Born to Race: The Girl Racer Who’s Defying Limits – Minnie Sitarvee

Minnie Sitarvee Limnantharak

She has been a dominant force in the racing scene from the very beginning. Since her karting days, she has won the national championship in Thailand in every competition she entered. As she transitioned to car racing, she continued to make her mark, securing both champion and runner-up titles across multiple racing series.

“Born to Race: The Girl Racer Who’s Defying Limits – Minnie Sitarvee”

One of her most memorable achievements was winning the First Lady Award at the X30 World Finals 2018 in Le Mans, France—an award given to the highest-ranked female driver in the competition.

1. What inspired you to enter the world of racing, and how did your journey begin?

My dad was a racer, so he introduced me to go-karting when I was young. I enjoyed it, and once I started liking it, I trained intensively, which led me to become a champion from my first year of racing.

2. As a female racer, what challenges have you faced in motorsports?

Personally, in the Thai motorsports community, everyone has always been supportive and encouraging. However, from a young age, I’ve always had to compete against male drivers.
One disadvantage is weight distribution—since female drivers tend to have a lighter body weight, we have to add ballast to the car to meet the required weight regulations, making it an additional factor to adapt to in racing.

3. How is the Kyojo Cup different from other racing series, and how are you preparing for it?

This is a Formula racing series specifically for women, likely the second in the world after the F1 Academy. The cars are Formula 4.
The most crucial part of my preparation is building a lot of physical strength. Another challenge is that I’m at a disadvantage compared to Japanese racers, as they have much more training and experience on the track.

4. Fuji Speedway is known to be a challenging track. What makes it special, and how are you preparing for it?

I feel like Fuji Speedway is much more challenging than Thai tracks. It’s harder than I expected because I’ve never driven a Formula car before, so I have to focus on getting familiar with the track as quickly as possible within the limited testing time.

5. What do you consider to be your biggest strength and weakness as a racer?

Physical endurance.

6. Was there ever a time in your racing career when you felt it was the hardest moment? How did you overcome it?

Since I was a kid, I had to balance school life and racing life. Now, I’m used to it, but every year, I still have to find ways to manage my time effectively.
Another challenge is that I feel like I didn’t get to experience a “normal teenage life” like my friends. Looking back, I sometimes feel like I missed out on my youth! (laughs)

7. What are your future goals in racing? Is there a series you dream of competing in?

I just want to push myself as far as I can. Right now, I feel like I’m starting to feel “old” in racing terms, but I still don’t know what the future holds.

8. What advice would you give to young Thai racers who want to follow in your footsteps?

Train as much as possible!