Reema Juffali, Saudi Arabia’s first professional female racing driver, has announced details of her new team – Theeba Motorsport – which she will be racing for in the current International GT Open season.
Juffali, who has been racing for the last four years, hopes the creation of the new team will help improve access for Saudis into motorsport.
She says the support she has received in her career has been humbling and at times overwhelming and now, with Theeba Motorsport, she hopes to give something back.
“Theeba Motorsport is to help Saudis with a passion for motorsport to help find their feet,” she says.
The new team will compete internationally and regionally and she is delighted with its creation. “I am very excited. Coming into the sport as a driver it was overwhelming initially, it taught me so much, and now I am excited about getting to know about the other side and managing a team now.”
Juffali – who claimed a second-place finish at the 24 Hours of Dubai race earlier this year - has a big dream that she wishes to achieve. “The goal has always been to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans but the dream has now become bigger as I wish to achieve this with Theeba Motorsport as the first Saudi entry with Saudis in the team. I wish to achieve this dream in 3 years’ time depending on how we progress in the near future.”
Female wolf
The name came from her childhood – Juffali says she was always very daring as a child and always taking on new challenges and her friends would call her ‘theeb’ meaning wolf or beast, and theeba is a female version of that.
She hopes to mentor Saudi drivers - both males and females and - by starting the team she hopes she can create opportunities for people. “The goal of the team is not just to win races but it is to also help people on their journey and build that bridge for them into motorsport. I hope Saudis can come into the sport more and more.”
The new team will make its debut this weekend at the GT Open at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France.
