Aashi Hanspal wasn't always interested in engines and racetracks.
"I was always into dance, art, craft and Barbie," the 18-year-old says.
"So this is very different for me."
She didn't even like racing the first time she tried it.
"When I started getting the hang of it, I loved the speed. I thought to myself that this is something I may just end up doing," she said.
Seventeen-year-old Shriya Lohia's entry into motorsport wasn't exactly planned either.
"I tried multiple sports since I was a young girl, but nothing stuck with me the way motorsport did," she said.
Lohia was 16 when she became India's youngest and first female Formula 4 driver in 2023. Now two years later, she's racing towards a future that once felt out of reach.
Hanspal and Lohia are among the country's few teenage female drivers competing at both national and international levels.
In 2020, Hanspal was the only Indian girl selected for the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) Girls on Track — Rising Stars shootout in France.
Two years later, Lohia was the sole Indian representative, among 14 girls chosen.
Only 1.5 per cent of licensed motorsport drivers around the world are women, and the FIA Girls on Track program aims to identify and support young women in racing, so that can change.
The global talent program is a not-for-profit initiative, spearheaded by former Formula 1 development driver Susie Wolff.
Both racers say the motorsport ecosystem in India is changing to be more inclusive, but that they don't think it's happening fast enough.
"With the introduction of Formula 4, Formula E in Hyderabad, and the Indian Racing League, things are getting better," Lohia said.
"But we're still far behind Europe. Any progress is progress, though."
The bigger change, they say, needs to happen off the track, in attitudes.
"There are still families who won't let their daughters pursue something like this," Lohia said.
"But my parents never thought that way. They pushed me to chase my dream."
Nerves, pressure and pure focus
Racing may look like speed and swagger from the outside, but both women speak about the pressure that builds before the lights go out (lights going out, instead of green, is the terminology used in this type of racing).
"You have to be very calm and composed," Hanspal said.
"But when you set a benchmark for yourself, and others do too, you do get pressurised.
"You can say you're calm, but when you're going to race 20 other guys and you're the only girl, it gets to you."
Lohia describes race days as a tunnel of focus.
"Maybe the pre-race moments are nerve-racking, but once I'm on track, it's just focusing on the next lap, the next corner, the car in front of you," she said.
Still, the emotional weight builds over time.
"I used to never cry," Hanspal admits.
"Then before my last race, I'd start sobbing. Either you go numb to everything, or it all pours out."
The physical toll can be tough too.
In late 2023, Hanspal had a major crash during a race. Her suspension failed at high speed, sending her car crashing into a metal wall.
"I broke my hand. It was right before a corner, the fastest part of the straight," she said.
"It took a while to come back from that."
The only girls in the paddock
With female participation in Indian motorsport scarce, the women feel it.
"I would always travel with my dad. I didn't have any kind of female figure around on race weekends," Lohia said.
"It didn't hit me until I had to change into racing gear, the guys just do it anywhere. But I couldn't. That's when it strikes you — I'm the only girl here."
Hanspal shares similar experiences.
"I've always heard: you have to beat the boys or be like the boys," she said.
"People may mean well, but it gets in your head."
Both say they've had supportive male peers; but infrastructure, especially in India, has not caught up.
"Abroad it's a little more accommodating, but here, they're not even expecting female drivers," Lohia said.
Family, funding and sacrifices
Racing in India isn't just emotionally demanding, it's expensive. And female racers often have to prove the sport is worth investing in.
"Sponsorships are very tough," Hanspal said.
"Racing is seen as a leisure sport, not a real career like cricket. My dad is funding me right now, and we're always looking for support, but it's not easy."
Lohia has also seen her family's lifestyle shift entirely to support her dreams.
"My parents made so many sacrifices. They adjusted everything for me. That's the kind of support you need in this sport."
Both also credit their schools with helping them stay on top of academics.
"My teachers would change their schedules to teach me one chapter at a time," Hanspal said.
"I could never be more grateful."
F1 heroes and big dreams
Both women look up to current and past Formula 1 stars, and their ambitions match.
Lohia names Michael Schumacher as her all-time favourite, along with India's Formula 2 driver Kush Maini.
"He's been a huge inspiration. I've met him a few times — just an amazing driver and person," she said.
Among female racers, she looks up to Jamie Chadwick and Sophia Flörsch.
Her ultimate goal though, is the pinnacle of Formula 1, and what's considered one of the most difficult tracks on the planet.
"I'd love to race in Monaco one day. There's just something about it that makes you feel like you've made it," Lohia said.
Hanspal's idols are Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
"Max is ruthless — he sees a gap and just takes it. That's what I want to learn from," she said.
And for girls watching them now, the teenage driver has just one message.
"Even if you don't like it at first, give it a proper chance. That's what I did. And look at me now."
Srishtee Ramchandani is a journalist and storyteller exploring how sport intersects with identity, youth, and culture. She also runs Cric-Connect, a platform offering fresh perspectives on the game of cricket.
Srishtee is part of ABC International Development’s Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.
