Kareen Kaur, a 15-year-old racing driver whose journey strongly connects India, Singapore, and the evolving face of elite motorsport.
Kareen Kaur is Singapore’s first and only female Formula 4 driver. Born to Indian-origin parents, she represents a new generation of South Asian athletes breaking into a sport where representation remains exceptionally rare. Despite still being in Secondary 3 and not yet holding a road driving license, Kareen races at speeds exceeding 200 km/h on international circuits and competes on the FIA Formula ladder, the official pathway to Formula One.
Formula 4 is the first critical step toward F1, followed by Formula 3 and Formula 2. Since the Formula One World Championship began in 1950, only five women have ever started an F1 race, underscoring how unusual and significant Kareen’s progress is at such a young age.
Before stepping into Formula cars, Kareen built her career across Asian karting circuits in Singapore, Malaysia, China, the Philippines, and India, frequently outperforming older and more experienced male competitors. Her consistency and racecraft have led to sustained podium finishes across categories and recognition from FIA-affiliated bodies, including the Women in Motorsports Trophy awarded by an FIA representative in Indonesia.
Today, Kareen is one of the very few Indian-origin female drivers globally competing at the FIA Formula level. She is currently being evaluated for a potential F1 Academy 2026 wild card, which would see her race during a Formula One Grand Prix weekend in the all-female championship backed directly by Formula One Management. If selected, she would be among the youngest drivers ever to enter the series and the first Singaporean woman to do so, with strong cultural resonance for Indian and South Asian audiences worldwide.
Achievements
- FIA F4 points scored at the Indian Formula 4 Championship
- 13 podium finishes across Asian karting championships since 2022
- 3rd place in ROK Cup Singapore and 4th overall in ROK Cup Asia
- Awarded the Women in Motorsports Trophy by an FIA representative in Indonesia
- Featured in The Straits Times, FEMALE Magazine, Waves & Runways and more
- One of the few Indian-origin women competing at the FIA Formula level globally
Kareen’s story sits at the intersection of youth excellence, India’s expanding presence in global motorsport, and the broader push for gender equity in elite sport.
Read the full story that first appeared in The Global Indian here:
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