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Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Mirror
Top Irish racing driver bounces back from big career setback to forge new path
Laura O'Connell was primed and ready to go and, just a week before her dream race, it was snatched from her grasp. The 26-year-old was one of only two Irish female racing drivers - Hanna Celsie was the other - drawn from 25 countries worldwide, who competed in the Formula Women Nations Cup Finals qualifier in Dubai last December. O'Connell successfully made it through the process and everything was booked for a return to the finals in May. They were to be a part of the Formula Woman Festival - an event set to be attended by over 60,000 enthusiasts and broadcast to over 120 countries - with Formula Woman established to provide a pathway for female drivers to climb the ladder towards Formula One involvement. "Unfortunately the week before we were all informed that Formula Woman would basically no longer be in business and that the Nations Cup was not going to go ahead," explained the Clare-born driver. "So, major disappointment. We had everything booked. My whole family had flights and accommodation and everything was ready." Formula 1 testing at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi (Image:) The O'Connells went anyway and Laura got to drive on the Yas Marina F1 circuit in Abu Dhabi through the former Formula Woman CEO Graeme Glew and also Golf Sport, who brought the cars up to the venue for six of the women due to compete. She got to have three 20-minute sessions on the track as the sun set from late afternoon to evening. "That was kind of a plus for all the stuff that had happened," said the 26-year-old. "It was very cool, actually, to see the track at night time and to see what the actual F1 drivers are seeing, because that's a night time race. "It was just a surreal thing because it's one of those bucket list tracks. It was definitely the coolest track I've ever been on, especially when the hotel there at Yas Marina started to light up at night time and changed colour. It wasn't a totally wasted trip, I suppose!" O'Connell grew up in Broadford as a F1 fan with posters of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher on her wall. Her father, Pat, was a rally driver who also helped to organise the Galway Rally, and she grew up going to karting tracks with him. She played underage Camogie for her county but racing is in the blood. So while she loved her Yas Marina experience, missing out on the Nations Cup finals was a body blow and she took almost a month off afterwards to come to terms with it, then returned to the track. Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in 1992 (Image: Bongarts/Getty Images) "The FW cancellation was kept very quiet, it kind of disappeared without any sort of trace, so it's definitely been hard to take," O'Connell said. "But we'll keep moving anyway and try to forget about it. "I got a sports psychologist to help me through that disappointment and to kind of mentally prepare for what was to come next. "I was watching a lot of other sports, even hurling and rugby, they all have them. So does racing - all the top racers will have them, and there's obviously a reason for them to have them. So I sought out a sports psychologist myself and yeah, they've really been helping get me in the right mindset. It's been really helpful." She went back racing in June after joining the new Racing Women team founded by Glew and O'Connell's new team-mate was Jorden Dolishka - who won that Formula Woman Nations Cup qualifier in December. Together, they won the Radical UK Cup championship team event in that same month, with O'Connell and Dolishka taking one race each before swapping halfway in the endurance race. "It was great to come out with a win after everything that happened," said the Irish driver. "I was mad to get back out so I was just trying to figure out where to go. And I was lucky that Racing Women was formed and I was able to join them straight away." Laura O'Connell and Jorden Dolishka celebrate their team victory (Image: Laura O'Connell Instagram) She will race with the team - now expanded to 10 drivers - again next month in the same UK championship, although this time it will be a mixed event involving men and women. That will take place in Donington Park and the prize on offer is a fully sponsored drive in the Radical World UK finals, which will take place in Virginia in November. "So hopefully I'll make the top two and I'll have a free ride to America. But we'll see how it goes," smiled O'Connell, who will be in Donington Park on Wednesday for a test day. "I'll basically be up against all these racing women and I'll kind of get a good idea of my competition and how I stand next to them. I do feel like I'll be in with a good enough chance." The ultimate goal with Racing Women, O'Connell confides, is to get a team into the 24 Hour Le Mans in the coming years. A big step up, she admits, given that the longest race she has done is 45 minutes. Laura O'Connell behind the wheel (Image: Laura O'Connell Instagram) "But it's one I'm working towards," she added. "And hopefully in the next year or so, if I get the sponsors that I'm hoping to get, I'll be able to kind of do it full time and work my way towards Le Mans." O'Connell is a biochemist who works just 10 minutes from home for Beckman Coulter and she is hugely grateful that the multi-national company supports her in terms of time off when she needs it to pursue her dream. Gym work is vital to her cause, as is the sports psychology aspect and working on the simulator she has at home where she can get a feel for what the car will be like on the Donington track, while using an online coach to help her look for the marginal gains. It's all about making further progress up the ladder. "Especially as a woman, it's so much harder for us anyway to get sponsors, to get the coverage and the results that the men are getting because we're kind of treated a little bit differently outside of the actual race," O'Connell said. "Once we put our helmets on, we're all treated the exact same. "But outside of that, it's definitely not harder for a woman. So I felt like when the Nations Cup was cancelled, it was just another kind of punch in the gut for women in sport. But I've been very lucky with all the opportunities that have kind of been thrown my way since and hopefully they don't stop."
Zawya
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
Dubai Autodrome to stage a packed motorsport season after historic landmark campaign
Dubai: Dubai Autodrome General Manager Faisal Al Sahlawi has said the new 2025/26 motorsport season will be one of its busiest after reflecting on an 'incredible' milestone campaign that attracted a record-breaking attendance at 24H Dubai during its 20th anniversary celebrations. Dubai Autodrome, a subsidiary of Union Properties, recently closed out its season after hosting more than 15 racing competitions over the last six months. Among the events that took place include the annual endurance motorsport competition, 24H Dubai, which saw more than 70 teams, including the largest GT3, as well as the fifth Asian Le Mans, Formula Regional Middle East Championship, Formula 4 Middle East Championship, Formula Woman Nations Cup and other several regional motorsport events. Furthermore, the venue held more than 80 motorcycle and car track days, and 20 roll racing events for the local community. The season was part of Dubai Autodrome's 20th anniversary, which was celebrated at the 24H Dubai, and Al Sahlawi believes the upcoming season which will start in October solidifies the venue as a leading destination for motorsport and entertainment in the region. He said: 'We are very pleased with the recent motorsport season, which coincided with the 20-year celebrations of Dubai Autodrome. Overall, there was exciting and competitive racing on the track with bigger grids and an array of top international and regional drivers in action, while off the track, there was a record number of spectators for the 24H Dubai with more than 30,000 attendees for this flagship event. This shows that motorsport is growing in the UAE and is going from strength to strength, which bodes well for the future.' He added: 'Planning is already underway for the new 2025/26 season, and it will be one of the busiest seasons at Dubai Autodrome, as we have the Gulf Historic back, where iconic 1960s cars and historic F1 cars from the 70s and 80s will all be on display, as well as top racing on the track. There will also be four international races, including the 24H Dubai, and an array of top regional and local motorsport competitions where we expect to have a greater number of participants during the course of the season.' Off the track, Dubai Autodrome's motorsport season is also contributing to the country's economic growth. Al Sahlawi said: 'Overall, we had approximately more than 55,000 people be part of our motorsport events from race teams, drivers, and officials, and that saw airlines, hotels and hospitality services benefit greatly, especially with their families and friends also travelling. 'Not only are we pleased to be playing our part to support the UAE's growth beyond the motorsport races but is also a testament to the success of Union Properties' vision of enhancing Dubai Autodrome's position as a leading motorsport hub in the region.' Media Contact: Seven Media Denzil Pinto denzilpinto@ About Dubai Autodrome Completed in 2004, the 'Dubai Autodrome', a subsidiary of Union Properties, was the UAE's first fully-integrated multipurpose motorsport and entertainment facility. At the heart of the Union Properties MotorCity development, it includes an FIA-sanctioned 5.39km circuit with six different configurations, a race school, indoor and outdoor karting tracks, the Grandstand Retail Plaza, the Motorsport Business Park, and a paddock hospitality zone overlooking the track.
Al Arabiya
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Al Arabiya
Saudi racing driver Farah al-Yousef targeting breakout 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. For more Saudi sports news, visit our dedicated page. 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. (Supplied) 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.'
