At just 16, Shriya Lohia isn’t just racing, she’s rewriting the rulebook of Indian motorsport. Armed with raw talent, unstoppable grit, and a need for speed that knows no bounds, she’s proving that barriers, be they financial, societal, or gender-based are meant to be shattered. She is India’s first female Formula 4 racer and the first woman to score points in the Indian F4 Championship. From dominating go-kart tracks as a child to storming the F4 circuits at breakneck speeds, Shriya is a force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t wait for opportunities, she creates them, pushing past every obstacle with fearless determination. In a sport where fractions of a second decide winners, she’s making every moment count, blazing a trail for the next generation of racers.

Born to Blaze, Built to Win

Shriya was born in Sunder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh. Her love for racing wasn’t a carefully planned journey, it was an electrifying accident. A casual go-kart ride during a family trip to Panchgani at nine ignited an obsession. She stepped out of that kart, looked her parents and declared, “I want to be a racing driver.”

There was no second-guessing, no hesitation. Just pure, unfiltered ambition. Her parents, Ritesh and Vandana Lohia, didn’t just listen, they doubled down, making it their mission to fuel her dream. But motorsport in India isn’t for the faint-hearted, and Shriya was about to find out why. Motorsport in India is brutal, expensive, and riddled with gatekeeping. Training is costly, opportunities are rare, and being a girl in a male-dominated sport? Let’s just say, the odds weren’t stacked in her favor. But Shriya? She doesn’t do odds, she does victories.

Not just racing, She’s Rewriting History!

Her journey hit full throttle in 2018 when she began professional karting in Bengaluru, commuting from Pune to train relentlessly. The exhaustion was real, but so was her fire. By the time she made her debut in the Rotax Max India Karting Championship, she didn’t just show up, she made a statement, securing fourth place in the Micro Max category.

The podium finishes kept rolling in, and so did the accolades, four-time recipient of the Outstanding Woman in Motorsports Award by FMSCI, the youngest female driver to score points in the Indian F4 Championship, and a racer for Hyderabad Blackbirds. Shriya wasn’t just part of the race but she was leading the charge! 

She is Unstoppable: Breaking the Boys’ Club

Motorsport has long been a boys’ club, and let’s just say, not everyone likes seeing Shriya speed past them. She’s faced aggressive tactics, dismissive attitudes, and outright resistance. Her response? Leave them in the dust. With every overtake, Shriya is proving that talent doesn’t come with a gender tag. And as more women step into motorsport, she’s making sure they don’t have to fight the same battles alone. “The more of us on the track, the less it’ll be a ‘big deal.’ We’re here to stay.” “I don’t race as a ‘female driver.’ I race as a driver. Period,” she says.

Let’s be real—motorsport burns through money. Each championship costs between ₹5-7 lakh, and racing gear? That’s a whole other bank-breaking story. But quitting? Not an option. Her family made it work, cutting corners everywhere else to keep Shriya on the track. “It was never a sacrifice,” says her father. “It was an investment in her passion.” But even passion needs funding, and two years into the sport, Shriya finally secured her first sponsor, giving her dreams a powerful boost.

Juggling high-speed racing with academics isn’t for the weak. Shriya’s solution? Homeschooling. Between training sessions and championship laps, she squeezes in study time, knowing that her education is just as crucial as her lap times. Does she miss a regular school life? Sometimes. But she also knows that what she’s building is bigger than textbooks. “Not everyone gets to chase their dreams at this level, I’m not taking it for granted.”

Shriya isn’t here to settle. She has her eyes locked on the ultimate prize, Formula 1. 

And if her past is any indication, she won’t just get there, she’ll arrive in style. With accolades like the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar under her belt, she’s already making history. But this is just the warm-up lap.

“Motorsport is tough. But I’m tougher,” she says.

Shriya Lohia isn’t just racing, she’s leading a revolution on wheels. And with every lap, she’s proving one thing: The future of racing is fearless, fast, and female. Her Mantra? Ignore the noise. Focus on the track. And never, ever lift off the throttle. Here's to Shriya, the epitome of boldness!