The 11-year-old from Srinagar joins the team associated with Lewis Hamilton and several current Formula 1 stars, strengthening her ambition to reach the sport’s highest level.
October 2026 : Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir has secured a significant boost to her burgeoning career after signing with Kart Republic (KR), the renowned karting team owned by Italian motorsport veteran Dino Chiesa, who played a key role in launching the careers of several Formula 1 stars, including seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The 11-year-old has switched to KR midway through the season after impressing Chiesa with her performances across multiple karting series in Europe, according to a statement. The move is expected to provide Atiqa with a competitive platform to develop her skills and prepare for the OKJ category over the next two years.
KR and Chiesa have been associated with several prominent Formula 1 drivers, including reigning world champion Lando Norris, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, championship leader Kimi Antonelli and Arvid Lindblad. Chiesa also played an instrumental role in shaping the early careers of Hamilton and 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg.
Expressing her excitement, Atiqa said joining KR was a dream come true and marked the beginning of an important new chapter in her racing journey.
“I’m looking forward to working with the team, learning as much as possible and pushing myself to become a stronger driver,” she said, thanking everyone who has supported her and expressing eagerness to begin.
Chiesa said he had monitored Atiqa’s progress over the past two years and was impressed by her speed in both mini and larger karting categories.
He described her as one of the best female drivers in karting and said she had the potential for a promising career. Emphasising the importance of making the right move at the right time, Chiesa said Atiqa’s young age made her achievements particularly noteworthy.
The Srinagar-born racer is aiming to become the first woman to reach Formula 1 since 1992. Earlier this season, she attracted attention by outqualifying Mercedes F1 junior Niccolo Perico to secure pole position in Round 3 of the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA) series in Italy. In May, she achieved a historic sweep at Round 2 of the COTFA series in Greece.
Kart Republic is a leading global kart manufacturer whose factory racing team has secured more than 25 major international FIA Karting titles, including 15 European Championships and 12 World Championships. Its success has been built on technical preparation, professional race engineering and a focus on driver development.
Atiqa will begin her campaign with KR at the FIA World Cup in Italy, marking another milestone in her journey towards international motorsport’s highest levels.
