Indian racing sensation Diana Pundole has added another historic chapter to her trailblazing career, becoming the first Indian woman to race a Ferrari in an official Middle East event. The Pune-based driver, already the first woman to win a mixed-gender national championship in Indian motorsports, is now competing in the Middle East Ferrari Challenge Series with a new, cutting-edge edge: AI-powered data intelligence.

From Teacher to National Champion Diana Pundole’s journey is one of sheer resilience and passion. A former teacher and a mother of two, she made history in August 2024 by winning the saloon category at the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship. Her career, which began with a national talent hunt, has since seen her compete on world-class tracks like the Hockenheimring in Germany and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

“I started coming at the end of every race, finishing last, and I kept going back… This doesn’t happen if you don’t really love what you’re doing,” Pundole said, reflecting on her determination to succeed in a male-dominated sport.

The new partnership with global AI-driven professional technology services firm, Aligned Automation, is set to redefine Pundole’s performance. The collaboration leverages technology to find the crucial marginal gains needed to compete at the highest level.

• Data as the New Pit Crew: A single race car generates a gigabyte of data per weekend. Aligned Automation’s machine learning models will analyze Pundole’s racing telemetry, including braking points, cornering speeds, and acceleration zones.
• Engineering Speed: The AI-driven insights will help Pundole fine-tune her driving technique and strategy, providing a continuous feedback loop that merges human instinct with data-driven precision.
• Challenging the Elite: Pundole’s 2025–2026 Ferrari Challenge Series includes high-stakes stops at world-renowned circuits in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Jeddah, Qatar, and Dubai.

“As a race car driver, you can’t just keep driving because it’ll get you nowhere,” Pundole explained. “You need to figure out where you can go slower, and where you can go faster. With that comparison comes learning, and with that learning comes results.”

Diana Pundole’s journey is a powerful demonstration of breaking barriers and the future of athletic performance where technology acts as an essential co-pilot to human talent and grit.