Photo: Alpine F1 Team
The Alpine Formula 1 team has announced the addition of Sukhmani Khera to its academy after a breakthrough weekend in karting.
The 12-year-old British-Indian is already known to the Alpine brand, as one of the drivers who was signed to the young driver karting programme in its female-focused Alpine Rac(H)er programme two years ago.
She has effectively graduated from being an affiliate of the Alpine Academy to now being one of its drivers. During the off-season, Alpine parted ways with two long-time members: Formula 2 race-winner Victor Martins and Formula 4 racer Kean Nakamura Berta.
When Khera first teamed up with Alpine, she was moving into the X30 Water Swift class in mini karting. She came second and third in two club-level cups, eighth in a club championship, seventh in the nationwide Little Green Man Series and ninth in the British Kart Championship. One of her rivals was Will Green, now an F1 junior with Williams.
Khera stayed in the same class for 2024, but also started racing abroad in the X30 Mini class. She came sixth in the British championship, seventh in a club championship, 14th in the Kartmasters British Grand Prix and in her first continental campaign was 13th in the IAME Euro Series.
At the end of the year she stepped up to junior karting, contesting two club-level cup competitions in the X30 Junior class. So far in 2025 the results have already been stronger, as Khera finished fifth from 24th on the grid in a club cup, ninth in another event at the same level then was seventh in the IAME Winter Cup last weekend after penalties for rivals were applied.