Saudi racing driver Farah al-Yousef targeting breakout 2025

Al Arabiya

07-02-2025

Farah al-Yousef has only been racing for seven years but has found herself thrust firmly into the motorsport spotlight in 2025.
Last year she was identified by both Formula Woman – a UK-based talent agency – and the Saudi Motorsport Company as a driver with significant potential. Since then, al-Yousef has been propelled toward a professional racing career. Earlier this month, Riyadh-born al-Yousef made her debut in the F4 Middle East series in Abu Dhabi, the most significant step yet in her development.
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The path to global motorsport superstardom is – despite the diverse range of characters in Formula One's hit Netflix show Drive to Survive – actually quite prescriptive. It almost always starts with a childhood spent on the go-kart track.
As the karting talent develops, drivers who are lucky enough to be scouted by big motorsport teams begin to be supported - financially and technically - in their development. They then move up through various competitions and cars, until they don't. Then the cycle begins with new promising faces.
The world of motorsport is a ruthless one that is extremely challenging to break into – even for those who have been in vehicles almost as long as they have been out of diapers.
For al-Yousef, the challenge is even greater; she only got behind the wheel of a kart for the first time as a teenager.
'I know my story is a bit different than everyone else in motorsport,' al-Yousef explained to Al Arabiya English. 'I didn't come from a motorsport background or a motorsport family; I didn't have a father or siblings who were competitive in motorsport.'
'I kind of found my way into this field. But when I discovered motorsport, it was where I could see myself – where I wanted to end up.'
Riyadh-born al-Yousef found an immediate connection with karting. Her natural fearlessness helped her attack corners and speed down straights faster than those around her and she quickly began winning races and then championships. She was crowned the Saudi female karting champion in 2023.
Motorsport began to dominate al-Yousef's life, and she consumed it at every opportunity. When she wasn't driving, she volunteered as a marshal at the myriad events taking place in the Kingdom – from Formula One and Formula E to the Dakar Rally and Extreme E.
'The more I was surrounded by people in motorsport, the more I fell in love with the industry,' she recalls.
Al-Yousef was a precocious driver but also determined to prioritize her studies. Through racing she had become enamored with mechanics and chose to study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Manchester in the UK.
'Because I didn't have a strong racing background, I thought that maybe if I really embrace the technical aspect and become a very good engineer, it would give me that advantage on the track too,' she told Al Arabiya English.
'I also chose the UK because it's such a mature infrastructure for motorsport and really good drivers just come from the UK because it's part of the culture. I feel like you see people driving in racing lines on the streets – it's in the blood.'
In January 2024, she began an association with Formula Woman. An organization founded by Graeme Glew, Formula Woman aims to discover and nurture female racing drivers by providing track days, sim racing and a competitive racing experience.
'When I met Graeme, he asked me what I wanted to get out of Formula Woman,' al-Yousef recalled. 'I said, 'I want to be a world champion – isn't this why everyone's here?' We've been working together since and now we have had this chance to compete in F4 Middle East.'
The leading single-seater series in the region, F4 Middle East has become a breeding ground for talented drivers and al-Yousef made her debut in January after deciding to take a year out of university to fully focus on racing.
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It was a tough introduction given the quality of her opponents and her relative lack of experience, but she insists the challenge was one she relished.
'It was the only way to fast-track my learning curve,' al-Yousef explained. 'I don't know if anyone has ever done it this way before, but it is a big job and a big, bold move – I have really gone straight in at the deep end.'
She continued, 'The competition is really hard, and everyone is really fast but we are committed to improving and to representing Saudi in the best way possible. It is that commitment that comes above all else for me.'
Al-Yousef's gains have been immediate, with her lap times rapidly improving since her maiden outing. But she is her own harshest critic.
'I'm never really satisfied with the improvements that I'm making. I only know that I've done a good job when my team tells me, 'wow, that's a massive improvement'. But for me, I just want to be up there competing immediately,' she told Al Arabiya English.
'There are professional and rookie categories in F4 but I feel like I am in a third category of my own. It's me against me and it's the hardest battle anyone can go through. But if motor racing was easy then everyone would do it.'
One of the series that is firmly on al-Yousef's radar is the all-female F1 Academy. With drivers supported by Formula One teams, and race weekends taking place alongside F1 Grands Prix, it is a tremendous opportunity for drivers to showcase their talent.
In April, the F1 Academy returns to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as young female drivers battle it out on the same track as Formula One's all-star cast – including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Al-Yousef is delighted to see Saudi Arabia chosen again to host a race in the series.
'I'm so happy. I'm beyond thrilled,' Al-Yousef said. 'As a Saudi, I'm so proud to know Saudi Arabia is hosting the F1 and supporting an event like the F1 Academy as it shows how competitive female drivers are. It is important because the more competitive you are, the better opportunities you have.'
She continued, 'You can see all-female competition in other sports like tennis and football but it didn't exist on this high level before in motorsport. It is cool to have a series where female drivers can be competitive but I still feel the ultimate goal in motorsport is to compete against male drivers and win.'
She added that she 'would never want an opportunity just for being a female racing driver and have refused approaches like this before when I thought it was just for a PR story.'
Al-Yousef is still at the start of her motorsport career but is impatient to get faster and more competitive. With several major competitions and plenty of testing in the pipeline in 2025, she faces a big year ahead in her development.
'Over the next year, I just want to understand how to push the limits of the car and to feel more and more confident and comfortable,' she said. 'I want to be competitive in a Formula 4 car this year and then much further down the line I'd love to compete in the Le Mans 24-hour.
'I am fighting hard to keep pushing and getting better and I think it's the best mentality to have in motorsport as a racing driver - to never be satisfied with the accomplishments and to always try to improve.'