Abu Dhabi, Jan 5:
The 11-year-old racing prodigy Atiqa Mir made a spectacular switch from mini to the much tougher junior S125 category as she became the first Indian to secure a top five finish globally on debut during round seven of the IAME UAE Karting Championship at the fabled Yas Marina Circuit. Atiqa, the first Indian to be supported by Formula 1 Academy, could have spent another season dominating championships in the mini category (age 8-12) but she has been thrown in at deep end with the move up to the junior S125 category (age 12-14) in the new year.
The karts are 30kg heavier (115kg in mini to 145kg in junior) and have three times the horse power (10 bhp with top speed 105 kmph to 29bhp with top speed of 126 kmph).
In a clear sign of her rare talent, the Akcel GP backed Atiqa thrived in the unfamiliar territory rather than getting overawed by the occasion. By finishing fifth out of 35 drivers in a male dominated grid, Atiqa also became the first female to register a top five finish in the history of IAME UAE Championship on debut.
With only a few days of testing to get used to the junior kart, Atiqa once again proved that her fitness and dedication are second to none in a gruelling 21-lap race at the historic Formula 1 Circuit here. She qualified 18th due to an issue with her kart but that didn’t deter her in the races.
In the heat race, she climbed up six places, and in the pre-final she went up eight places to finish fourth, displaying mature race craft and overtaking drivers with much more experience (in the category as well as age).
Starting the final fourth and on the trickier outside lane, Atiqa held her ground and got in the mix of the leading group. She put in some stunning lap times to keep up with the leading pack. (Agencies)
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