Saudi woman, Aseel Al Hammad drove Renault Formula 1 car in front of her fans. She drove around the French Grand Pixir Circuit and declared the historic day as a beginning of a new time for Saudi women in motorsports.
The lap of Le Castellet’s Paul Ricard came on the day when the ban on female driving ended in Saudi Arabia.
“I believe today is not just celebrating the new era of women starting to drive, it’s also the birth of women in motorsport in Saudi Arabia,” said Al Hamad.
She continued, “The most important thing I am looking forward to is to start seeing the next generation, young girls, trying (motorsport).
“I want to watch them training and taking the sport very seriously as a career. This is going to be really my biggest achievement.”
It was not the first time she had driven a F1 car. She has done this before on June 5, but this time she did it on a Sunday, marking it as a public event. It was also a way to mark the return of the French cars after an absence of 10 years.
“It was perfect. Everything was smooth, I felt I belong in the seat,” she added “I loved the fact that there was an audience around … today is magical.”
“I never even imagined it in my dreams. So the opportunity was amazing,” she narrated about her first outing. “That day I thought it was the only lifetime experience. And they invited me again.
“It’s a great honour for me to share with them the celebration and passion for Renault.
“I believe the beauty of this story is that everything is possible. Even if you dream the impossible you can still achieve it,” she added.
Al-Hamad is the first female representative of Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation. She is also a member of Women in Motorsport Commission set up by Formula One’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
Al-Hamad is the first woman to ever import a Ferrari into Saudi Arabia. She took along her 458 Spider to take part in tracks days, workshops, and racing courses.
Upon being asked about women drivers in Saudia Arabia, she said, “For sure, definitely. And this is going to be my mission in Saudi.
“Thanks to Renault, by this gesture I can be hopefully an ambassador to push it more in Saudi [Arabia].
“The Women in Motorsport Commission is encouraging the participation in all sectors of motorsport, including racers, engineers, mechanics, and marshals,”
She continued, “The beautiful thing is that motorsport is not a sport that is divided. So women are able to compete equally with everyone. We just have to dream to have more women in all job sectors of motorsport.”
Michele Mouton, who is a former president of FIA, said that she is hoping that the initiate taken by Al-Hamad will motivate other Saudi women as well.
Previously, there was a ban on women driving in Saudia Arabia which was lifted by King Salman.