Worli’s Formula 4 racer to represent India at women’s championship

It was on a highway, not a racetrack, that Worli-based Formula 4 racer Manisha Kelkar nearly lost her life in 2018. The driver, who was inebriated, was dropping her home when the accident occurred, leaving her with a broken lower vertebra, a fractured 13th rib, and a shattered spirit. "I couldn't even sit in a car at a 20 kmph speed limit. One brake and I would shatter. It was madness," recalls Kelkar, describing how the thick seatbelt of her old car dug into her torso, causing severe internal injuries.
Bedridden for months, she watched races she once dreamt of joining from her medical bed. "Speed pulled me back to it," says Kelkar, who is now one of 38 women from 26 countries to make it to the finals of the inaugural Formula Women Nations Cup. "I was racing for myself before. Now, I race for India," she adds, a testament to her enduring determination.
The tournament, set to take place in May 2025, aims to enhance female participation in motorsports. Among her rivals are mechanics, engineers, and others who have been racing since they were six. "I discovered racing much later in life by chance," she admits.
As a child, seated on her father's lap in his Fiat, Kelkar would grip the steering wheel, feeling invincible. "The realisation that one small movement of your hand can control this massive machine—that sense of power was surreal," she reflects. Her father, scriptwriter Ram Kelkar of *Khalnayak* fame, and her mother, Jeevankala, a former Bollywood actress, both influenced her love for the wheel. "I really wanted to be a fighter pilot," she says, but when she passed her HSC exams, she was told the dream wasn't open to women.
"I cried for three days," she remembers, but instead of surrendering, she enrolled for training in FIA Formula 4 racing, a series aimed at young, amateur drivers. FIA Formula 4, an entry-level series for emerging talent, provides a bridge between karting and Formula 3. "I was a rash driver before I started racing on the tracks," says Kelkar. "In racing, if you don't follow the rules, you get penalties. On the road, you take those rules for granted."
Kelkar was one of six women selected from 900 across India for national-level championship training. Although she participated in races, acting initially took precedence. "Motorsport wasn't seen as a profession in India at the time," she recalls. But after her 2018 accident, doctors warned her against returning to the track.
When she eventually did, her driving skills were "pathetic." "My jaw would lock when I drove," she explains. Through muscle and endurance training, she regained her form, but it was the race track that truly helped her find her rhythm again.
Kelkar also battled post-traumatic stress disorder, seeking help from numerous doctors. Yet, it was yoga, meditation, and observing a fellow driver shift gears "like a romantic song" that taught her to value calmness in racing. "Aggression needs direction," she believes.
Her calm came in handy during the qualifiers at the Dubai Aerodrome on December 12, 2024, when 50 drivers from 26 nations competed for a spot in the FW Nations Cup. When a car spun dangerously in front of her, she kept her composure. Jorden Dolischka from Austria dominated the day, earning the top spot in all three sessions, while shifting track conditions made the competition tough.
As one of the 38 finalists, Kelkar is preparing for intense training in the UK and Sweden ahead of the May 1-4 race. With temperatures predicted to hit 40°C, she knows the heat and the fireproof suit will make things challenging. "Once the helmet is on, your gender becomes irrelevant. Only your skill matters," she says. "When my car moves, I fly."
Many girls reach out to her on Instagram, asking if they should pursue circuit racing or rallies. "Girls are often hesitant to ask, but I always say: ask," she encourages. Acknowledging the high costs of speed car racing, she adds, "Sponsors will back you once you prove yourself." Despite the male-dominated sport, she believes racing can be especially rewarding for women. However, she hopes the sanitation and hygiene levels at India's racetracks improve. "We still don't have proper changing rooms. We have to change in makeshift ones," she notes.