REEMA JUFFALI Takes Class Lead in Stellar Asian Le Mans Series Debut

February 9, 2025

by RACERS // from www.racers-behindthehelmet.com

• REEMA JUFFALI delivered a masterclass in qualifying for her Asian Le Mans Series debut, securing sixth and third place starts in a brutal 28-car GT3 field at Dubai Autodrome. Her Race 2 qualifying performance was particularly stunning—she briefly held the overall pole with a 1:59.300 lap before settling into third, just missing the top five by four-thousandths of a second. For someone making their series debut on a notoriously tricky track, this was the kind of statement that makes people take notice.
• Sunday’s race start showcased exactly why we need more women at the sharp end of motorsport. JUFFALI launched from third place and immediately seized the class lead at Turn 1 with a textbook getaway, demonstrating the racecraft that’s made her a trailblazer since 2019. She held her own in fierce battles with seasoned competitors, trading positions in the top three while navigating LMP3 traffic and maintaining pace in the low 2:02s. Even after a penalty dropped her back to 13th, she methodically worked her way back into the top ten, proving her speed wasn’t a fluke.
• The results might show two 14th-place finishes, but that’s motorsport’s cruelest joke—sometimes the numbers don’t tell the real story. JUFFALI and the Blackthorn team had genuine top-ten pace throughout both 4-hour races, only to be derailed by penalties for track limits and starting infractions that cost them crucial track position. Race 1 saw additional chaos with a lengthy red flag that trapped them a lap down, while Race 2’s multiple safety car periods disrupted their strategic rhythm. Her teammate Jonathan Adam’s 1:59.186 lap in the closing stages proved the car had serious pace.
• What makes JUFFALI’s performance even more impressive is the context—this was her first time in an Aston Martin GT3 after previous success in Mercedes machinery, and she’s coming off a strategic step back from full-time racing in 2024. Her recent resume includes a historic F1 Academy wild card entry at her home Jeddah circuit and a GT4 class podium, showing she’s lost none of her competitive edge. The Asian Le Mans Series continues next week at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, where this level of pace suggests much better results are coming.

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