Farah Al Yousef

Farah AlYousef is a 22-year-old Saudi racing driver breaking barriers in a country where women couldn’t legally drive until 2017, making history as the second Saudi woman to compete as a wildcard entry in the F1 Academy series at her home race in Jeddah in 2025.

EARLY YEARS

Born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, AlYousef grew up in a nation where motorsport for women seemed nearly impossible. She began her racing journey in karting, quickly proving she had the speed and determination to compete at serious levels. While specific details about her early childhood remain limited, what’s clear is that she entered a sport with virtually no female representation in her home country—and decided that wouldn’t stop her.

Her path required navigating not just the typical challenges of motorsport—money, sponsorship, access to competitive machinery—but also the cultural shift happening in Saudi Arabia itself. Just years before she started racing, women weren’t even allowed behind the wheel of a street car. That she made it to competitive motorsport at all is testament to her grit.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the cockpit, AlYousef is an aerospace engineering student at the University of Manchester. She took a year out of her studies to focus on her racing career in 2025, but her academic background gives her a technical edge. Understanding aerodynamics, data analysis, and vehicle dynamics isn’t just theory for her—it’s part of how she approaches setup and racecraft. The UK’s famously miserable weather also proved useful; she’s noted how racing in wet, stormy British conditions fast-tracked her ability to adapt and learn under pressure.

EARLY SUCCESS

In 2022, AlYousef claimed the Saudi Women’s Karting Championship title, a breakthrough moment that put her on the map domestically. That same year, she competed at the Karting World Finals, finishing 26th—a solid result given the level of international competition. From there, she moved into single-seaters, joining the F4 Middle East Championship in 2025 and gaining crucial experience in proper race cars.

She also competed in the Formula Woman series, becoming the first Saudi female to qualify for a race in the championship. Later, she represented Saudi Arabia at the Formula Woman Nations Cup in Dubai, racing a Radical prototype—a jump into multi-class endurance-style competition that broadened her racecraft significantly. These weren’t glamorous headline results, but they were building blocks, each one expanding her skill set and exposure to different racing environments.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2022: Won the Saudi Women’s Karting Championship
• 2022: Competed at the Karting World Finals, finishing 26th overall
• 2025: First Saudi female to qualify for a race in the Formula Woman series
• 2025: Represented Saudi Arabia at the Formula Woman Nations Cup Finals in Dubai, racing a Radical prototype
• 2025: Made F1 Academy debut as wildcard entry at Jeddah, racing the #4 MUHRA car operated by Hitech TGR
• 2025: Competed in the F4 Middle East Championship and F4 Saudi Arabian Championship
• 2025: Scored her first F4 points at the Jeddah season finale, finishing ninth in a historic female-majority grid

INSPIRATIONS

AlYousef follows in the footsteps of Reema Juffali, the first Saudi woman to earn a racing license and the first F1 Academy wildcard from Saudi Arabia. Juffali broke ground just months before the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia was lifted in 2018, and her trailblazing opened doors that AlYousef has charged through. While she’s carving her own path, the comparisons are inevitable—and she’s aware of the weight of representation that comes with being one of the first.

She’s also been compared to fast-risers like Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen for her ability to adapt quickly to new machinery and conditions, though she’s quick to note her journey is uniquely her own. “Some say I’m catching up fast,” she’s acknowledged, but the reality is she’s doing it while navigating a motorsport landscape that barely existed for women in her country just years ago.

REPUTATION

AlYousef is seen as a rising talent in Saudi motorsport, respected for her technical approach and willingness to tackle diverse racing disciplines. She’s not just picking one ladder and climbing it—she’s gaining experience in everything from prototypes to F4 to F1 Academy machinery, building a broad base of racecraft. Her engineering background adds credibility; she’s not just driving, she’s thinking about why the car behaves the way it does.

Her F1 Academy wildcard appearance in Jeddah made headlines not just because she was Saudi, but because she was racing at home, on a street circuit she knew, in front of a crowd eager to see local representation. She’s vocal about wanting to inspire young Saudi girls to believe in themselves and chase their dreams, fully aware that her visibility matters beyond lap times. “I hope that my participation will inspire young girls in Saudi Arabia to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams,” she’s said. “The journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it.”

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Looking ahead, AlYousef has made it clear she’s not content to stay in one series. She competed in the 2025 F4 Saudi Arabian Championship alongside other promising Saudi talents like Abdullah Kamel and Faris Organji, gaining valuable seat time on home soil. But her ambitions stretch beyond regional championships—she’s expressed a dream of racing at Le Mans, one of motorsport’s most iconic endurance races. That’s a bold goal, but given how far she’s already come, it’s not out of reach.

She’s also committed to continuing her aerospace engineering studies at Manchester, balancing academics with racing—a tough juggling act, but one that keeps her options open and her technical knowledge sharp. Whether she continues climbing the single-seater ladder or pivots toward sportscars and endurance racing, she’s building a foundation that could take her in multiple directions. For now, she’s focused on gaining experience, improving her craft, and representing Saudi women in a sport that’s only just beginning to make space for them.

REFERENCES

Farah Al Yousef joins F1 Academy field as Jeddah Wild Card – Racers Behind the Helmet
Saudi driver Farah Al-Yousef to compete as wild card in F1 Academy – Arab News
Farah Al Yousef races, wins and teams – Motorsport Magazine Database
Farah AlYousef (WCD) – F1 Academy Racing Series
Farah Al Yousef – Driver Database
Farah AlYousef to represent women of Saudi Arabia in F1 Academy – Motorsport.com
Farah AlYousef to represent women of Saudi Arabia – Autosport
Women Spotlight Wednesday: Farah AlYousef – Dive-Bomb
Farah AlYousef makes her F1 Academy debut – Motorsinside English
Next generation of talent set for the 2025 F4 Saudi Arabian Championship – Arab News
Farah Al-Yousef: A Rising Star in Motorsport – Almamlaka News
Farah AlYousef announced as Wild Card entry for Round 2 in Jeddah – Formula 1
F1 Academy: New wildcard driver entry announced for Jeddah – GPFans
F4 Saudi makes history with female-majority grid at Jeddah season finale – Racers Behind the Helmet
Saudi’s first female racer welcomes a new future for Saudi motorsport – Motorsport.com
Farah Al-Yousef: Saudi Racing Talent Makes Historic F1 Academy Debut – The Arabian Leaders