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Atiqa Mir 11 from Jammu and Kashmir shines in WSK Super Masters OK NJ with P8 in Round 5 final top female and Indian driver backed by Formula 1 Academy and RAISE.
India’s young motor sports star Atiqa Mir (PTI)
Indian racing sensation Atiqa Mir concluded a brilliant run in the WSK Super Masters with an impressive eighth-place finish out of 53 drivers in the Round 5 final, wrapping up her campaign in the premier karting series as the highest-ranked female driver.
Making a bold, voluntary jump from the mini (age 8-12) to the junior category (12-14) at the start of 2026, the 11-year-old showcased her exceptional talent throughout the five-round series.
Competing in the OK-NJ class, the first Indian to receive support from Formula 1 Academy, Atiqa secured one podium, two fastest laps, eight top-6 results, and a scorching P2 in one of the qualifying sessions across the WSK championship and the European leg of the COTFA series.
In addition to being the top-ranked female in the WSK series, she was also the best-performing Indian driver.
The racer from Jammu and Kashmir encountered her share of misfortune along the way, which cost her additional podium finishes.
In the final weekend of the series, Atiqa clocked the seventh-fastest time in qualifying, just a tenth of a second off P3, underlining the intense level of competition.
In the heat races, she recorded finishes of P5, P4 and P5, displaying outstanding speed and consistency against the world’s top drivers.
Atiqa was ranked sixth out of 53 drivers and lined up P3 for the pre-final. She got off to a superb start, moving up to second place, but going into Turn 4 she was forced off the track by another driver, costing her a front-row start for the final.
She started 13th on the grid for the final but stormed through the pack to reach P7 at one point before taking a commendable 8th at the flag.
The race weekend reinforced Atiqa’s reputation as one of the leading talents in world karting, capable of challenging and even defeating the very best.
She had made her OK-NJ debut at the La Conca round in January. At just 11 years old, Atiqa was among the youngest and least experienced drivers in Italian conditions.
Despite this, she displayed her raw pace, out-qualifying competitors such as Mercedes Junior Nicolo Perico.
The final round at Franciacorta demonstrated that Atiqa had truly come into her own, delivering a clean weekend with top 5 finishes in all heats.
Reflecting on her WSK campaign, Atiqa said “I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to drive in such prestigious series. I have been karting non-stop for the last 8 weeks at a very high level and have been able to adjust and adapt to so many firsts.
“I’ve learnt a lot and am a better driver today than when I started in January. I was having my best race weekend here at Franciacorta till this driver pushed me off the track and he got a penalty for that. But nonetheless it was a good race and my best finish here in P8 on road. I want to thank my sponsor RAISE for making this happen.”
(With PTI Inputs)
March 27, 2026, 10:55 PM IST
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