Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir dares to live an audacious dream

Bengaluru: Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes once said: "In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd." 

And it could not be any truer than in the case of Atiqa Mir.

The Indian racing prodigy, still only 11, might not fully grasp the weight of the words breaking barriers, but she has been challenging the social and cultural norms while carving out a name for herself in a male-dominated karting scene. 

For Atiqa, it may feel like just another day on the race track -- stepping on the accelerator, driving at over 125 km/hr, crossing the finish line and celebrating on the podium.  

However, the magnitude will only grow as she continues to pursue this ambitious dream of making it to Formula One, a peak where only five women have reached in history.    

“I don’t think of it as a barrier to break on the track or in life, the stereotypes can put it that way,” Atiqa tells DH. 

"I just treat every car as a number while I am racing. I just want to win, so I focus on myself rather than thinking about other people. My goal is to basically enter and win in Formula 1,” she adds. 

The Srinagar-born racer is seventh in the International OK-NJ class (age 12-14), making her the highest-ranked female in the rankings. 

Atiqa is also the first Indian to be backed by the Formula 1 Academy, and for all her precocious talent, she was fast-tracked into the junior class from the mini at the start of 2026. 

And the result? A podium finish in the first round of the Champions of the Future Academy series in Valencia in March. 

The trophy cabinet also portrays podium finishes in Qatar, France and the United Arab Emirates.

However, it has not been all sunshine and rainbows for the family over the last four and a half years since Atiqa took up karting.  

"When there's a female on track, many don’t think much of them, and the moment you compete and win, you see people questioning who was the one out of the helmet and go, 'hey, it's a girl',” says father and former Indian national karting champ Asif Mir. 

“And even today, at the higher level, that taboo is still there. And sometimes, even from your own family members," he adds. 

While Asif feels a change in mindset is an absolute necessity, he believes that the best way to bring it out is to win every race Atiqa competes in. 

"To get bullied on the track, it was something that used to bother us in the beginning. We now live with it. We are on this path and succeeding is the best way to make people rethink of it."

With a father so determined and a daughter so driven, a normal childhood was never going to be in sight. And Atiqa's training regimen only got tougher as she went through the ranks. And now, a large part of her day is training with the simulator or spending time on the track.  

Asif's mindset is simple and straightforward. Shoot to the moon and you might just land among the stars. And it does not matter who is driving a kart next to her. 

“She's just a driver, and I treat her like a driver. No privileges at all while on track.  Because if we start to feel we're the best female drivers, even for our age, that won't get us to Formula One. Red Bull and McLaren will want a driver who wins and it's simple.”

While Atiqa is a long way away from driving to her dream destination of Formula 1, her dedication and hunger to succeed are unquestionable.