Franciacorta (Italy): Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir overcame setup issues to collect two impressive top four finishes in Round 1 of the WSK Final Cup here, continuing her upward trajectory in the world of karting.
The qualifying session didn’t go as per plan for the 11-year-old and she could only set the ninth fastest time.
However, the first Indian to be backed by the F1 Academy, made flying starts in both Race 1 and Race 2 to charge through the field and secure a creditable back to back fourth place. Following the two Heat Races, Atiqa was classified P14 among as many as 72 drivers.
This put her on seventh grid position for the pre final where she eventually finished ninth after running fifth for the majority of the race. In the final, Atiqa was involved in a crash that damaged her kart and ended her race.
“A mixed weekend for me. I was expecting more but we were struggling for pace. I managed to fight my way up in most of the races and was in a competitive spot for the pre finals and finals.
“But things didn’t go my way and the lack of pace hurt us on the long straights of Franciacorta,” said the JK Tyre and Raise-backed driver.
Atiqa’s father Asif Mir, India’s first national karting champion, said her daughter did well overall despite experiencing issues beyond her control.
“Atiqa for me had a very good weekend. She showed her race craft and maturity driving in what was not the fastest kart on the grid. But she kept fighting and her attitude this weekend very positive which I liked,” he said.
Atiqa will next be seen in Round 4 of the Champions of the Future Academy in Spain. She had dominated the Greece round earlier this year.
