With their continued accomplishments in the racing world, Amna Qubaisi and Hamda Qubaisi are all set to drive their family’s legacy to the next phase.
Amna and Hamda — the Female formula 1 drivers who often team up together — will be exhibiting their skills in the F1 Academy series — the all-female single-seater racing championship focused on promoting and developing women drivers for higher levels of competition.
In a bid to promote and help young professionals, Kaspersky has announced its sponsorship of Emirati pro racing drivers in the inaugural season of F1 Academy.
Talent Has No Gender
The cybersecurity company has sponsored Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi since 2018, who have long been advancing female achievement in male-dominated motorsport and achieved significant results.
Amna, the older of the two, began her career at the age of 13 in 2014 and became the first UAE woman to compete in Formula 4 and is also the first Arab woman to win a F4 race.
Amna also led a group of female drivers in Formula E tests in 2018. Hamda, her younger sister, made her Formula 4 debut in 2019 and two years later, became the first ever woman to step on an F4 championship podium.
“Talent has no gender.”
Just as in the cybersecurity industry, motorsport has been a male-dominated world, and it’s encouraging to see initiatives that seek to cope with this trend and advance gender diversity,” Sandro Cisco, the Head of Global Partnerships and Sponsorships at Kaspersky said.
“We wish Amna and Hamda success in the inaugural F1 Academy season and hope it helps them further sharpen their skills and grow professional careers.”
Female Formula 1 Drivers Inaugural Season
Amna and Hamda will be competing for the Dutch MP Motorsport team, which also has teams in F4, FRECA, F3 and F2 series.
The female Formula 1 drivers will be joined in the team by Dutch racing driver Emely de Heus, who previously competed in the all-female single seater W Series racing championship.
Five teams comprising of three drivers compete in 21 races over seven racing weekends.
Each event includes two qualifying sessions and three races to ensure series participants gain enough track time to practice and master their skills to help them make their way into the leading motorsport categories.
Acknowledging the sponsorship Amna Al Qubaisi said, “I’m thankful to Kaspersky for supporting me in the pursuit of my dream. The company’s commitment to excellence and professionalism resonates well with the values of any professional driver, who has to push the limits of their efficiency on a constant basis to be able to maintain a competitive advantage with other racers,
“I hope that our cooperation will help me to accomplish new historical achievements,” commented Hamda Al Qubaisi.
The first racing event will be held in Spielberg, Austria on April 28 and 29, respectively. The following races of the season will be held in Spain, the United States, France, Italy, and the Netherlands in October.
