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11-year-old racing prodigy Atiqa Mir made a sensational switch from mini to the much harder junior S125 category by becoming the first Indian to seal a top-five finish globally on debut during round seven of the IAME UAE Karting Championship at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
After dominating the championships in the mini category (age 8-12), Atiqa, the first Indian to be backed by Formula 1 Academy, was thrown in at the deep end with the move up to the junior S125 category (age 12-14) in the new year.
The karts in the junior S125 category are 30kg heavier (115kg in mini to 145kg in junior) and have three times the horsepower (10 bhp with top speed 105 kmph to 29bhp with top speed of 126 kmph).
However, Akcel GP-backed Atiqa thrived under pressure by finishing fifth out of 35 drivers in a male-dominated grid. She also became the first female racer to register a top-five finish in the history of the IAME UAE Championship on debut.
Atika took no time getting used to the junior kart and showed her talent in a gruelling 21-lap race at the historic Formula 1 Circuit. She qualified 18th due to an issue with her kart, but made up for her poor performance with an incredible drive in the races.
In the heat race, she rose six places, and in the pre-final, she climbed up eight places to finish fourth, displaying maturity beyond her years, overtaking drivers with much more experience in the category as well as age.
"That was a good debut weekend in Junior, it went better than I expected. The karts are so fast compared to the Mini and I absolutely love it. My race could have been much better if the backmarkers had not come in the way," said Atiqa, who aims to reach Formula 1 one day.
"But nonetheless Im happy with my speed this weekend. I hope to keep learning and improving myself in this new category." Atiqa's father, Asif Mir, said the decision to promote her daughter to the junior category was vindicated by her remarkable performance over the weekend.
"We decided to move Atiqa up to Juniors in a late call in December. I felt she could learn more in the higher category and improve her skill even though she is barely eligible, being so young and going up against drivers who are 2-3 years older than her," said Asif, who is also India's first national karting champion.
"She had a stellar debut and deserved a podium for her efforts but just fell short. It is not easy going from a Mini to a Junior kart with the higher G forces and Speed. She even surprised me with her performance,” he added.
