Atiqa Mir only Indian chosen for FIA's women driver development program

Franciacorta (Italy): Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir is among nine drivers chosen worldwide in the junior category for the FIA Girls On Track Rising Stars program for 2026.

Atiqa is one of the youngest drivers chosen for the world body FIA backed initiative aimed at promoting and developing young women drivers at the grassroots level. She is also is the only Indian named in the age 12-14 junior category.

Girls On Track was launched by the FIA in 2018. Atiqa's selection follows a string of impressive performances in the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA) championship and the FIA Karting World Championship where she finished sixth in the opening race. She had dominated the COTFA round in Greece earlier this year.

"In just over two weeks, nine talented racers will head to Cremona Circuit (in Italy) for three-day training camp designed to sharpen their skills and help take their racing to the next level," read a note from the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission.

The other drivers picked by the FIA in the junior category are Lina Salamanca from France, Sofia Calderon from Costa Rica, Cora Moore from Britain, Anna Regina Franco Rodriguez from Mexico, Lily Rizk from Egypt, Kira Maistrenko from Ukraine, Annais Orelana from Chile and Emily Grace Hamer from Australia.

Atiqa, the first Indian to be backed by the Formula 1 Academy, is currently taking part in the final round of COTFA series here.

(This story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)