Amna Al Qubaisi (centre) poses with trophy after winning. File

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Abu Dhabi Racing starts the 2021 racing season in full force with a double header to kick off the year, with the 2021 Formula 3 Asian Championship and Formula 4 UAE Championship.

Both championships will feature five rounds to be held between Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit. Formula 4 UAE will be the first to start, with the season opener scheduled on Jan.14-15 in Dubai.

The team will field one Tatuus F4-T104/Abarth car for 18-year-old racer Hamda Al Qubaisi, who is coming from a positive debut season in the Italian F4 Championship and aims to repeat her successful 2020 UAE results.

Now in its fifth year, more than 60 drivers from 30 countries have competed in the Formula 4 UAE Championship since the inaugural event in 2016.

During that period, Formula 4 UAE has continued to build a strong developmental racing platform for young drivers wanting to start their professional driving career.

Formula 4 UAE, which is open to drivers aged 15 and above, was created by the FIA to help young drivers bridge the gap between existing regional racing series’ and karting, to European competition and potentially Formula 1.

A non-Championship round of the competition was held at Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019, with Amna claiming the victory and becoming the first Emirati woman to win a FIA single-seater race.

Hamda returns to the competition for 2021 having performed well in last year’s event where she secured seven pole positions, the highest number of any driver, and finished fourth in the overall standings.

Abu Dhabi Racing secured a third-place finish in the Teams’ Championship with 258 points. This year’s Formula 4 UAE Championship will come to a conclusion on Saturday, Feb.13.

The Formula 3 Asian Championship will kick-off two weeks later than Formula 4 UAE at the Dubai Autodrome. The team will campaign three Alfa Romeo-powered Tatuus F3-T318 with a diverse mix of drivers which will be announced shortly.