Abu Dhabi: Hamda Al Qubaisi is looking forward to Round 2 of the prestigious CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal from June 24-26, while sister Amna will be competing in the OK Class and both will be hoping to make it to the finals.
For Hamda, this will be her second round at the CIK-FIA invitational competition following her participation in round one at the 1.22km Circuit International d’Aunay Les Bois in France in April.
At the first round in France, Hamda exhibited good pace and reached the Pre-Final but was nudged out of Final contention after an incident involving three other karts. In Portugal, Hamda will be up against 50 other top drivers.
Sister Amna, who will be competing in the OK Class with a cluster of 40 other drivers, is familiar with the Portimao Circuit where she raced with the UAE team in the Rotax World Finals in November 2015, while for Hamda it will be the first time at the 1.531km circuit.
Added confidence
The sisters were excited about the experience of racing against some of the best drivers in the world. “We are very excited to be in Portimao, particularly the event coming close on the heels of our father [Khaled Al Qubaisi] being on the podium at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans this past week. This has given us added confidence and we will try and fight for positions in the upper middle ranks in order to make it to the finals,” said Hamda.
“It will be a tough competition for sure but the goal will be to stay out of trouble and to gain maximum experience from competing at the Portimao Circuit.
“We are really thankful to Abu Dhabi Racing and Daman Speed Academy for having faith in our skills and for their continued support as we advance in our racing careers,” she added.
