There’s something poetic about the way a Ferrari screams down a racetrack. The throttle opens, the V6 engine howls, and for a split second, the world blurs into one continuous streak of blue. Inside that machine, gripping the wheel at 250 km/h is Diana Pundole, India’s first woman to race a Ferrari on an international stage. 

The daughter of a motorsport enthusiast, Diana grew up with the sound of engines in her ears and ambition in her bloodstream. “My late father’s passion for motorsport lit the spark in me,” she says. When she began racing in 2018, she stepped into a paddock that rarely made room for women. “I knew I had to work twice as hard to prove myself.” By 2024, she had done exactly that, making history as the first Indian woman to win a National Racing Championship, experiencing victory in MRF’s saloon category at the Madras International Circuit. Not only did she top the women’s podium, she won against men, becoming the first woman in India to claim an overall race win in a four-wheeler national championship. “That moment will always stay with me,” she says with pride.

Now, she’s taking that momentum global. From November 2025 to April 2026, Diana will compete in the Ferrari Club Challenge Middle East racing across the iconic circuits of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain. Sponsored by Aligned Automation, she’s strapped into the cockpit of the Ferrari 296 Challenge, a purebred track weapon built for precision and fury. “This car,” she grins, “is in a different league. Its aerodynamics, balance, and power demand a higher level of skill and respect.” 

Her preparation mirrors the intensity of the sport as she gears up for the season with gruelling physical sessions, isometric holds, reflex drills, and mental conditioning. “International tracks demand sharper technical skills,” she says. “I prepare by visualizing every corner, studying every circuit’s nuance, and training my mind to stay calm when the chaos begins.”

For Diana, the Ferrari isn’t a machine to be tamed, but a companion in motion. “It feels like an extension of me,” she says. “When I’m racing, I hear nothing but silence because I zone in so hard that everything else just falls away. That’s why I keep returning to my race car. It’s my happy place.” When the helmet comes off and the adrenaline fades, Diana’s focus doesn’t waver. “My coach!” she laughs when asked who she looks for first after a race. “Every session ends with immediately sitting down with my driver coach and laptop for critical analysis.” 

Diana believes she brings a uniquely feminine edge to racing. “I believe I use the feminine strengths of patience, calm, and adaptability which is easier for me than some of my male counterparts,” she says. Her driving style isn’t about aggression, but precision. “It’s about feeling the car and letting it respond to you, not forcing it.” Off the track, Diana grounds herself in simplicity. “It’s getting back to family and friends,” she says. “Most people don’t know that I also volunteer as a scribe for blind students during their exams.” 

In a country where motorsport still fights for visibility, her victories have set ablaze a new path for women who dare to dream in overdrive. “Progress has been encouraging,” she says, “but there’s still work to be done. We need more visibility, sponsorship, and mentorship for women racers.” She draws inspiration from pioneers like Jamie Chadwick and Michelle Gatting, and from women outside motorsport like Indra Nooyi. “They’ve shown me that breaking barriers isn’t a choice; it’s a responsibility.” Looking ahead, Diana envisions herself racing across more international grids. “Society loves to tell women what they can’t do,” she says with a grin. “I prefer showing them what we can.” 

As the Ferrari’s engine roars into the horizon, Diana Pundole leaves behind more than tire marks; she leaves a trail for every woman ready to take the fast lane to history.