Hamda (left) and Amna pose for photographers.

As count down to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019 begins, two female Emirati drivers are preparing to make their debut in the supporting F4UAE series.

The Al Qubaisi sisters, Amna and Hamda, are the daughters of the UAE’s first motorsport star, Khaled Al Qubaisi, who claimed a podium finish in the GTE-Am class at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Like their father, both girls made their way into karting with Amna breaking out into single-seaters in 2018, becoming the first Emirati female racing driver to reach that level in the process.

She would compete in the Italian F4 championship with Prema and followed that up by testing a Formula E car for Envision Virgin Racing in the days after the inaugural Ad Diriyah ePrix.

The latter of those events was particularly significant as Amna was one of nine females to take part in the test which came just a few months after women were legally allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

This year saw the 19-year-old attempt to join the newly created W-Series, an all-female championship aimed at increasing participation in motorsport.

She continued her development by enjoying a second season in Italian F4 as a result.

As for Hamda, her story is still in its early stages with the 17-year-old making two appearances alongside her sister in Italy this year.

And now they’ll race as teammates again for the Abu Dhabi Racing team in their homeland at Yas Marina Circuit this weekend, bringing the girl power to the F4UAE Trophy Round.

WAM