Atiqa Mir first Indian female racer to qualify for Rotax Euro Trophy final

Round 4 of the Rotax Euro Trophy saw Mir compete in the Mini Max karting category for the first time.

Published on Sep 04, 2024 11:53:00 AM

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Nine-year-old Atiqa Mir finished 29th overall in the Rotax Euro Trophy finals. It was a race of many firsts for the young racer from Kashmir: her first time competing in the Mini Max karting category, her first time racing at Italy’s South Garda Circuit, and she also became the first female Indian racer to qualify for the Rotax Euro Trophy final.

Mir finished 29th overall out of 46 drivers
Shortlisted for Iron Dames Young Talents programme earlier this year

Mir has already built an impressive racing resume with outings in India, the UAE, and Europe. She made her competitive debut in 2021 and finished third overall in the 2023-24 DAMC (Dubai Autodrome Motorsports Club) Cup and second overall in the 2023-24 UAE IAME Series Rookie Championship. This year, Mir had her first taste of racing in Europe and she even won a race at the Le Mans Karting International Circuit, becoming the first female driver in the world to win a race in the Rotax Challenge International Trophy.

To add to that, she was shortlisted for the Iron Dames Young Talents programme. This new initiative was launched by the same squad that made history last year as the first all-female team to win a race in the World Endurance Championship (at the 2023 8 Hours of Bahrain). Those who impress will earn the chance to join the Iron Dames stable and benefit from tailored development programmes, mentoring from experienced motorsport professionals, and access to world-class training facilities.

Despite suffering a few setbacks and two crashes, Mir managed to qualify for the Rotax Euro Trophy final. She made up four places in the race to finish 29th overall out of 46 drivers. “This was my first race at the South Garda circuit and in the Mini Max category, which is a big jump from the Micromax category that I have driven till date,” said Mir.

“I was one of the youngest in the category. It is never easy to debut in a race at the end of a championship where most of the drivers have driven the category for a whole season and more. I managed to adapt to the kart after a few sessions and came to within 3 tenths of the fastest time. After 2 crashes and multiple incidents, I managed to qualify for the finals, which was my goal for this weekend," she added.

Also see:

Atiqa Mir only Asian shortlisted for Iron Dames Young Talents programme

Atiqa Mir first Indian female racer to qualify for Rotax Euro Trophy final

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