Kareen Kaur, 14, dreams of racing in all-women F1 Academy

Racing at speeds of up to 120kmh can be pretty hairy for go-kart drivers on the circuit, and teenager Kareen Kaur knows first-hand how challenging the sport can get.

One of the scariest moments of her fledgling career came in Italy at the ROK Cup Super Finals in October 2023. During a practice session, a competitor drove over her kart, causing her to fly out of it and have a blackout after hitting a barrier.

The details of the incident remain foggy to the 14-year-old, but her father Kuldeep Singh had to endure a nervy wait of over 30 minutes to see her on-site, while her mother Kiranjit Kaur anxiously awaited updates from Singapore.

Kareen managed to walk away with abrasions and bruises to her arm, and her right wrist had to be bandaged. Despite her injuries and Kuldeep’s advice not to continue racing that weekend, she was back at the South Garda Karting track the next day.

She said: “I was a little bit worried because I had to drive with my left hand mostly because I couldn’t bend my wrist so I was worried that someone would hit me again or fracture my arm, but that didn’t stop me and I continued to race.”

Such is the determination of the 29R Racing Development team driver, whose goal is to represent Singapore and win in Formula racing.

One of the few female karters here, she has shown promise at local and regional championships.

She placed fourth overall in the junior category – she was the top female driver – of the ROK Cup Singapore 2024 Championship from February to September, and was second in the first round of the ROK Cup Malaysia in June.

Her obsession with motor sports and cars began at a young age. As a child, she would accompany Kuldeep, a sports car enthusiast, to test drives at car showrooms and was drawn to the sounds of the different engines.

Her karting journey began at nine, when she was having lunch at Turf City in Bukit Timah and the karting track caught her eye.

Her first drive surprised Kuldeep.

The 44-year-old businessman said: “I couldn’t believe it, no one taught you where the brakes and accelerator are, how come you can do all of that? On the same day, I brought her to another karting track at Jurong and she did it again, and got picked up by a racing team.”

For his daughter, it was love at first drive. She said: “I enjoyed the speed and the adrenaline rush… I can’t imagine not racing. It has become a big part of who I am, it is part of my dreams and has shaped me to become the person that I am.”

The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary student has to balance her exploits on the race track with her studies and netball co-curricular activity, but she is intent on making it work.

A typical week for the Secondary 2 student comprises four to five gym or fitness classes, three netball training sessions, and two go-kart practices in a non-race week.

She credits her school for supporting her endeavours, especially as she travels for races every one or two months. However, to take her career a step further, the family intends to relocate Kareen to Italy once she completes her O levels in 2026.

Kuldeep said: “It is a difficult decision as she will be moving to a new environment and will miss all her friends and relatives, but she is very clear on what she wants.

“In Singapore, it’s very difficult to get prepared to be on an international level as we don’t have training facilities and big racing tracks like those overseas.”

In the meantime, she has already started racing in Europe, in Champions of the Future races organised by the all-female championship F1 Academy in Spain and Italy. She will also be taking part in another three races in the United Arab Emirates.

The series were founded by Formula One in 2023 to develop young female drivers and create opportunities for them to move up the single-seater ladder.

In a boost to her racing ambitions, Kareen – who is a fan of Red Bull’s F1 world champion Max Verstappen and F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante – received reassurance that she was on the right track after a meeting with an F1 Academy official at the recent Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.

Her parents have at times questioned whether this is the right path for Kareen – the eldest of three daughters – but she always worked harder to improve and erase their doubts.

Kiranjit, 45, a teacher, said: “All this has made her a stronger driver. It’s not something we can teach her about, it’s something that she’s passionate about and just goes after.”

Seah Cheong Hock, Motor Sports Singapore (MSS) vice-president for karting sport, is encouraged by Kareen’s progress.

He said: “We also acknowledge and appreciate the support of her parents, and would like to see more female participation in karting. MSS will be monitoring her progress, and will advise and guide Kareen on the competition pathways to attaining her goals in karting.”

And maybe one day, Singapore motor racing fans will get to see Kareen hurtling along the Marina Bay Circuit.