ABU DHABI: Ahead of its debut season in the Formula 4 UAE competition, Yas Heat Racing Academy has announced the signing of Hamda Al-Qubaisi, with the young Emirati driver joining the Yas Marina Circuit-based team for its inaugural season.
As the youngest daughter in the Al-Qubaisi racing family, following in the footsteps of her father Khaled and sister Amna, the next step in her promising career will see her join the Yas Heat Racing team for the 2023 F4 UAE season, following the team’s debut at the 2022 AbuDhabi GP.
The trailblazing 20-year-old joins after a historic start in the Formula 4 category, having began her career as the first female driver hailing from the Emirates to compete in the F4 UAE Championship at the 2019 AbuDhabi GP weekend.
In recent years, Al-Qubaisi has experienced success on the international stage, scoring points in the Formula 4 Italian Championship at Misano in 2021, before stepping up into Formula 3 in the Formula Regional Asian Championships in 2022.
Al-Qubaisi said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Yas Heat Racing Academy for the team’s first season. After so many years of racing on this track, in what is now my second home, I cannot wait to get out on the circuit in the Yas Heat colors and make history with this team.”
The 2022 AbuDhabi GP weekend saw the team secure two podium finishes in the first round of action led by young stars, Keanu Al-Azhari and Matteo Quintarelli.
Al-Qubaisi joins Al-Azhari and Quintarelli as well as fellow Emirati driver Rashid Al-Dhaheri, who will serve in an ambassadorial role to the Yas Heat Racing Academy.
With the goal to produce homegrown drivers at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit and provide young talented drivers with a clear and defined pathway — from grassroots all the way up to the world stage of motorsports — the Yas Heat Racing Academy aims to inspire the next generation of local UAE racing stars to pursue their dream, from karting through to FIA-accredited competitions.
Saif Al-Noaimi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, said: “It is a privilege to welcome Hamda to the Yas Heat Racing Academy in our first season. Hamda and the entire Al-Qubaisi family have played a fundamental role in the development of motorsports and Emirati participation in sport here in the UAE, and her historic feats are well known across the international motorsports community.
“Adding a driver of Hamda’s calibre to our talented line-up, alongside Keanu, Matteo and Rashid, ahead of our inaugural season will bring great experience, passion and energy to our young team. We look forward to seeing the young drivers setting the pace this season across the region.”
The Yas Heat Racing team will make its official F4 UAE debut in Dubai on Jan. 13, with the team returning to Yas Marina Circuit for the final round of the competition on Feb. 19.
