New Delhi, Sep 10 : Ace karting champion Atiqa Mir from Kashmir showcased her resilience and racing spirit, despite a weekend fraught with challenges at the prestigious World Series Karting (WSK) Super Cup at Franciacorta Circuit, Italy.

The 9-year-old was driving for the BabyRace team in the series.

From the outset, Atiqa was on pace during her practice sessions, settling in quickly with the team and adapting to her kart. 'I had the opportunity to drive for the champion team BabyRace, and from the first practice session, I felt comfortable. The team worked hard to get the kart to my liking and I learned a lot from my amazing teammates,' she said.

However, things didn't go as planned as the weekend rolled. In qualifying, Atiqa was unable to secure a fast lap as the group rolling compromised her best chance, leaving her 15th, though she was confident she could have finished in the top 5. Heat 1 brought even more disappointment when an engine failure on the formation lap forced Atiqa into a DNF.

She rebounded in Heat 2, making up five places to finish 10th, only to receive a penalty that dropped her back to 14th for forcing another driver off the track. In Heat 3, Atiqa was running 10th when another driver collided with her, pushing her back to 17th. The other driver was penalized for the incident.

Starting 19th in the pre-finals, Atiqa fought hard to climb five places and finish 14th. In the finals, she started in 35th but made up nine places to secure a 26th place finish.

Atiqa shared, 'It was a weekend full of incidents, most of them beyond my control. However, I learned a lot from driving with the best in the world and knowing I had the pace to challenge them. My race pace was strong, and with a better track position, the results could have been very different."

Despite the setbacks, Atiqa remains optimistic about the experience. 'A big thank you to the BabyRace team, who made me feel at home right away and taught me so much about driving and setup.'

Her performance in Italy, while not yielding the results she hoped for, has added valuable experience to the racing trajectory and she looks forward to her next opportunity on the track. Atiqa is now gearing up for Middle East circuits.

/IANS