New Delhi, October 19, 2026: Arshi Gupta, India’s youngest National Karting Champion, has scripted another extraordinary chapter. On Sunday, the day she turned 10, the Faridabad racer won the Mini Max category of the FMSCI RMC Indian National Karting Championship 2026, becoming the youngest driver in the world to win the Rotax MAX Challenge Mini category.

The title follows Arshi’s 2025 triumph in the Micro Max category, making her one of the rare drivers to win two successive Rotax MAX Challenge categories in consecutive years. Her speed and dominance were evident in the final race of Round 5 of the National Karting Championship, where she clocked eight consecutive fastest laps and smashed the track record. She remains Asia’s only female national karting champion in a sport where boys and girls compete on the same track.The title adds to a remarkable list of honours. Arshi is the youngest driver globally to be selected for the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive programme, a recipient of the FIA President’s Medal, and a podium finisher in the UAE and the United Kingdom.Her parents also spoke of the endurance the sport demands. “Behind the trophies lies a gruelling regimen. In 2025 alone, Arshi logged 137 days on track and 29 races, followed by 140 track days and 30 races so far in 2026. Her preparation has included a five-month training stint in the UAE and 13 weeks in the UK, demanding long days in the cockpit, physical conditioning and constant travel, all while keeping pace with school,” they said.