9-year-old from Kashmir becomes first ever female racer to win at Rotax Challenge International Trophy

Atiqa Mir, a nine-year-old from Kashmir, has become the first female to win the Rotax Challenge International Trophy race, joining the ranks of elite drivers like F1 champion Max Verstappen.

Ms Atiqa Asif Mir.

At the Le Mans Kart International circuit, nine-year-old Atiqa Mir from Kashmir made history as the first female racer to win the Rotax Challenge International Trophy race. She triumphed in Race 2 of the MicroMax Category Heats, driving for the Dan Holland Racing Team in the Lando Norris kart, as reported by ANI.

Her victory, shared by @thebetterindia on Instagram, has gone viral on social media. Despite this being her first visit to the Le Mans circuit and having no prior practice, Atiqa quickly adapted to the new karts and consistently topped the grid during practice sessions. The report also notes that Atiqa secured 10th place during Qualifying due to a lap clearance issue. In the first Qualifying Heat race, she advanced to 6th but eventually finished 9th.

In Race 2, Atiqa showed impressive speed and skill, setting fast, consistent lap times and making great passes to secure first place at the famous Le Mans Circuit. She competed against 36 drivers in the MicroMax category, with 318 drivers from 40 nations participating across all categories.

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A post shared by Ms Atiqa Asif Mir🇮🇳🇦🇪 #113, 9 yr old Female Karter (@atiqa.asifmir)

In the final race, Atiqa faced multiple incidents, finishing 12th, 9.497 seconds behind the leader, Joshua Cooke of KR Sport. Alfie Mair finished second, and Austin Oman of Sam Pollitt Racing secured third.

Despite the setback, her win at Le Mans cements Atiqa’s status as the top female karting driver in her age group worldwide. Next month, she will compete at the prestigious Kartmasters in the UK.

Reacting to the news, one user commented, “This is what unites my india . These stories have the potential to change perspectives on religious hate and Gender disparity.”

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Meawnhile, another user mentioned, “Project verstappen (indian edition).” A third user said, “Queen of Kashmir.” And a fourth replied, “Thats called actuall “papa ki pari” take a bow to little girl.”

She was driving for the legendary Dan Holland Racing Team.

Atiqa is also nominated for the Iron Dames Young Talent event in Italy later this month. She is the only Asian and the youngest of the 11 shortlisted candidates.

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