Photo: Twitter / Renault
Saudi Arabia was in a celebratory mood over the weekend, when the driving ban for female drivers was officially lifted and the first women to get a driver’s license took to the streets – for the first time, unattended by a male chaperon.
Celebrations also reached the French Grand Prix, which saw the first ever Saudi woman get behind the wheel of an F1 car, ahead of the big race, CNN confirms.
Her name is Aseel Al-Hamad and she is the first female member of Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation and a successful businesswoman on her own. She had driven on a circuit before, but not in front of such a huge crowd.
For the historic moment, she partnered with Renault, which offered her a Lotus Renault E20 car – the same one that Finnish driver Kimmi Raikkonen drove to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2012. Some moments from before and after the tour were shared on Twitter by the carmaker.
At the event, Al-Hamad spoke to the media about how she had come to fulfill a lifelong dream, that of getting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. She also said she wanted her gesture to be an inspiration for anyone thinking dreams can’t come true: if women in Saudi Arabi can finally drive (an F1 car, no less!), anything is possible.
“I have loved racing and motorsport from a very young age and to drive a Formula One car goes even beyond my dreams and what I thought was possible,” Al-Hamad also said, as part of a statement from Renault.
“I hope doing so on the day when women can drive on the roads in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shows what you can do if you have the passion and spirit to dream,” she continued.
The ban on women driving was lifted in 2017, but it wasn’t until now that the first driver’s licenses for women were issued. As of now, most of the women driving alone on the roads of the country are limited to the richer cities, where they considered, more or less, celebrities. But the change has come nonetheless – and it bears historic importance.
Her name is Aseel Al-Hamad and she is the first female member of Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation and a successful businesswoman on her own. She had driven on a circuit before, but not in front of such a huge crowd.
For the historic moment, she partnered with Renault, which offered her a Lotus Renault E20 car – the same one that Finnish driver Kimmi Raikkonen drove to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2012. Some moments from before and after the tour were shared on Twitter by the carmaker.
At the event, Al-Hamad spoke to the media about how she had come to fulfill a lifelong dream, that of getting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. She also said she wanted her gesture to be an inspiration for anyone thinking dreams can’t come true: if women in Saudi Arabi can finally drive (an F1 car, no less!), anything is possible.
“I have loved racing and motorsport from a very young age and to drive a Formula One car goes even beyond my dreams and what I thought was possible,” Al-Hamad also said, as part of a statement from Renault.
“I hope doing so on the day when women can drive on the roads in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shows what you can do if you have the passion and spirit to dream,” she continued.
The ban on women driving was lifted in 2017, but it wasn’t until now that the first driver’s licenses for women were issued. As of now, most of the women driving alone on the roads of the country are limited to the richer cities, where they considered, more or less, celebrities. But the change has come nonetheless – and it bears historic importance.
Saudi Arabian Aseel Al-Hamad, the first female member of the Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation, to drive the @PaulRicardTrack, in the 2012 @RenaultSportF1 car today ahead of the #FrenchGP.
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) June 24, 2018
I https://t.co/tzyEzSfs7I#RSspirit #RACEday #SheDrives pic.twitter.com/N6WhhUpAWs
Enjoy the drive @ASEEL_ALHAMAD! J#RSspirit #FrenchGP #SheDrives pic.twitter.com/e5som7vYvq
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) June 24, 2018
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