Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Shriya Lohia
- Kavi Khandelwal
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Written by Kavi Khandelwal, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Women have played an influential role throughout the history of motor racing. Many have taken to the wheels of motorsport machines, while numerous figures have worked tirelessly on the sidelines in various roles, shaping the motor racing world to the present day.
Woman Spotlight Wednesday aims to take a look at the tales of these superwomen, who have surpassed various hurdles to reach where they are today. In this article, we spotlight a youngster hailing from the world’s most populous nation, breaking barriers at a young age.
16-year-old Shriya Lohia from the peaceful landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, in Northern India, has made her mark in the annals of Indian motorsport history. She is the youngest ever female Formula 4 driver in the country, an achievement in a sport otherwise considered the preserve of battle-hardened adults.
In a nation where legally driving a motorcar on public roads generally means one has to be eighteen, Lohia has made it in the world of Formula 4 car racing, where the minimum age for racing on closed circuits is 15. This alone speaks volumes about her amazing talent and unyielding passion for the sport.
She achieved another milestone in her career recently, scoring points in the highly competitive first Indian Formula 4 Championship, racing for the Hyderabad Blackbirds team. It speaks of her capability to hold her own and stand up to battle-hardened rivals in a highly charged environment.
Lohia was beaming with pride in adding yet another "first" to her list of growing achievements, as she recollected this triumph.
The early motor racing life of the young girl was initiated spontaneously on her family vacation tour to Panchgani, Maharashtra, when she was only nine years old.
What was an impromptu outing at a local hire karting track kindled a spark in her that would change the direction of her early life forever. The experience left an indelible mark on her and a steadfast announcement to her parents: "I want to be a racing driver."
Her introduction to the world of racing was not facilitated by family background, but turned out to be a joint discovery journey for Lohia and her father. They embarked on a learning curve together, identifying training academies and enrolling in programs, and demonstrating a remarkable commitment to nurturing Shriya’s newfound dream.
Due to the scarcity of suitable training facilities in their home state of Himachal Pradesh, her parents wholeheartedly supported her pursuit, undertaking tiring journeys to established karting centres in the southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Her family's unwavering faith in her potential was backed by their investment during her young racing days. The family’s investment proved their unwavering faith in her potential and commitment – and also highlighted her willingness to train at an early stage.
Beginning her competitive karting career, she first trained at the international karting team Birel ART, before joining Indian team M Sport. These early years were extremely important in her development and prepared her for a future career in motorsport.
She made her debut in the Rotax Max India Karting Championship in 2018, finishing fourth in the Micro-Max class. For four consecutive years, she was honoured with the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India’s ‘Outstanding Woman in Motorsports’ award.
Further showcasing her prowess on the track, Lohia clinched first place in the Rotax Max Karting Championship India Round 2 and holds the honor of being the first woman in India to achieve a victory in this prestigious championship.
Her achievements in karting also include finishing third overall in the Meritus Cup 2022 - Open and being the sole female racer selected for the JK Tyre Motorsports Scholarship Program. In 2019, she triumphed in the JK Tyre National Karting Championship.
At this point, Lohia had already gathered over 30 podium finishes across numerous competitions along with competing in close to forty karting races at both a national and international level.
2023 brought Lohia a career turning point, when she was selected to ride for the Hyderabad Blackbirds team in the first-ever Indian Formula 4 Championship.
Moving from karting to single-seater cars is a noteworthy progression in the motorsport ladder and requires a different type of skillset, along with more precision and control. She became the first female driver ever to score points in the championship and the joint youngest driver to compete in it.
At the age of 15, she was already racing at astonishing speeds over 210 kph, showcasing the intensity of F4 racing. The Indian Formula 4 Championship was also started in 2023 and is proudly sanctioned by the FIA, the world motorsport governing body.
Organised by Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd, the series adheres to the stringent FIA Formula 4 regulations and utilises Mygale M21-F4 chassis powered by Alpine engines. The Hyderabad Blackbirds team is owned by the acclaimed Tollywood star Naga Chaitanya, whose passion for motorsport has led him to actively support and promote racing in India.
The unique distinction of being the world’s first gender neutral franchise racing competition goes to The Indian Racing League, which features the Hyderabad Blackbirds along with five other city-based teams. This fact underlines the inclusivity of the platform on which Lohia is making her mark.
As a young woman navigating the world of motorsports, a largely male-dominated environment poses its own set of challenges. This is a racer who has candidly spoken about the additional scrutiny that falls on her as a female athlete and how she tends to be excessively evaluated.
She remembers cases when men tried to pass her, only to be overtaken and coped with their frustration in aggressive ways on the track. In spite of those challenges, Lohia is truly dedicated to her craft and her will to succeed.
She calls it, “Don’t call me a woman racer; just a racer.” Keeping a more positive side to it, Lohia believes, with more women participating in the sport and proving their worth, such biases will soon become a thing of the past.
In the near future, she has bold objectives, the most significant of which is to compete in Formula One, the highest level of motorsport racing. Lohia aims to put India further on the map, which will not only be a personal achievement but will mark the first time in history that an Indian athlete in motorsports inspires many young drivers.
Apart from F1, Shriya is also interested in other branches of professional racing, showcasing her strong enthusiasm for the sport of racing. Her short-term goals consist of trying to qualify for the Formula LGB series as well as the saloon car series of the MRF INRC Championship, which shows that she is calculative and methodical in crafting her career path.
Lohia certainly has a long way to go in pursuing her passion and interest in motorsports, and the pursuit will not be easy as one will have to shy away from attending the more basic level of financial aid, which every person accepts.
The monetary support sought is extremely high, but Lohia’s charge has been aided through considerable assistance from a number of sponsors. These include one of the Tyre sponsoring company in India, JK Tyres and Hyderabad Blackbirds racing team who lend her support with regards to competing in the Formula 4 championship, and with Virtual Racing Hub who sponsored her for a custom simulator which is essential for practicing and improving skills when off the tracks.
Her website also includes a page dedicated to sponsors. Having attained these sponsorships is proof of her skill and ability, furnishing her with the finances necessary to continue in this grueling and costly sport.
Shriya Lohia's journey from being a nine year old attempting go-karting for fun to becoming India's youngest female F4 racer is nothing less than inspirational. Her achievements are a formidable stand testament to her innate talent, her single-minded dedication, and the unflinching support of her family.
She is shattering gender barriers and demonstrating that passion and determination can open the doors of success to even the most difficult and male-dominated fields.
With her sights firmly set on reaching the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1, Lohia is not only chasing her own dreams but also inspiring a new generation of young racers, especially girls, to believe in their potential and pursue their ambitions with unwavering focus.
