Viterbo (Italy), Oct 22 Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir created multiple moments of brilliance on her FIA Karting World Cup debut, including a top-five finish in the heats and the fastest time in a practice session of the marquee event.
It was Atiqa’s first major assignment since signing with Kart Republic Factory Race Team, an outfit owned by veteran Dino Chiesa who has launched the careers of many Formula 1 drivers including seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
In a grid of 117 drivers in the junior category, Atiqa consistently competed against the best in the business and was also the best performing female driver.
The 11-year-old began the week by setting the fastest time in practice session three before finishing P2 in the final practice.
In qualifying, Atiqa was bogged down by traffic and couldn’t replicate her practice pace as she finished 12th in her group and 48th overall. She didn’t let this disappointment get to her head as she made amends in the heat races.
Atiqa, the first Indian to be supported by the Formula 1 Academy, finished a creditable P7, P9 and P5 in the heat races with two Fastest Laps.
In the all-important super heats, Atiqa finished P11. She pierced through the field to finish P16 on the road out of 117 drivers in the final, overtaking eight karts in the process.
Reflecting on the week, Atiqa said: “One small mistake in qualifying and I had to pay a big price for it. In such a large grid of 117 drivers, it is important to qualify in front but due to slow moving drivers, I couldn’t get a lap in and had to overtake on my flying lap.
“I was still only 2 tenths off pole which shows how strong this grid is. I maximised everything and enjoyed working with the team (Kart Republic). I also want to thank Raise, JK Tyre and JM Group for their continued support.
(PTI News)
