Amna Al Qubaisi

Amna Al Qubaisi is an Emirati racing driver who became the first woman from her country to compete internationally in motorsports, blazing a trail from karting to Formula E testing to F1 Academy before pivoting to endurance racing—where she’s rediscovering her love for the sport alongside her sister.

EARLY YEARS

Born March 28, 2000, Amna Al Qubaisi grew up in the UAE in a motorsport-mad household where racing wasn’t just a hobby—it was the family business. Her father, Khaled Al Qubaisi, is a professional endurance racer who competed at Le Mans after starting his career in 2009 with the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. Dinner conversations at the Al Qubaisi home didn’t revolve around typical family gossip; instead, racing guests filled the table, and those discussions sparked something in young Amna. She fell hard for the sport, watching her father’s career unfold and imagining herself behind the wheel.

She’s one of four siblings in a family that lives and breathes racing. Her older sister, Hamda, also became an F1 Academy competitor, making the Al Qubaisis a powerhouse of Emirati motorsport talent. At 14, in 2014, Amna started karting—late by many standards, but she had something to prove. Not only did she need to compete, but as the first Arab woman in the sport, she had to win. “Not only did I have to compete… but I had to win it, and be amongst the top ten… years of hard work, dedication, sweat and tears,” she later reflected. And win she did, claiming the UAE karting championship and landing in the top five in European kart races, proving she belonged on any track in the world.

While chasing speed, she also pursued a degree in physics at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi—because apparently, one challenging discipline wasn’t enough.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the cockpit, Amna keeps her cards close. She’s studying physics at university, which suggests a brain wired for precision and problem-solving—traits that translate well to racing. Outside of that, she’s largely focused on the track, her family, and carving out space for women in a sport that hasn’t always welcomed them. She’s also become adept at handling critics, joking that she created a fan account specifically to “roast them back” when the online noise gets too loud. Her sister Hamda? More sensitive. Amna? She laughs it off.

EARLY SUCCESS

After dominating in UAE karting and proving herself in Europe, Amna moved up the racing ladder with purpose. She competed in the Rotax Max Challenge World Finals, the X30 Euro Series, and the Italian X30 Championships, racking up fastest laps and consistently finishing in the top tier. Her karting résumé was enough to earn her a spot with the Daman Speed Academy, where she became the first Emirati woman to compete internationally—a title she’d carry with pride throughout her career.

In 2018, she made history again as the first Emirati woman to race in Italian F4 with PREMA Powerteam, one of the most elite junior racing teams in the world. “I’m very happy and proud to be part of [PREMA]… They’ve treated me very well,” she said at the time. That same year, she got a taste of Formula E, testing the Audi Sport FE05 at the Ad Diriyah ePrix in Saudi Arabia. “Thrilled… the feel of instant and impressive power,” she said of the experience. By June 2021, she’d claimed a podium finish at the Italian F4 season opener in Misano, proving she could run with the best.

In 2022, she competed in the Formula Regional Asian Championship alongside her father and sister—a rare family affair on the grid. Racing against her dad? Intense. “He defends his position really well… really hard to compete with him… We’re always either behind each other,” she admitted. The Al Qubaisis were competitive, but the shared passion made it unforgettable.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2014: Began karting at age 14[1][2][4].
• Pre-2018: Won UAE karting championship and finished top five in European kart races[1][2].
• 2018: Became the first Emirati woman to compete in Italian F4 with PREMA Powerteam[1][4].
• 2018: Tested the Audi Sport FE05 in Formula E at the Ad Diriyah ePrix in Saudi Arabia[1][4][7].
• 2021: Earned a podium finish at the Italian F4 season opener in Misano in June[1].
• 2022: Competed in Formula Regional Asian Championship alongside her father Khaled and sister Hamda[1][3][6].
• 2023: Secured two wins in F1 Academy with MP Motorsport and finished 6th overall in the championship[1][2].
• 2024: Joined the Red Bull Academy Programme, representing the RB F1 Team[1][2].

INSPIRATIONS

Amna’s racing career starts and ends with one person: her father, Khaled Al Qubaisi. Watching him compete at Le Mans and listening to his racing friends at family dinners ignited her passion for the sport. He wasn’t just an inspiration—he was a competitor, too. Racing alongside him in Formula Regional Asian in 2022 gave her a front-row seat to his defensive driving skills and reminded her that talent runs deep in the Al Qubaisi family. Her siblings, particularly her sister Hamda, also played a role in shaping her path, turning motorsport into a shared family mission rather than a solitary pursuit.

REPUTATION

Amna is regarded as a successful driver rewriting the rules for women in the Middle East. Her skills, speed, and determination have earned respect from teams like PREMA and media outlets that see her as a rising star breaking barriers. She’s been featured on Netflix through the F1 Academy series, gaining international recognition and inspiring the next generation of female racers. “I’m very proud to be representing women in general and Arabian women in particular,” she’s said, and that pride shows in everything she does.

But her journey hasn’t been without controversy. During the 2024 F1 Academy season, she was given an inferior engine that was seven to 10 kilometers per hour slower than her competitors. When she raised the issue with Red Bull, she was told to “just deal with it.” She later reflected, “The first year was less political… In the second year, it felt like they didn’t want a Middle Eastern person to win.” The experience soured her on Formula One dreams, but it also revealed her resilience. She didn’t let the setback define her—she pivoted.

Her reputation for overtaking, honed during those frustrating F1 Academy starts from the back of the grid, has become one of her strongest skills. “In F1 Academy, I was always starting from the back and I took that as practice for overtaking… Now, in endurance, I’m always catching up to the guys up front,” she explained. She’s turned obstacles into assets, and that’s what makes her dangerous on any track.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Amna has shifted her focus from Formula One to endurance racing, a move that feels less like a retreat and more like a homecoming. She’s rediscovered her love for racing in the endurance world, where she’s competing alongside her sister Hamda in the Ligier European Series—the third tier of the ACO ladder toward Le Mans. The sisters are set to race at Spa-Francorchamps Heat on August 22-23, 2025, chasing the same dream their father once pursued. “I have rediscovered my love of racing,” she’s said, and it shows. No longer chasing F1 glory, she’s focused on what makes her happy: racing hard, racing smart, and racing with the people who matter most.

References:

51GT3 Racer Profile
The Speaker Handbook – Amna Al Qubaisi
After a Decade Under Lights – The National News
Racing Ahead – Jade Asterling
Formula Rich Kid from UAE feat. Amna Al Qubaisi
Wheels of Change – Glorious Sport
Meet Amna Al Qubaisi – Blue Mountain Eagle