India, Sept. 5 -- At just 10 years old, Atiqa Mir is speeding past stereotypes on global motorsports tracks. Living in Dubai but carrying her Indian roots from Jammu and Kashmir with pride, this little girl has big dreams of racing into Formula 1 one day. While motorsports has long been seen as a man's game, Atiqa admits she has faced her share of bullying on the track for being a girl. But she refuses to let it slow her down.

In early 2025, Atiqa became the first Indian to be backed directly by Formula 1, following her impressive feats at karting championships around the world. She earned a spot in Discover Your Drive Program (DYD) by F1 Academy, a female-only racing series by Formula 1, which is providing her technical and financial su...