"There needs to be a championship where we need women to come and get a chance to race," says Mira Erda

Mira Erda is an 18-year-old from Vadodara who is no stranger to continually beating the odds.

The Red Bull athlete has been named among the top 55 women drivers chosen for the upcoming W Series trails, one of the only two Indians to receive the call-up. Out of these, 18 would fill the final spots of the line-up.

The W Series is a one of a kind competition which boasts of having an all-female grid. The selection for the same is based on a thorough trial process rather than focusing on sponsorship. It is set to launch in May 2019 with races held throughout Europe.

Mira has had a continuously increasing performance graph in motorsports. She previously became the youngest women driver to compete in the Formula 4 category and then went on to be the first Indian female racer in Euro JK Cup. Now, she is among the youngest to be selected for the W Series trials.

Along with the championships, the racer from Gujarat is balancing her studies, as well as, karting programmes and touring rallies. Mira spoke exclusively to SportsKeeda about her stint at the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship and the upcoming W Series, among other things. Here is an excerpt from that conversation.

India's female racing sensation Mira Erda, Credit: Red Bull

Can you sum up the experience of the recently concluded JK Tyre National Racing Championship?

Mira: This year has been different from the last year. I had many car issues last year and that affected my performance as well. All the knowledge and experience I was able to gather last year has certainly helped me this year.

Also, I am really fortunate that I could get a car that was upto the mark and all the drivers were just seconds away from each other.

This shows how tough the competition was. Unfortunately, I could not get a podium finish this year but I am overall satisfied with my performance as I could at least be with the pack unlike last year. I am looking forward to what comes next.

Talk us through the challenges you faced coming this far along your motorsport journey.

Mira: There are not many challenges that I have faced in my journey so far. Although, initially the boys would not like to be behind me and tried many things to be ahead of me. I would not call that as a challenge as I was prepared to face that and I believe I did quite well.

I feel that I am fortunate to see the boys mentality change and now they are now the men who support me now.

They have become a family to me. Racing against them is a challenge because we treat each other equally and race with all we have.

Apart from this, the other challenge I would say is that I lacked the physical strength when I started racing. Over the years, I believe I have achieved 50% on the physical aspect but there is a lot more areas where I can work on my strength.

Mira Erda at JK Tyres NRC, (Image Credit: Red Bull)

What is your training regime going to be like during the off season? Any particular areas that you would be focusing on?

Mira: My training would majorly consist of few tests in India as well as overseas. I believe in getting as much exposure as I can. Also, I am trying to improve physically by training hard in the gym to improve my stamina. I want to push myself more. Also, I am always focusing on my mental strength which is very important too.

You have been selected for the W Series trials. What is your mindset like and how would you prepare for the tests?

Mira: The main focus right now is that I have to be at my best to be able to compete against the best female racers around the globe. I have been driving the formula 4 cars but the qualifiers will be taking place in road cars, thus I have to be prepared for that. I am just focusing on getting as much experience as I can get at this stage.

Do you believe having an all-women series is the right path towards more female participation in the sport?

Mira: Racing is all about equality, but honestly, there needs to be a championship where we need women to come and get a chance to race.

Be it all women’s racing championship or an equal championship. I have been racing with the boys so I’m much more familiar with them and used to them. But this time it’s something new that I want to try. I won’t support it or I won’t go against it but I want to try something new for my own self and see how I perform with the girls.

Indian Racing Sensation, Mira Erda, (Image Courtesy: Red Bull)

How important do you think this can be to propel you onto the European motorsport scene?

Mira: I believe this is a very big opportunity for me as an Indian racer. It will open new avenues for me in the European Motorsport scene and also other championships.

I want to make full use of it and break through this. This will also help me get the budgets and exposure required to race at the international level.

You are pursuing your studies while you continue racing. Can you shed some light on that?

Mira: I am in first year college right now, [doing] journalism and mass communication. In future, if I don’t get a chance to race due to my financial situation, at least I should have something alongside so that I can do something for motorsports and give back to it.

Tell us about the targets that you have set for yourself in the foreseeable future.

Mira: I do not want to look too far ahead at this point and take one step at a time. In the near future, I am aiming to drive the Formula 3 car whether in the European Championship or in the State Championship.

I just want to gain as much experience as I can and be able to race with a good team. Red Bull is supporting me a lot and with them by my side, I want to make use of the opportunity and help to encourage the racing talent in our country as well.

What would you say is your end goal?

Mira: Obviously, every driver’s [end goal] is Formula One. It’s quite difficult to get there but it’s just step by step. Let’s hope. I want to become the first girl from India to do that. So, that’s always going to be the aim but I believe in taking one step at a time so let’s see.