 heat finishes, Mir qualified 11th. Her qualifying time was only 0.13 seconds away from the fastest lap, underlining the close margins in the field. She went on to finish ninth in one heat and 10th in another, marking a notable performance for an Indian driver at this level of competition.

The Swedish round represented another milestone in a rapidly developing season. In May, Mir had become the youngest Indian to finish sixth in Round 2 of the FIA European Championship in Spain. Her latest appearances added two more top-10 results to her record at the championship.

Mir is the first Indian driver to be backed by F1 Academy. Her participation in Sweden came as a wildcard entry, meaning the round offered valuable experience against a highly competitive international group rather than forming part of a full-season campaign.

She said she was pleased with the outcome and the progress made during the event. “I’m super happy with my performance here. We achieved all our targets and we have a good technical understanding of these FIA events. I’ve improved my driving as well and I feel with some more experience I can fight towards the front of the grid. I feel ready for a full championship next year,” Mir said.

Experience builds toward a full campaign

Mir’s father, Asif Mir, said the performance had exceeded expectations given her age and limited FIA experience. Asif Mir is India’s first national karting champion and pointed to her qualifying pace as an especially encouraging part of the weekend.

“Atiqa showed a lot of maturity far beyond her age. She was up against all star karters of the world including Formula 1 junior development drivers. Her speed in qualifying against them was very encouraging with only a tenth of a second separating her from the fastest time,” he said.

He added that competing against the strongest drivers in the category offers an important learning opportunity as she continues to develop. “She still has a lot to learn and driving amongst the best drivers in the world gives her an opportunity to learn from them. We feel we will be in a championship fight next year. She is only 11 so she has time of her hands,” Asif said.

For Mir, the two heat-race top-10s provide further evidence of her ability to compete in the FIA European Championship’s 12-14 age group. Having qualified close to the front and delivered ninth and 10th in Sweden, she now has further international experience to take into a potential full championship campaign next year.