Abu Dhabi: With the new season of F1 Academy under way, Emirati stars Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi have been named as official ambassadors for the Yas Heat Racing, following on from their long-standing history of racing at Yas Marina Circuit to represent the UAE’s racing community on the international stage.
The Emirati sisters, beginning their second season in F1 Academy with impressive drives at the season opening round in Jeddah with their new teams in Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB, will serve as the official ambassadors to the Yas Marina Circuit-based team across the 7-round season aligned with Formula 1’s international schedule.
Ali Al Beshr, Executive Director of Motorsport Development said: “It is a proud moment as we announce our new ambassadors of Yas Heat Racing in Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi, two inspiring young Emirati talents who are truly making history on the international racing stage.
“Having been witness to the growth of their careers from their early beginnings here at Yas Marina Circuit, I’m delighted to welcome Amna and Hamda back as official ambassadors to the programme and for them to represent our team on the global stage across their season. I’m sure they’ll do us proud and we wish them all the best for the upcoming season.”
Amna and Hamda join fellow young Emirati driver, Rashid Al Dhaheri as official ambassadors to Yas Heat Racing as part of the team’s efforts to inspire and support the next generation of young racing talents in the UAE and beyond.
On the announcement of their new ambassadorial role, Amna, said: “It’s an honour to become an ambassador of Yas Heat Racing, a young driver programme that will support young talents here at my home track at Yas Marina Circuit. I’ve enjoyed some incredible moments in my racing career with my family here, and I am proud to be a part of the Academy in supporting new drivers to continue their development.”
As a returning Yas Heat driver, Hamda added: “It was a unique experience during my time with the team, and it was a privilege to be a part of their debut season on track. I’m delighted to come back to the team as an ambassador to the team across the new season and look forward to working with the team and its new drivers in the coming months.”
Amna and Hamda have been prominent figures in the racing history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE ever since Amna’s first race victory at the Formula 4 UAE season-opening Trophy Round at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019, with Hamda recently competing with Yas Heat’s F4 team in the Formula 4 UAE season in 2023 before making the step to F1 Academy.
The dynamic duo, who raced for Yas Heat as part of the F4 UAE trophy round at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in November, will support the Yas Heat Racing’s growth on a regional and international level, providing their wealth of experience competing on the international stage to the Academy’s young drivers in the years to come.
With the 2024 season underway for Amna representing Visa Cash App RB and Hamda with Red Bull Racing, the opening round of action provided a promising start for the sisters in Jeddah, Hamda securing a Top-5 finish to cap off the first race weekend of the year. With two and four-race wins in 2023, Amna and Hamda will be looking to build on their impressive debut season across the 7-round series over the coming months.
