Mansukh Mandaviya met Atiqa Mir and her family at his residence on Sunday and offered her support in her journey to F1.
No woman has reached the F1 since 1992, and youngster Atiqa Mir looks to make history one day. The Mumbai-born karter, aged 11, was invited by the sports minister, Mr Mansukh Mandaviya after her success in the Champions of the Future Academy (COFTA) round 2 in Greece.
He met Atiqa and her family at his residence and extended his support, as no female has reached the sport in 34 years. Mr Mandaviya is also looking to bring Formula 1 back to India.
On social media, Atiqa wrote, “Thank you sir for the encouragement and all the valuable advice. Hon’ble Minister appreciated my recent performances that have made India proud. He also assured me all possible help and support in securing my dream of a Formula One Seat.”
Atiqa became only the third driver in COFTA’S history to complete a sweep of round 2.2 of the championship by topping qualifying and heats before she won the final dominantly.
Mir’s career began in the UAE at the age of 6. In the 2022-23 season, she was vice-champion in the UAE IAME National Karting Championship in the Mini R category.
Other than that, she became the first Indian female driver to qualify for the Rotax Euro Trophy finals, in South Garda, Italy in 2024. Later that year, Atiqa won a race in the Micro Max Category at the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy (RMCIT) held in Le Mans, France. Atiqa became the first female racer to win a race in the competition.
Mir also became the only Asian driver selected for the Iron Dames Young Talent programme in 2024. In 2025, she was selected for the Formula 1 Academy’s “Discover Your Drive” programme. Atiqa was one of the youngest people to be selected and the only Asian.
Her triumph is an inspiration for girls looking to pursue motorsports, and her journey could change the landscape of Formula 1.
