A Mini Cooper changed the trajectory of Reema Juffali’s life.
The Saudi Arabian grew up fascinated by cars – she describes herself as a proper “petrolhead.” But after watching her first 24 Hours of Le Mans during college, when she saw an amateur driver standing on the podium, Juffali realized, “Even though I didn’t understand how the race works, that was enough for me to realize, ‘Oh, okay, this is something that I can do if I like.’” A year or so later, at around 19, she secured her first track day in the U.K. and took her sister’s Mini Cooper for a spin.
Juffali pushed the car to its limit, confirming she could pursue motorsports if she chose to. “It was just instantaneous, like, the feeling of, ‘This is where I belong.’”
But getting her foot in the door was more difficult. Becoming Saudi Arabia’s first-ever female race driver and launching her own team was “a long and slow process.” Now, as F1 Academy’s first wild card entry of the season, Juffali can shine a spotlight on her country and use the platform to push towards a different goal than people may expect, considering the series is part of the F1 pyramid.
“My goal and aspiration is not necessarily to be an F1 driver,” Juffali said. “But what F1 Academy has done for many drivers and…
