Eleven-year-old Atiqa Mir stunned the European karting circuit with a sensational debut in the WSK Super Master Series, becoming the first Indian to qualify second in the fiercely competitive OKNJ junior category.
Graduating from the Mini ranks, Atiqa showed a remarkable pace among 37 seasoned drivers. She clocked 49.76 seconds in qualifying, narrowly missing pole to Finland’s Leo Latinen by just a tenth of a second. Her P2 finish marked a historic milestone for Indian motorsport.
Atiqa backed up her qualifying run with strong heat race performances, finishing fourth, sixth, and seventh, while also setting the fastest lap in Heat 1.
Sunday’s pre-final brought heartbreak when her kart failed to fire on the pre-grid, dropping her to 18th. A first-turn incident pushed her further back to 22nd, but Atiqa fought through the field to finish 14th in a 37-driver lineup.
“It was a good debut weekend for me,” Atiqa said. “I wasn’t expecting a P2 in qualifying, almost a pole, on debut. The pre-final was unfortunate, but that’s motor racing.”
Her father, former Formula Asia vice-champion Asif Mir, praised her performance: “She showed top-class speed and beat drivers with far more experience. Seeing the Indian flag near the top was special.”
Supported by the Formula 1 Academy, Atiqa’s debut signals a promising future. Italy was just the beginning of her journey, and her fearless drive has already placed her among the brightest young talents in international karting.
