Atiqa Mir became the first Indian to secure a podium finish in the European leg of the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA) karting series after finishing third overall in the final of the opening round. The 11-year-old’s achievement stands out in Indian motorsport and marks her biggest result since stepping up to the OKNJ (junior) category from the Mini class.
Mir, who is also the first Indian supported by the F1 Academy, showed consistent pace throughout the event. She recorded the fastest lap in the final and was in contention for pole position during qualifying, only to be blocked by a slower driver on her flying lap, which resulted in her starting ninth.
Over the course of the weekend, Mir demonstrated strong racecraft. In Race 1, she finished third, followed by a second-place finish in Race 2. These results earned her a third-place start for the decisive final race at the Lucas Guerrero Circuit.
During the 15-lap final, Mir held second place early on. On the last lap, she made a bold move around the outside at the last-corner chicane, crossing the line in second on track. This finish was a record for an Indian driver in the series. However, a post-race penalty saw her classified third overall.
Day two brought further challenges. Once again, Mir missed out on pole position in qualifying due to traffic. In Race 1, she was pushed off-track and finished ninth. In Race 2, she crossed the line first but lost the win due to a post-race penalty.
WHAT DID ATIQA SAY ABOUT PERFORMANCE?
Atiqa said that she was thrilled with her performance and with the opportunity to hold the Indian flag high on the podium.
“That was a great race. Really tough pace at the front and I could manage to fight till the last corner. I took a risk in the last corner going for the move as I didn’t want to settle for a third place finish.
“Like the great Ayrton Senna said if you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver. It was risky but it paid off. I’m happy to have the India flag at the podium and a proud moment for me and the country,” said Atiqa.
Despite multiple setbacks and penalties, Mir’s performances remained noteworthy. She consistently delivered strong results and impressed observers with her pace and overtaking skills in the junior category.
