Dubai: Ten-year-old Indian racer Atiqa Mir from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, has made history by becoming the first female to win a race in the Minimax category of UAE karting. Competing against 14 drivers, including experienced European winners, she delivered a commanding performance from pole position at the Dubai Kartdrome in the DAMC Championship opener.
Born in 2014, Atiqa has been making rapid strides in international karting. She began competing in the UAE at the age of six. By the 2022–23 season, she had finished as vice-champion in the UAE IAME National Karting Championship in the Mini R category.
Her achievements include a podium finish at the IAME Summer Cup at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi in February 2025 and becoming the first Indian female driver to qualify for the finals of the Rotax Euro Trophy in South Garda, Italy in 2024. Later that year, she also won a race in the Micro Max category at the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy in Le Mans, France, another first for a female racer.
In January 2025, she joined the Babyrace Driver Academy in Italy to compete in the WSK Karting Series. She was also the only Asian racer selected for the Iron Dames Young Talent programme in 2024. Her growing reputation earned her a spot in the Formula 1 Academy’s “Discover Your Drive” initiative in 2025, where she was the only Asian and one of the youngest drivers chosen.
Atiqa’s success in Dubai has reinforced her standing as one of the brightest young prospects in global motorsport.
