Red Bull has named the three upcoming female racers which will represent the drinks brand and its two Formula 1 teams in F1 Academy this year.
All F1 teams are required to support at least one driver in the all-female category this year. Red Bull and its sister team RB, previously known as AlphaTauri, have chosen three drivers to receive the backing of their new Red Bull Academy Programme.The trio all raced for MP Motorsport in the series last year and will return this year, carrying Red Bull’s colours in the series. Emirati Hamda Al Qubaisi, who placed third in F1 Academy last year, will be backed by Red Bull’s F1 team. Her sister Amna is officially supported by RB. The squad is completed by Dutch racer Emely De Heus, whose backing comes from the Red Bull brand.
Red Bull has set up its new Academy Programme to promote female racers. “The Red Bull Academy Programme recognises that historically there have been barriers for women in motorsport and, with its sponsorship of three drivers and cars competing in the series, strives to be at the heart of diversity and equality within our sport,” it said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Hamda, Emely and Amna, three incredibly talented drivers, into the Red Bull Academy Programme and are looking forward to working with them closely this season,” said Red Bull Academy Programme manager Sarah Harrington. “This is a landmark moment for us and is testament to our complete commitment to the future of women’s motorsport.
“F1 Academy provides an opportunity to promote genuine change in our industry and this is a great stepping-stone to help ensure that the drivers progress to the next level. This is a pivotal moment for women in motorsport and we are excited to see what this season brings.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
F1 Academy
- F1 Academy announces superlicence points and two-season limit for drivers
- F1 Academy champion Garcia awarded fully-funded FREC seat with Prema
- Garcia clinches F1 Academy title with victory in first race of Austin finale
- F1 Academy racer Bianca Bustamante joins McLaren as their latest junior
- F1 Academy confirms calendar for second season including Saudi Arabia opener
BasCB (@bascb)
2nd February 2024, 12:20
All three of them are race winners and showed some decent racing and pace. Will be good to see how they develop in the coming years
amped
2nd February 2024, 12:29
Where? Finishing in the nose bleed positions in F4 is hardly decent racing or pace!
The Al Qubaisi sisters show what a mockery F1 Academy is, both privileged rich daughters of a Mubadala executive who have entered 100s of races, getting a handout from F1 in the form of subsidised drives.
MichaelN
2nd February 2024, 14:58
Harrington’s use of the term “women’s motorsport” is a bit of an issue. I for one hope it doesn’t become a trend to segregate girls into their own junior series. The FIA-backed Iron Dames model is much better, and the impact of them outright winning a WEC race in class is so much more effective at confronting people’s stereotypes and inspiring young talent.
This overly strong emphasis on making a connection between a girls-only F4 series and F1 is also likely to be counter-productive. Even in regular F4 series, the likelihood of those young guys ever making to F2 – never mind F1 – is extremely small. It almost seems like they’re setting these girls up to fail by backing them inside their own little bubble, but providing no clear path forward.