Latest news with #Formula1Academy
NDTV
7 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
An Indian Woman In Formula One...Wait Could End Soon
Atiqa Mir is a ten- year-old but with a special gift of driving and driving fast. She is dominating the Karting circuit in Europe and UAE in the junior circuit. Earlier this year, Atiqa was the first Indian and Asian to be signed by Formula 1 Academy for its driver program. The tween has big dreams. In an interview to NDTV she says, "I think it's possible for a female to make it to Formula one. One just needs to have the dedication, the hard work. and the support from, your people around her. I'm aiming to get to Formula1 10 years from now." Currently in India on a break before the season gets hectic, her father Asif Mir and the initiator tells NDTV how it all began, "It started very innocently in the mall, driving one of those cars. Her interest grew, and, I wasn't initially interested. Then, as we went karting one day it just dawned on me that she's actually very good. And then I pursued it a little more, and, you know, here we are." She started karting at the age of 6. From a rookie track called Bambino to actual track- was a journey the Kashmiri girl scaled in two years. Today she races in the European karting circuit, doing 20-23 races a year. Her trophy cabinet has also been fast filling up - a vice champion in the US circuit, adding many firsts to her name, that includes being and an Indian and a girl to finish in the top ten in Europe. The passion for speed comes from father, Asif who was a racer himself. "I actually got my shot a bit later, when I was, in my 20s. I happened to be India's first national karting champion. I got support from a lot of, sponsors. A lot of people were keen to support because they thought I would be talented. And I then went to Formula Asia, which was a very competitive series back in the day." Asif, who handles a family business, is Atiqa's father, coach, and technical manager. There are challenges in all the roles. He says the biggest challenge is to keep emotions out of the sport "to keep the emotions out of it is tough. You want to be a coach, not a father. Put the game face on. It doesn't always work. Especially when the chips are down." Today Asif and his wife are a part of 5-member support team for their daughter Atiqa. The F1 academy's support is a major stepping stone in Atiqa's blossoming racing. She has become the first Indian female to sign for a full season with World Series Karting. But the tween, who lives in Dubai with her parents and two siblings, rarely gets the opportunity to live a life like girls of her age. "Sometimes when I see other girls doing fun stuff and playing and I don't really have time to play, then I get a little bit upset. But then I tell myself, I'm a karter and they're not. So I have to have a different lifestyle to them. Obviously, playing in the park is more fun, but you have to do things the hard way," says Atiqa. There are other hard parts too, like dealing with the bullies on the track. Atiqa opens up," it feels pretty good to be the only female out there, but obviously you get, bullied a lot on the track, but you just have to deal with it." Her father is emotional at times as says," I don't want to whine too much, but I can tell you it happens very often. And what's the way out? We just have to deal with. When she was younger, she would come crying and would tell her that you have to deal with it. It's tougher for a girl out there is because when a guy gets beaten it becomes an ego issue. "Sometimes there are incidents when a race is going nice and happy, but suddenly I don't know why a guy smashes her on the track. And then later I find out that she had overtaken one of his friend in another race." Atiqa knows that journey from karting to F1 is long. The plan is to enter F4 by the time she is 15 year old, and then upwards into the elite league. For now while the academy is teaching her how to be an ace driver. Atiqa's family is telling her to believe that being the first woman on the circuit is not impossible. Her message to girls of her age is, "Believe in yourself. Find the passion, dream it, follow it, work hard on it, never give up. And don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pupils 'inspired' by female motor racings stars
Racing drivers Vanina Ickx (left) and Marta Garcia (second from right) were pictured with members of Oxford Brookes University's racing team [BBC] School pupils have described meeting female motor racing stars as "motivating" and "inspiring". The group of girls attended a talk by Vanina Ickx and Marta Garcia at Oxford Brookes University as part of a celebration of International Women in Engineering Day. Advertisement Garcia, who became the inaugural Formula 1 Academy champion in 2023, said it was vital to encourage the next generation of women working in the industry. "It's good to tell them our stories because then they get to know motorsport, how we started, and how to overcome obstacles," she said. Garcia and Ickx represent the Iron Dames, an Italian-Swiss auto racing and equestrian team. Garcia said she thought the industry was doing "much more" to attract girls to the sport. She cited the creation of the Formula 1 Academy, which is a female-only racing championship, and the development of school programmes to introduce girls to go-karts. Student Karma said the Iron Dames were "really inspiring" [BBC] The girls at the talk said they found the women inspiring and motivating. Advertisement Student Karma said she had been learning more about engineering. "[When watching Formula 1], you see all the races and the cars... but you never see what makes it, everyone always looks at the service but not the things behind it," she said. She said the Iron Dames were "really inspiring" and their efforts to "make male and female equal" was "really, really cool". Student Clara liked how "dedicated" the Oxford Brookes Racing team is [BBC] The pupils also met the award-winning Oxford Brookes Racing team and learned about the electric racing vehicle they develop each year to compete in the International Formula Student competition. Student Clara said she liked how "dedicated" the team was. Advertisement "It's cool how all of them have their area and want to do that well, instead of all wanting to drive - because that's not the most important part." International Women in Engineering Day is marked every June and aims to raise the profile of women in engineering, celebrate their achievements, and highlight some of the career opportunities available to them around the world. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Related Links
The Drive
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Lia Block Is Racing Nigel Mansell's Title-Winning F1 Car Up the Goodwood Hillclimb
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Lia Block will get a chance to experience a machine like no other later this summer. The Formula 1 Academy star is set to pilot Nigel Mansell's Williams FW14B at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, which is celebrating the 75th anniversary of F1. Specifically, she will be driving the same car that the famous Brit won the F1 championship with in 1992. Block, the daughter of late racing driver and YouTube legend Ken Block, posted several photos of the FW14B's seat fitting process to her Instagram account Wednesday evening. 'I think I was [in] shock while doing this. My first seat fit in the FW14B, Nigel Mansell's championship-winning car. I'm so honored to be driving this car at @fosgoodwood 2025,' read the caption. Despite being just 18 years old, Block has had the opportunity to race (and recreationally drive) lots of rarefied cars, including the famous 1,400H-horsepower Mustang 'Hoonicorn,' and several rally cars where, just like her dad, she sharpened her car control skills. In 2023, she competed in the now-defunct Extreme E off-road championship, and a year later, she tested Keke Rosberg's Williams FW08 F1 car. Since then, Block has been racing in the F1 Academy series as a Williams Racing Academy driver. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lia Block (@liakblock) That said, the FW14B will prove to be a completely different animal, given its wicked power-to-weight ratio and, of course, aero. Even with a previous brief taste of the FW08, she will surely find it a handful. And while the Duke of Richmond's driveway isn't exactly the ideal (or most exciting) place to drive a vintage F1 car, this will certainly be a special experience for Block and everyone watching. 'I started going to Goodwood when I was really young with my dad who used to do the hillclimb a lot,' said Block in a press release. 'Last year was a very big moment for me being able to drive an F1 car up the hill. It was a dream come true, and Goodwood is so special to me because so many people from different areas of motorsport come together to celebrate the sport. This year is going to be an iconic experience for me in an iconic car—I can't wait!' The second-generation racer will share driving duties with team boss James Vowles and fellow racing star Jamie Chadwick. Got a tip? Email us at tips@ Jerry Perez is the Deputy Editor at The Drive, overseeing the site's daily and long-term content initiatives in addition to writing his own features and reviews. He's been covering the automotive industry professionally since 2015 and joined The Drive in January 2018.
Saudi Gazette
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Saudi Gazette
Kudu announces a strategic partnership with the Saudi "Mohra" team participating in the Formula 1 Academy races
Kudu Foods and Catering Company, one of the leading national companies in the food and restaurant sector and a symbol of food transformation in the Kingdom, announced the signing of a partnership agreement with the Saudi "Mohra" team. Under this partnership, Kudu will be the " Team supporter " for the Mohra team during its participation in the Formula 1 Academy races, hosted by the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as part of the supporting races for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix STC Formula 1, from April 18 to 20, 2025. This partnership comes as part of Kudu's ongoing commitment to its social responsibility and its support for empowering women in various fields, especially in specialized sports that require passion and high skill, such as car racing. On this occasion, Mr. Rakan Al-Rashed, Chairman of Kudu, stated: "We at Kudu are proud to support the Saudi Mohra team at the Formula 1 Academy, and we believe that this partnership represents an extension of the Kingdom's vision in empowering women and showcasing their capabilities in various arenas, especially in regionally and internationally specialized sports." The Formula 1 Academy is the only global championship dedicated to women in single-seated motorsport, and it is experiencing significant international fan growth. This participation by the Mohra team is a new step towards empowering Saudi women in motorsport and enhancing the Kingdom's representation in regional and global sports arenas. It is worth mentioning that Kudu will be present at the event site with its food truck, providing its services to the event's visitors, which enhances the brand's presence among motorsport audiences and confirms the company's commitment to interacting with various segments of society at the most prominent national and international events.
Syyaha
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Syyaha
Kudu announces a strategic partnership with the Saudi 'Mohra' team participating in the Formula 1 Academy races
Kudu Foods and Catering Company, one of the leading national companies in the food and restaurant sector and a symbol of food transformation in the Kingdom, announced the signing of a partnership agreement with the Saudi 'Mohra' team. Under this partnership, Kudu will be the ' Team supporter ' for the Mohra team during its participation in the Formula 1 Academy races, hosted by the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as part of the supporting races for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix STC Formula 1, from April 18 to 20, 2025. This partnership comes as part of Kudu's ongoing commitment to its social responsibility and its support for empowering women in various fields, especially in specialized sports that require passion and high skill, such as car racing. On this occasion, Mr. Rakan Al-Rashed, Chairman of Kudu, stated: 'We at Kudu are proud to support the Saudi Mohra team at the Formula 1 Academy, and we believe that this partnership represents an extension of the Kingdom's vision in empowering women and showcasing their capabilities in various arenas, especially in regionally and internationally specialized sports.' The Formula 1 Academy is the only global championship dedicated to women in single-seated motorsport, and it is experiencing significant international fan growth. This participation by the Mohra team is a new step towards empowering Saudi women in motorsport and enhancing the Kingdom's representation in regional and global sports arenas. It is worth mentioning that Kudu will be present at the event site with its food truck, providing its services to the event's visitors, which enhances the brand's presence among motorsport audiences and confirms the company's commitment to interacting with various segments of society at the most prominent national and international events
