Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi: The Emirati sisters driving each other to be the best

Given they are rising stars in the world of motorsport, it was a little surprising to learn that Emirati sisters Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi arrived at Tuesday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix launch event at the Louvre in an Uber.

That could be the only explanation for the slight delay in two of the fastest and most skilled drivers in the country arriving for a raft of media engagements, as race organisers Ethara spelled out plans for the 16th installment of the UAE’s marquee sporting event this December.

Yet, you can be sure their ride still received a five-star rating, considering the patience and grace the siblings showed as they glided through several rounds of interviews, before taking their place on stage alongside driver-turned-pundit David Coulthard and Formula One management stalwart Otmar Szafnauer.

If anyone has earned a stage, it’s the Al Qubaisi sisters – fierce competitors on the F1 Academy grid, record breakers in the realm of youth motorsport and eloquent and engaging speakers away from the track.

Amna, 24, was the first Emirati and female racer to compete in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, and in 2019 became the first female Arab to win a single-seater race. Hamda, 21, made history by becoming the first woman to claim a podium in the notoriously tough Italian F4 Championship in 2021. In the same year, she finished fourth in F4 UAE.

They further enhanced their reputations on debut in F1 Academy – Hamda winning four races to claim third place in the 2023 drivers’ championship, and Amna finishing sixth with two wins.

Those results drew the attention of F1 giants Red Bull, who signed the sisters to their newly formed Red Bull Academy Programme.

As was the case last season, the duo are competing for MP Motorsport, but