Shriya Lohia is not just making waves in motorsport; she’s creating a whole new current. At just 16, she has already carved her name into the history books as India’s youngest Formula 4 racer. With nerves of steel, razor-sharp reflexes, and an unshakable sense of purpose, Shriya is blazing past barriers — both on and off the track. In a sport traditionally dominated by men, she’s a rare force, confidently holding her own in a high-speed, high-stakes world.
Shriya has been actively participating in national and international racing championships since the age of 9. In 2022, at the age of 13 she was conferred with the National Child Excellence award by the Prime Minister of India for her contribution in motorsports.
Her journey began early, fueled by passion, precision, and an unwavering love for racing. From karting circuits to international championships, Shriya’s rise has been nothing short of inspiring. But beyond the speed and adrenaline, it’s her clarity of vision and relentless drive that truly set her apart.
In this exclusive interview with The Sportz Planet, Shriya opens up about what it takes to compete at the F4 level, the challenges she’s overcome, and how she hopes to inspire the next generation of Indian girls to dream big — and drive even bigger.
Excerpts of the interview are below
How did you get interested in motorsports and racing?
Shriya: I first tried out go-karting when I was nine years old. It was during a family trip, and we found a small go-karting track. It was meant to be a leisure activity, but once I tried it, I instantly fell in love with it. That day changed my life, and I knew I wanted to pursue it.
Do you remember the exact moment when you sat in a go-kart for the first time? Could you describe it for us
Shriya: Yes, I remember the excitement. I went in thinking it would be just for fun, as I loved trying new things. But when I got out of the kart, I was so happy and realized that this was something different. The feeling was amazing, and it clicked in my mind that I wanted to pursue racing.
Transitioning from karting to making motorsports your career is a huge leap. When did you realize this could actually be your career?
Shriya: After I started participating in my first championship, I realized that this could be a serious career. It was then that I started learning more about motorsports, like Formula One and other racing championships, and realized this was something I really enjoyed. That’s when I decided to pursue it full-time.
You’re currently racing at the Formula 4 level. Could you share what the experience of sitting in a Formula 4 car feels like?
Shriya: It’s hard to put it into words because driving a Formula Four car is such a unique experience. It’s a very fast machine, and even though you’re not yet old enough to get a road license, you’re driving this incredible car at high speeds. It gives you a surreal feeling. Formula Four is just the beginning of the ladder to Formula One, and when you’re driving it, you feel like you’re on the path to something big.
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Did you feel scared when you started driving Formula 4 car?
Shriya: I didn’t feel scared. As a racing driver, you know the risks involved, and it’s part of the thrill. It was a big change, but I didn’t have a lot of training before my first round, so it was overwhelming at first. However, I was eager to push the car and get the most out of it as soon as possible. Once I got comfortable with the car, it felt amazing.
You’re 16, but you’re allowed to drive a Formula 4 car, although you can’t legally drive on Indian roads. How does that work?
Shriya: The key difference is that I’m not driving on public roads but on a racetrack. To drive on the track, you need a separate motorsports license, which I got through training and experience. This license is not the same as the road driving license, and it doesn’t allow me to drive on public roads until I turn 18, just like any other person in India.
You’re the youngest Formula 4 racer in India. How does that feel, and do you feel the pressure?
Shriya: It’s a great feeling, but I don’t focus too much on labels like that. At the end of the day, I’m just a racing driver trying to make it to the top. Yes, there is pressure, especially as the only female racer or the youngest, but I don’t let that distract me. My focus is on racing and achieving my goals. I want to make my country proud and break barriers for women in motorsports.
Who are your favorite athletes?
Shriya: In motorsports, my all-time favorite F1 driver is Michael Schumacher. I admire his success and how he composed himself on track. Right now, I also admire Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc. Outside of motorsports, I’m inspired by athletes from various sports. One in particular is India’s Formula 2 driver, Kush Maini. I’ve known him before his Formula 2 days, and he’s been an inspiration to me.
Racing in India is mostly concentrated in the South, with top tracks in Chennai and Hyderabad. Does being from North India create any challenges for you?
Shriya: Yes, the travel is a significant challenge. There is no infrastructure for circuit racing in North India, so I have to travel a long distance to access good tracks. This leads to additional costs and takes up a lot of time. Growing up, I didn’t have easy access to go-karting tracks like some other drivers, which made it harder for me to get track time before competitions.
Motorsports is often seen as a male-dominated sport. Does it feel exhausting or challenging to be in such an environment?
Shriya: I would say challenging for sure, because like I said, when you’re the first or you’re the only, you are going to face some challenges. So, when you’re like the only female, sometimes people will have criticism towards you, or when you’re the first female, people will always throw criticism. Whether you’re female or you’re male, I think people will always have something to say.
But it being so heavily male-dominated, and just because of the way India’s society is at the moment with women in sports—we’re not completely there yet—but we’re slowly adjusting to women excelling in sports. Motorsports is the kind of sport where both genders are allowed to race alongside, and that’s where I think people get a bit mean about these kinds of things, about females being there.
So I think for sure people have their criticism or they have their hate to bring along, and there are challenges. You have to mentally not pay attention to any of this, and it’s kind of difficult because you’re at quite a young age and you’re having to deal with all of this stuff along with everything else—along with studies and stuff that we do at this point. So I think that’s definitely a thing. When you’re the first and stuff, people treat you differently, and they try to make you feel like you don’t belong there and stuff like that.
But I think as long as I’m focused on my goal and I know what I’m supposed to pay attention to and what will make me a better person, that’s really all that matters. Outside noise will always be there, and problems are inevitable. Challenges will come along at any step in your journey. I’ve already faced quite a few. I know that nothing will come without challenges, and ultimately it’s my goal I want to achieve.
How do you feel about the future of Indian motorsports?
Shriya:I think because India is such a huge country, firstly, and also because we’ve seen that India has a lot of interest in motorsports. We have a lot of Formula 1 fans. We know a lot of people who, anytime I have a post or I put something, there are so many people asking, “How do I get into this? I’m interested.” So we know there’s an interest, and we know people are willing to put the hard work into making that their career.
But because of the infrastructure not being here, a lot of people have not been able to do that. But seeing all this response, seeing everyone, seeing how many fans there are, how many people are interested in wanting to pursue this, I think there’s a lot of potential.
I’ve raced with a lot of Indian drivers. I know they’re very good drivers as well. We’ve all been working towards it, and I think if we progress the same way that we’re progressing now in India, things will only get better. We’ll be able to get all the sports to be equal—not just cricket, for example. We can get all our sports recognized if we show equal interest in everything.
We can probably get to a point where everyone can choose the sport they want to pursue without having fear about security or career or things like that.
Balancing academics and motorsports must be tough. How do you manage both?
Shriya: Academics and sports have always been equally important. I’ve not had a lot of problems with my studies and managing, but in 6th grade is when I switched over to homeschooling to make my life a little bit easier because attending regular school and always taking leaves was kind of difficult. But I think it’s quite simple. I’m able to cover up my portion when I need to. I know when my exams are nearing that I need to give my 100% focus to my exams, and throughout the year, when I have time, I make sure I’m able to cover up as much as I can so it doesn’t pile up right before my exams.
It’s just about giving priority to everything. But like you said, now because I’m just entering 12th grade, it’s kind of when studies get a bit more serious, and it might be a bit difficult now to manage both things together, because even my racing schedule gets a bit more busy and so does my studying. But hopefully, whatever school I have, whatever institution I’m studying from, I hope they are able to support me in my career, because I wouldn’t like to compromise on my education because of my sports or my sports because of my education. I’d like to pursue both because I think they’re both quite important in the development of any human being.
Can you tell us about your team, the Hyderabad Blackbirds?
Shriya: So Hyderabad Blackbirds is the team that I raced for in Formula 4, and they are also my biggest sponsor in my motorsports career. Like I said, motorsports can be quite expensive, and without them, it would be impossible for me to race in Formula 4 given the expenses and stuff. They are a team based out of Hyderabad, as the name suggests, and it’s owned by Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya. He is the owner of the team, and I think it’s just a very great atmosphere. My team has always been pretty amazing. We’ve had some very good drivers. We’ve had Neil Jani, who is a Le Mans race driver and has raced in multiple disciplines. We had him as one of our drivers, and we’ve had really good drivers. We’ve had a good team. Everyone is always very cooperative, and whenever I need help, I can always ask the seniors for any advice that I need.
Finally, what message would you give to young boys and girls who want to excel in sports?
Shriya: I would say that doing something that you love so early in life can come with its challenges for sure, especially when you are trying to do something for your whole life and you know there are a lot of things happening against you. When people are working against you or circumstances are working against you, it can be difficult to keep going in those moments. But one thing I’ve learned from my journey is that every setback should just be a bigger comeback. It should just turn into something that really is much better than whatever happened to you. Don’t let the bad things affect you, and the challenges can break you down sometimes, but it’s all about getting up.
Because like I said, being in motorsports is a difficult sport. Without financial backing, without a lot of interest in India for motorsports, it can be so difficult to get your career going. But it’s really just about keeping that mental resilience and focusing on the things that matter. Like I said, the outside noise—none of that—because it will only negatively impact you. Your focus should be on what you want to achieve and on your career and how much you can do, all while being a good person.
I don’t want to be a bad person and try to achieve everything on the same side. I’ve definitely met a few people who can be like that, who pass rude remarks in sports. But I think it’s ultimately about focusing on your goal, working hard towards it, and getting up from every single setback. Because things like this will happen, and ultimately, make your country proud and work your hardest. Because I don’t think anything is impossible as long as you have the support, the hard work—and I guess that’s what I would say.
Prakhar Sachdeo
The Sportz Planet Desk
Watch the complete interview below
