Doha: When it comes to motorsport there’s nothing quite like Formula 1 for glitz, glamour and adrenaline-fueled action. It is perhaps no surprise then that there’s a new generation of Qatari motorsports fans who are dreaming of becoming the next Formula 1 Champion, having seen the world’s most talented drivers compete for victory at Lusail International Circuit (LIC) in 2023. In the case of four young drivers from Qatar Motorsports Academy (QMA) that dream became a step closer to reality in March 2024, when they took to the tarmac behind the wheel of a Formula 4 single seater racing car as part of an exciting new test day facilitated by QMA at LIC.
The talented quartet - Khalid Al-Muftah, aged 20, Bader Al-Sulaiti aged 16, Taha Hassiba, aged 15 and younger brother Tamim, 14 - who all cut their teeth in karting at QMA, were able to road test their skills at LIC as part of the FIA F4 Saudi Arabia Championship, a single-make junior drivers’ programme where cars are powered by 1600 cc engines which boast up to 160 brake horsepower. QMA, which has been based at the state-of-the-art Lusail International Circuit since 2018, aims to develop home-grown young talent providing drivers with a hub where they can begin to ascend through the ranks of the motorsport ladder. Khalid, whose racing hero is Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, says of his experience: “It’s the best feeling ever to sit in a single seater racing car at a track like Lusail! It’s really important for the f.