AT FULL THROTTLE

India's first female Formula 4 driver SHRIYA LOHIA is shattering stereotypes and speed limits as she races toward her Formula 1 dream.

- Kayal Arivalan

In the world of motorsport, often considered a male domain, Shriya Lohia is rewriting the script. At just 16, she has become India's first female F4 driver, a journey that started with a go-karting session during a family trip and later blossomed into a full-time career.

What began as a fun activity on a family trip to Panchgani sparked something deep in Shriya. "I had no prior exposure to motorsport," she recalls. "I just tried go-karting one day when I was nine and instantly fell in love. The adrenaline rush, the thrill of driving at such speeds, competing against male drivers just fascinated me."

The Lohia family, based in Pune, wasn’t aware of karting until that trip, but, once Shriya declared her ambition, they made it their mission to support her. Her parents Ritesh and Vandana researched training centres and found established tracks in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Soon, the family began making frequent trips to Bengaluru for professional karting training, despite the exhausting travel schedules and financial strain.