The Emirati racing driver will become the first UAE national to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2027
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team has just announced that Emirati racing driver Rashid Al Dhaheri will advance to the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2027. The move makes him the first UAE national to compete in the championship – a huge milestone for Emirati motorsport.
Al Dhaheri, the 18-year-old Mercedes-AMG F1 Junior Driver will join the Dutch team Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR). The team has a long history of developing young international talent, including Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing) – a four-time World Champion. Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari) also started off from Van Amersfoort Racing, as did Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Oliver Bearman (Haas).
And no, for those of you not into Formula 1, that wasn’t a typo at all. The FIA Formula 3 Championship forms a part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix programme.
Only 30 drivers across 10 teams compete on the international grid. They race around the world in 10 countries and four continents. It can be as intense as Formula 1, and for good reason – the championship is a key stage in the drivers’ rise to Formula 1.
When can you see Rashid Al Dhaheri race?
Al Dhaheri will make his FIA Formula 3 debut when the new season begins in March 2027.
For those of you who aren’t keeping up with the Kardashians of Formula 1, the new season will kick off in Bahrain next year in March 2027. The season opening usually starts in Australia, but the schedule changed due to the Holy Month of Ramadan.
This means that Al Dhaheri will start off his Formula 3 career in a Middle Eastern country, where no doubt he will receive plenty of support. The dates for the Bahrain race weekend are March 12 to 14, 2027.
After this, the season continues with the second race on the calendar taking place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia from March 19 to 21. It’s a special one, because it marks the championship’s inaugural visit to the circuit.
Sadly, there is no F3 race scheduled for Abu Dhabi, but in 2027, there will be the first-ever F1 Sprint race. Read more about it here.
Take a look at the entire F3 racing calendar below:
Photo credit: fiaformula3.com
What has Rashid Al Dhaheri’s racing career looked like so far?
Al Dhaheri’s motorsport journey began in UAE karting before developing into an international career.
He has won multiple World Series Karting (WSK) titles and the Macau International Kart Grand Prix.
He progressed to Formula 4 in 2023 with five victories and 14 podium finishes across 2023 and 2024 before stepping up to Formula Regional in 2025.
This year, he became the first Emirati driver to win a Formula Regional race, achieving the milestone at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. He also received the Vice-Championship title, having claimed three victories and four podium finishes in the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy.
He also had an impressive year in the 2026 FIA Formula Regional European Championship, with three victories, eight podium finishes, one pole position and a fastest lap.
Speaking on the move to Formula 3, Al Dhaheri stated it was an important milestone in his career, saying his focus is now on preparing as strongly as possible for the 2027 season. He hopes that his journey would inspire other young Emirati drivers to pursue a pathway towards the highest levels of international motorsport.
Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO of Ethara, the operator of Yas Marina Circuit and the official organiser and promoter of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, stated that Rashid Al Dhaheri’s progression into FIA Formula 3 is an important milestone. He stated that the ‘progression of Emirati talent onto the international motorsport stage reflects the UAE’s commitment to developing the next generation of racing drivers’.
Well done, Rashid Al Dhaheri! We’re rooting for you!
Images: @mercedesamgf1 and @aldhaherirashid
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