10-year-old karting sensation Atiqa Mir on Friday became the first Indian and Asian to be signed by Formula 1 Academy for its driver program, a testament to her rapid growth in the world of motorsport. F1 Academy, a female only racing series owned by Formula 1, has decided to take Atiqa on board for its Discover Your Drive Program (DYD) after closely tracking her stellar performances on the karting circuit. The racer from Jammu and Kashmir is only one of three drivers in the mini category (age 8-11) worldwide to be chosen for the DYD program.
Atiqa will represent Formula 1 Academy at the Champions of the Future Academy Program Championship with six rounds in Europe and Middle East, starting this weekend.
F1 Academy is investing in Atiqa's rare talent by providing financial and technical support, covering her fitness, driving and mental preparation.
Being signed by F1 Academy is a major stepping stone in Atiqa's blossoming racing career and she duly realises the significance of this opportunity.
"I'm so excited to hear this amazing news. To be chosen by Formula 1 Academy is a huge honour for me and for us here in India. I will work hard and perform at my best and repay the faith out in me by Formula 1 Academy. It is massively encouraging for me and I take great pride in representing my country," said Atiqa.
Formula 1 created the F1 Academy with the sole purpose of developing and preparing female drivers to progress to higher levels of single seater racing.
Susie Wolff, a former racer who has driven a Formula 1 car, is the managing director of the F1 Academy.
"To drive the meaningful change we want to see in our sport, we can't just talk, we need to act. I see a lot more girls competing competitively in karting and we want to make sure that the best have the opportunity to progress," said Wolff, who is also the wife of Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff.
"The introduction of an F1 Academy rookie test and the continuation of our collaboration with Champions of the Future Academy Program are unprecedented opportunities for young emerging talent and will help us cultivate a competitive pipeline of talent for F1 Academy for years to come," she added, referring to rookie test introduced for the senior category.
Besides creating a feeder line of female racers for higher echelons of motorsport, F1 Academy aims to play an instrumental role in taking a female driver to Formula 1, which is considered the pinnacle of motorsport.
With the announcement on Friday, Atiqa entered a select club of female racers who are out to break that barrier.
Last month, Atiqa became the first Indian female to sign for a full season with World Series Karting.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)