‘I built a racing career while studying law in the UK’

For Farah Irdina, a Queen’s University Belfast law graduate, motorsport was never supposed to become a career. 

When she was young, she watched Formula 1 with her father and was fascinated by the speed and excitement of racing.  

But when she told him she wanted to pursue it, his response was immediate: “No, that’s a guy’s sport. You can’t do that.” 

The comment stayed with her. For years, Farah pushed motorsport aside and pursued other interests instead. She became a competitive equestrian and studied law. She spent two years at Brickfields Asia College (BAC) before completing her final year at Queen’s University Belfast in the UK. 

But eventually, she found her way back on the track. 

Today, the 28-year-old Malaysian is working to build a future in motorsport while completing her legal training. Her journey has not been straightforward. She has had to navigate financial barriers, limited sponsorship opportunities, and the expectations that come with being a woman in a male-dominated sport. 

Yet, rather than allowing those obstacles to stop her, Farah has continued to find ways forward — even when others doubted whether she belonged behind the wheel. 

“I wanted to prove everyone wrong,” she says. 

A childhood interest that never really disappeared

For years, Farah barely thought about racing. 

That changed in 2023, when she was at university and met friends who were passionate about Formula 1. One of them asked if she had ever tried karting. 

She had not, but she agreed to give it a shot. 

In June or July that year, Farah went karting with her friend. What was meant to be a casual experience quickly became something more. 

“When I karted, I was like, ‘Oh, I actually really love the feeling of the adrenaline,’” she says. 

Farah had been searching for a sport that gave her a sense of happiness and calm. After leaving equestrian, she tried badminton and other activities, but nothing quite clicked. 

Karting did. 

“I didn’t find that joy and happiness, or that feeling of how it makes me feel calm. So, when I did the karting, I think the speed and everything made me feel really calm.” 

That first experience made her wonder whether she could take racing further. 

She went to a racing academy at X Park Sunway and asked how she could get started. The advice was to continue karting and try sim racing before moving onto the track. 

Farah did both — but she also decided to test herself in competition. 

Just weeks after her first karting session, she signed up for an endurance race despite having little knowledge of competitive racing. 

“I wanted to try it out to see whether I would really enjoy competing in motorsport and karting,” she says. 

She did enjoy it. More importantly, she realised she wanted to keep going. 

From a beat-up Proton Saga to touring cars 

Farah’s early racing journey was anything but glamorous. 

After her first endurance race, the head of the racing academy began guiding her. He helped her learn tracks through sim racing before encouraging her to try grassroots competition. 

Her first circuit racing experience came in a Proton Saga at the Malaysian Speed Festival (MSF), a grassroots motorsport series in Malaysia. Farah competed in the Saga Cup for two rounds. To her surprise, she did not finish last. 

That small achievement gave her the confidence to continue. 

She soon caught the attention of Piston Project, a team that invited her to race Honda touring cars. She accepted and progressed through several cars, including the Honda City, Honda Jazz and Swift. 

She also moved into the Malaysia Championship Series, competing in endurance racing alongside more experienced drivers.

For someone who had only recently discovered competitive motorsport, the progression was significant. 

But the biggest adjustment was not necessarily learning how to drive faster. It was learning how to deal with being one of the few women on the grid.

“Can this girl actually drive?” 

When Farah first entered karting competitions, she noticed the difference immediately. 

There were women competing, but many of the races she entered were dominated by men. Sometimes, she was the only girl. 

She could feel people watching her and questioning whether she could keep up. 

“At first I was intimidated by it because they looked at me like, ‘Can this girl actually drive?’” she says.  

The attention made her question herself, too. But instead of backing away, Farah began studying the drivers around her. 

She noticed that the strongest racers were aggressive, but not reckless. They knew when to make a move and when to hold back. 

“So, I learned from that. And I learned, ‘Okay, I should be aggressive with intention as well,’” she says.  

That changed her approach. She became more willing to overtake, take opportunities, and trust her own ability. 

It also helped her win. 

Farah went on to secure several podium finishes during her year of fun karting, giving her early confirmation that she could compete in a field dominated by men. 

Learning to stay calm when everything goes wrong 

One of Farah’s biggest tests came during an endurance race in the Malaysia Championship Series when heavy rain hit the circuit. 

The conditions became so bad that she could barely see. There was no red flag, however, so the race continued. 

The track was flooded, and cars were struggling around her. Farah says she experienced panic attacks while driving because of how difficult it was to see what was happening ahead. 

She estimates that she drove in the rain for about an hour. 

It was frightening, but it also became one of the experiences that helped her develop as a driver. “Wet tracks are one of the hardest tracks,” she says. “And if you’re brave enough, it will make you a better driver.” 

For Farah, learning to deal with fear has become part of learning how to race.

Racing while studying law 

Building a racing career while studying law was another challenge for Farah. 

After spending two years at BAC, she moved to Queen’s University Belfast to complete her final year. 

Being based in Belfast meant that racing often required additional travel. To get to tracks and Formula Woman activities, Farah would fly from Belfast to London before making her way to the circuit. 

At the same time, she had assignments, exams, and deadlines to manage. 

“It’s not easy,” she admits. 

She had to plan everything around her studies. If she had a heavy academic workload, she might only go to the track once that month. If her schedule were lighter, she could make two trips. 

Her priorities were clear. “I would always put my assignments first,” she says. “And if I know that I’m capable enough to complete all of this, then I’ll go.” 

She also became creative about keeping costs down. She took cheap flights, avoided checking in luggage, borrowed helmets when possible, and stayed with relatives in London. 

It was not an easy balance, but it allowed her to keep both parts of her life moving. 

Today, Farah is at a point of transition. She has completed her Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP), a professional qualification for law graduates in Malaysia, and is waiting for her results. Once that stage is over, she expects to begin building her legal career by taking the next steps in professional training.

Motorsport, meanwhile, is waiting for her return. After spending most of this year away from the track, she is already looking ahead to December and the 12-hour endurance race in Buriram.

Milestones on the track

Karting

Date	Event / Details
June 2023	First Karting Race – Participated in Asian Endurance Series (AES), representing Axle Motorsport, owned by Alex Young. 4th place in AES Round 2 at Pinnacle Karting Circuit.
August 2023	3rd place in AES Round 3 at Morac Go Kart Track One Utama.
October 2023	2nd place in AES Round 5 at Evolt Karting. 3rd place in Maverick League Sprint Race at Aylezo Speedway Go Kart Circuit.
November 2023	3rd place in Sodi World Series (SWS) Sprint at Morac Go Kart Track One Utama. 2nd place in SWS Sprint Women Category at Morac Go Kart Track One Utama.
April 2024	4th place in Maverick League Sprint Race Round 2 at Traxion Karting XPark.
June 2024	1st place in SWS Round 5 Sprint at Morac Go Kart Track One Utama. 1st place in SWS Women Category at Morac Go Kart Track One Utama (voted Driver of the Day). 2nd place in SWS Round 6 Sprint at Morac Go Kart Track One Utama.
August 2024	1st place in Maverick League Round 6 Sprint Race at RUD Karting Sepang.
July 2024	4th place in SWS Singapore, out of 19 drivers.

Circuit Racing 2024

Date	Event / Details	Result
February 2024	Began first testing in a Saga under Axle Motorsport despite never having driven a manual car before. Practised gear shifting on a simulator to gain valuable knowledge before hitting the track.	–
March 2024	First circuit racing participation in Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF) Saga Cup Round 1 under Axle Motorsport at Sepang Circuit.	P10/18
June 2024	MSF Saga Cup Round 2 under Axle Motorsport at Sepang Circuit.	P12/18
June 2024	Offered by Piston Project to conduct testing in their Honda Jazz GK at Sepang Circuit.	–
July 2024	Took up the opportunity and joined MSF Super Series Round 3 under Piston Project in a Honda GM6.	P9/10
September 2024	First race in Malaysia Championship Series Round 4 300KM Race under Piston Project in Honda Jazz GK at Sepang Circuit.	P13/18
November 2024	Trackday under Formula Woman with BMW M2 at Snetterton Circuit.	–
December 2024	Qualified in Formula Woman Nations Cup in a Radical SR3 XXR at Dubai Autodrome, despite driving a Radical for the first time.	P16/40

Circuit Racing 2025

Date	Event / Details	Result
May 2025	First race in Thailand Super Series 2025 Super Touring Category. Only Malaysian female driver in this category.	P18/26
August 2025	Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF) Merdeka 111 Laps under Piston Project with Suzuki Swift.	P8/15