FIA-WIM names Aashi Hanspal as ‘Most Deserving & Impressive New Driver’

13-year-old Aashi Hanspal, a Mumbai resident, has been grabbing headlines in recent times. The young racer, trained by Rayomand Banajee at the Rayo Racing Academy in Mumbai bagged five podium finishes in her maiden national karting season in 2019. She also won the Outstanding Women in Motorsports Award by FMSCI for her podium placings last year.

Aashi has now taken part in the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile – an event named Girls on Track – The Rising Star Initiative. The Girls on Track event was set up under the aegis of the global governing body for women in motorsports and was supported by Scuderia Ferrari and Pirelli. Aashi was the first Indian to be afforded this opportunity. All the girls on the shortlist were in the age group of 12-16 and took part in the shoot out at France’s Paul Ricard Circuit in France.

Aashi gets special prize

Not only did Aashi take part in the event but was also named as the ‘Most Deserving and Impressive New Driver’ by the jury of the FIA-WIM having got back from what she says is a ‘memorable experience’. She also received special appreciation and a personalized letter from FIA-WIM chairperson Michele Mouton. Mouton praised Aashi for showing ‘improvement, fairness and fighting spirit’. The jury awarded Aashi another special prize i.e. all-weekend paddock passes for one of the rounds of a Formula 1 race of her own choice in 2021.

After the event, Aashi is back home now and is already back where she belongs – the track, having placed third in Race 2 of the second round in the Junior class of the National Karting Championship X30 Class held over the past weekend (October 17 and 18) at Meco Kartopia, Bengaluru.

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