Srinagar, October 13,2026- Atiqa Mir, the 11-year-old karting prodigy from Srinagar, has signed with Kart Republic (KR), the racing team that has helped launch several Formula 1 champions. The move is a major boost to her goal of reaching Formula 1.
KR is owned by Italian motorsport veteran Dino Chiesa, who is known for helping shape the early careers of multiple F1 world champions, including Lewis Hamilton. Atiqa has switched to the team mid-season after impressing Chiesa with her results in several karting series across Europe.
A platform to grow in the OKJ category
Joining KR gives Atiqa a platform to compete in the OKJ category, which is for drivers aged 12 to 14. Over the next two years she will race against some of the strongest young talents in international karting.
She will begin her journey with the team at the FIA World Cup in Italy.
Chiesa backs her raw speed
Chiesa said he has followed Atiqa’s progress for the past two years. He praised her speed in both the mini and the bigger kart categories and pointed to her potential for further success.
Atiqa said she was excited to start this new chapter. She added that she looks forward to learning as much as she can from the team and pushing herself to become a stronger driver.
A team with a record of success
KR is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of racing karts. Through its Factory Racing Team, it has won more than 25 major international FIA Karting titles. These include 15 FIA European Karting Championships and 12 World Championships. The team’s success is built on technical preparation, professional race engineering and a focus on developing young drivers for international competition.
A rapid rise through the ranks
Atiqa’s signing follows a strong run of results. She began her career in the UAE, where she won in the Mini R category of the UAE IAME National Karting Championship, and later moved onto the European circuit.
On her FIA European Championship debut in Valencia this year, she finished sixth in Race 2 and set the fastest lap in Race 5. In Sweden, she became the youngest Indian to record two top-10 finishes in the championship, which is often called the “Formula 1 of karting”.
She also took a dominant pole-to-flag victory in the Champions of the Future Academy series in Thessaloniki, Greece. She was the first Indian and Asian female racer selected for F1 Academy’s Discover Your Drive programme as well.
Earlier this year, JK Tyre signed her to its racing programme, which supports young Indian talent.
Racing in the family
Atiqa’s father, Asif Nazir Mir, is India’s first national karting champion and also raced in the Barber Dodge Pro Series in the United States. He acts as her mentor and trains with her. Her mother, Shazia Mir, is also closely involved in her career. The family is based in Dubai.
Her ambitions go beyond karting. Atiqa has said she wants to become the first woman in Formula 1 since 1992, and she has already become a role model for young girls in India, the Middle East and beyond.
What comes next
With a top-tier team, a strong support system and a growing record in Europe, Atiqa enters the most competitive phase of her karting career. Her debut with KR at the FIA World Cup in Italy will be the first real test of how she performs among the sport’s best young drivers.
