On a recent visit to Mumbai, 11-year-old karting sensation Atiqa Asif Mir met Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at his Galaxy Apartments residence. The meeting was a dream come true for the young racer, who was congratulated by Khan on her selection for the Formula 1 Academy’s prestigious Discover Your Drive programme. Atiqa, who is the first Indian and Asian female racer to be chosen for the programme, shared pictures from the meeting on Instagram, expressing her excitement and gratitude for Khan’s encouraging words.
Raised in Dubai, Atiqa is a karting prodigy from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, and one of India’s brightest young motorsport talents. She is the daughter of former Formula Asia Vice Champion and India’s first National Karting Champion, Asif Nazir Mir. Currently training in Dubai under the guidance of Narain Karthikeyan, Atiqa has already become one of the world’s highest-ranked female kart racers, with a string of impressive achievements to her name.
These include winning the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy at Le Mans, becoming the first Indian and Asian female to qualify for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, and recording the highest-ever finish by an Indian driver in the WSK Euro Series with a runner-up finish. Atiqa’s meeting with Salman Khan is just the latest milestone in her rapidly rising career, and a testament to her hard work and dedication to the sport.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf