Orechova, Slovakia: India’s karting prodigy Atiqa Mir narrowly missed out on a podium finish, securing an impressive fourth place in a thrilling race at the Champions of the Future Academy (COFTA) series here.
Atiqa, known for her sharp racecraft, was in contention for the win throughout the action-packed round 4.1 of COFTA. The 10-year-old, who recently clinched victory in the DAMC series in Dubai, is the first Indian driver backed by Formula 1 and participates in the F1 Academy DYD program. Finishing just 0.32 seconds behind the race winner in the mini category, Atiqa demonstrated exceptional skill on a predominantly male grid at the Slovakia Karting Centre. Her fourth-place finish marked the highest ever by an Indian driver in the championship’s history and the best result by a female competitor this season.
In the second race of the weekend, Atiqa was comfortably running in third place before being forced off track on lap seven due to a collision from behind, ultimately finishing 11th.
Despite missing out on the podium, Atiqa’s performance highlighted her exceptional talent against a strong international field. Reflecting on the weekend, the AKCEL GP driver said: “I was so close to the win and the podium, but I’m happy with my progress and performance against this top European grid. It’s rewarding to see all the hard work and training paying off.”
Atiqa hails from a racing family, with her father, Asif Nazir Mir—a Formula Asia Vice Champion—traveling with her to races worldwide. He expressed pride in her performance: “It was an incredible drive by Atiqa against such quality drivers. Her dedication, along with her coaches, trainers, and mechanics, is paying off. Despite being one of the least experienced on the grid, she delivers performances like this.”
Atiqa had previously made history in the COFTA championship by becoming the first Indian to reach the podium in the Mini Under-10 category at Round 6 in Abu Dhabi last year.
