Indian karting prodigy battles setup issues to finish fourth twice at Franciacorta

Franciacorta, Italy : Indian karting prodigy Atiqa Mir produced a determined performance in Round 1 of the WSK Final Cup at Franciacorta, overcoming setup and pace issues to register two impressive fourth-place finishes.

The 11 year old Indian racer faced a difficult start to the weekend after managing only the ninth fastest time in qualifying. However, Atiqa quickly bounced back making strong starts in both Race 1 and Race 2 and gaining several positions to finish fourth in each race.

Following the two heat races Atiqa was classified 14th among a highly competitive field of 72 drivers. Her performance earned her the seventh position on the grid for the Pre Final.

Atiqa ran as high as fifth for much of the Pre Final before eventually crossing the finish line in ninth place. Her hopes of another strong result in the Final, however were cut short after a crash damaged her kart and forced her to retire from the race.

Reflecting on the weekend, Atiqa said she had hoped for a stronger overall result but was pleased with her ability to fight through the field despite the lack of pace.

It was a mixed weekend for me. I was expecting more, but we were struggling for pace. I managed to fight my way up in most of the races and was in a competitive spot for the Pre Final and Final, Atiqa said.

But things didn’t go my way, and the lack of pace hurt us on the long straights of Franciacorta,” added the JK Tyre and Raise backed driver.

Despite the setbacks, Atiqa’s performance once again highlighted her race craft and ability to compete against a large and talented international field. She is the first Indian driver to receive backing from the F1 Academy.

Her father, Asif Mir, India’s first national karting champion, praised his daughter’s fighting spirit and maturity throughout the weekend.

For me, Atiqa had a very good weekend. She showed her race craft and maturity while driving what was not the fastest kart on the grid. But she kept fighting, and I really liked her positive attitude this weekend, he said.

Atiqa will now turn her attention to Round 4 of the Champions of the Future Academy in Spain. She will be looking to build on her earlier success after dominating the Greece round of the championship earlier this year.

Report By – Mudasir Maqbool