Al Ain (UAE): Indianracing prodigy Atiqa Mir bossed a male-dominated grid to become the first-ever female winner in the minimax category of the RMC UAE Karting Championship here.
In a fledgling career of many firsts, the 10-year-old took the race lead on lap four before breaking away from the pack and eventually completing a commanding win by over four seconds at the Al Ain Raceway on Sunday.
The 15-driver diverse grid represented eight different nationalities. With her stellar performance, the F1 Academy-backed driver made it a memorable RMC debut for her team Akcel GP.
Atiqa fought adversity from third on the grid before coming out on top in a tight race. She made a decisive move on the inside for the lead and never looked back, setting blistering pace in rather windy conditions.
The win came after a difficult last weekend when Atiqa injured her hand but still managed a top-10 finish in the UAE IAME series.
“That felt good. It was tough for the first four laps. I was being pushed around but I fought hard and held on. I got a run on the back straight and went for the overtake for the lead,” said the racer from Jammu and Kashmir.