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NDTV
09-08-2025
- 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."
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bridgerton's Simone Ashley faces Hollywood erasure despite acting with Brad Pitt
Lead of Netflix's hit series Bridgerton, romantic lead of Picture This, and certified fan of the Formula One Grand Prix, Simone Ashley faces 'Hollywood erasure' after significant cut to role in F1 Arguably one of Netflix's biggest stars, Bridgerton actress Simone Ashley appears to be facing 'Hollywood erasure' as her newest role is reduced, despite being cast alongside Hollywood legend Brad Pitt. Apple Original Films' most recent venture, F1: The Movie, cast Bridgerton lead Simone Ashley, exciting fans of both the Netflix hit series and Formula one - since the actress is known to be a genuine fan of the sport. However, despite being spotted filming between several Grand Prix tracks, it's suggested that Ashley's role was cut to last only a few seconds. Fans who attended an advance screening of the film described Ashley's role to be a "brief cameo" rather than the significant representation we had hoped for, amongst a dominated cast of white leads. Ashley's reduction says it all about Hollywood attitudes to brown women and the lack of space for them as returning leads on our screens. A disappointment to fans worldwide, the marketing gaslighting of a community of women who have repeatedly been shunned from media representation has failed to land this time around, considering Simone's success in an age that still refuses to cast deep-tanned brown women as romantic protagonists. We can see this across every genre of Hollywood and TV - the Indian comedic-relief (Raj in The Big Bang Theory, Anwar in Skins, Karen in the 2024 Mean Girls adaptation) has been the only space for South Asians for decades... until we began to create our own. Simone Ashley is said to now be producing her own work to stay in work, working as both the romantic lead and executive producer in Amazon Prime's Picture This. But why must we create our own 'third space' in the first place? Audiences crave to see themselves on screen, so why are we recycling the same white, male leads that have clung to the cinematic stage for decades? Multi-million budget films clearly rely on diverse leads to create the necessary PR frenzy now needed for a project's success, only to edit out the person's effect in the final cut. This master plan that profits off a display of diversity in public, and slashes representation in practice, is a regressive eye-opener for many fans, and extremely harmful to the South Asian community that celebrates Simone's success and have suffered decades without true representation. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Newsweek
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Pierre Gasly Responds To Alpine's Leadership Turmoil
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Alpine's Pierre Gasly addressed the announcement regarding the departure of Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, who is stepping down and removing himself from the company. De Meo restarted the Renault racing project, bringing the French racing outfit back on the grid and shaping the current-day direction of the company as a whole. The Italian is leaving at a turbulent time for Alpine, which is stopping its power unit development, opting instead to be a Mercedes customer team. French football legend and coach Zinedine Zidane, French Formula one driver Pierre Gasly, CEO Renault group Luca de Meo and Alpine CEP Philippe Krieff pose next to an Alpine A390 electric car during the ceremony... French football legend and coach Zinedine Zidane, French Formula one driver Pierre Gasly, CEO Renault group Luca de Meo and Alpine CEP Philippe Krieff pose next to an Alpine A390 electric car during the ceremony marking its World premiere in Dieppe, northwestern France, on May 27, 2025. More Photo byPeople around the team are raising concerns about the direction of the F1 team going forward - Gasly being chief among them. "First of all, I think I need to have all the information. I have a very good relationship with Luca, he was the one that took me into the team, and I think he's a very inspiring person," Gasly said after the Canadian Grand Prix. "So obviously, first reaction is that I'm very sad to see him leave. "I'm sure he's got some good reasons. And I think at the end, for us as a team - even though not everything is great at the moment - there's still a lot of positives happening at the factory." Gasly joined Alpine in 2023, finally departing the Red Bull Racing program and opting for a fresh start at a French team. He is now the clear-cut leader of the team in terms of results and experience. Gasly is one of the best drivers on the grid. The Frenchman finishes higher than expected, provides solid technical feedback, all while avoiding mistakes and acting as the face of the team. Now that his team is in turmoil, Gasly is once again rallying the team, asking for their trust amid all the uncertainty. "For me, it's important that we keep that momentum going into '26, because the picture and the performance could be very different. And we need to keep that in mind," he said. "And I think it's important for all of us to stick as a team and stick together in these types of moments. "And, you know, rely on each other and just trust the long game."
The Irish Sun
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Shoppers go wild for F1 merch being sold in M&S and even Asda that give pit-girl vibes but at bargain prices
WITH the summer of sport in full swing, shops are stocking their shelves with merch that has moved away from the Brat Girl Summer of 2024 to a Pit Girl Summer of 2025. Yes, it's not 7 McLaren graphic tees are being snapped up Credit: TikTok/@elliejackson_ 7 The collection includes tops, skirts and even a denim playsuit Credit: TikTok/@montobe1 One shopper took to TikTok to show off the M&S's range of graphic tees, vests, jumpers and a mini skirt, all with the iconic orange McLaren branding - but you won't find it on the womenswear floor. This stuff is being snapped up from the kids floor. M&S kids size range for this collection is 6-16yrs, ideal for petite girls or those who prefer a tighter fit. While this range was made for children, she tried on the age 13-14 selection, styling these as crop tops. The new releases have been branded with 'born to race' and 'Forever forward' logos and promise M&S's consistently high quality. Most read in fashion 7 Playsuit, £28 Credit: M&S 7 A gorgeous set for F1 girlies Credit: TikTok/@montobe1 The purse-friendly range is available online and in store and the prices go from £10 to £22. And it can be a dream solution for any motorsport fans on their way to On her And fashion fans are keen to get their hands on it. Most read in Fabulous One commented: 'The coolest range.' A second wrote: 'I need that top.' 'Need it all' said a third. It's not only the 7 Some of the best looks you can nab in the kids section of M&S Credit: M&S 7 The air freshener clips onto the vent in your car Credit: TikTok/@natalien_6 Asda have Formula one themed air fresheners for under a fiver. A social media F1 fanatic said that: 'I might be driving a small car, but it's mighty now.' The video now has over one million views and 40,000 likes. Halfords stock the same two items for £4.99. The scent 'blends warm woods and leather with notes of lemon verbena and patchouli to create a rich, dynamic car fragrance that lasts lap after lap', described on Halford's website. One commented 'I ran to Asda and secured them!' While others criticised the TikToker for promoting RedBull, saying "it ruins it that its Redbull." 7
