Young Zidaan setting karting tracks afire with his age-defying driving skils

With the karting culture thriving in the city over several years, Zidaan is one of youngest Bengaluru kids on the block making a mark in the national championship.

Bengaluru: Karting runs in the veins of Zidaan Arshaan Anees’ family. That adrenaline rush and the joy of winning sucked the eight-year-old into following the footsteps of his predecessors.

“My grandmother (Noor Jahan Anees) was India’s first female karting winner,” shared Zidaan. “My father (Arshaan Anees) and uncles (Mezaan Anees and Ashad Pasha) have also raced in the past. The thrill from the speed, similar to a rollercoaster, is something I have loved about karting since I took it up,” said Zidaan, who got behind the wheel when he was around six years old.

With the karting culture thriving in the city over several years, Zidaan is one of youngest Bengaluru kids on the block making a mark in the MECO-FMSCI Rotax Max Indian National Karting Championship, held across Chennai, Coimbatore and Bengaluru.

Demonstrating talent and grit in the ongoing season, his back-to-back double podium finishes have helped his team, Peregrine Racing, climb the top of the table after round two of the six-round event.

But his journey back to winning ways has a back story of enduring pain. The third-grade student at the Mallya Aditi International School in the city, had to go through two surgeries on his wrist after a freak accident during a test drive in April 2024.

The incident, naturally, had his parents worried and it cast doubts on his return to karting.

“We did not know if he would get back to racing,” recalled mother Marella Gilbert Anees. “Though he was in pain, it seemed as if his biggest worry was his inability to compete in the upcoming race.”

The hurdle did little to deter his determination to excel. In a spirited show, he was competing on the fast lane eight weeks post injury and won his first race at the Meco Meritus Cup this April 27 - exactly a year after the injury.

Currently participating in the Micro Max category, he is on track to qualify for the World Final on November 29 this year in Bahrain provided his team maintains its good record in the remaining four rounds.

The first round, held on July 13 and 14, was undoubtedly a weekend of highs and lows for Zidaan. During the pre-finals, he was faced with a challenge once again. This time, an accident midway through the race pushed him to sixth place.

However, the youngster put the setback behind immediately and fought his way to second position among 14 drivers in the finals.

Subsequently, in the second round, he finished second, yet again, in both the pre-finals and finals, held on the first weekend of this month in Coimbatore.

Coached by seven-time national racing and karting champion Ameya Walavalkar at Peregrine Racing, the young driver, inspired by F1 star Max Verstappen, is now headed to the third round in Chennai with an eye on the top prize.

Zidaan Arshaan Anees