海角直播n driver Reema Juffali will compete on one of motorsport鈥檚 most iconic tracks over the coming days, and the 29-year-old will pay tribute to her heritage by wearing a personalized helmet.
As part of the Douglas Motorsport team, Juffali is taking part in the second stage of the 2021 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, where she will aim to build on her performance in the opening rounds which took place last month.
Juffali is relishing the prospect of competing at Silverstone for the very first time.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the home of British motorsport and an iconic track, so to be racing here, and hopefully putting on a good show, is very exciting for me,鈥 she said.
鈥淲ith the way the track is, the grip level gives me confidence in the car. Of all the tracks I鈥檝e visited, this is the one I鈥檓 most excited about racing on and I can鈥檛 wait to get out there.鈥
Say hello to my new helmet.
鈥 Reema Juffali - 乇賷賲丕 丕賱噩賮丕賱賷 (@reemajuffali)
While Silverstone may be a long way from Juffali鈥檚 birthplace of Jeddah, the helmet she will wear will ensure she feels that little bit closer to home.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about it and it鈥檚 been a long time coming. I wanted to incorporate a bit of myself, and Saudi, into the helmet. There is some green, and orange to represent the desert. I also have a symbol on the top, called Theeba, which is a she-wolf, and that鈥檚 something my friends used to call me when I was a teenager. I added my name in both English and Arabic.
鈥淚 came up with the base design and then I sent loads of photos to the designer,鈥 she added. 鈥淚n the past, I haven鈥檛 really liked a lot of the helmets that were designed for me, and they didn鈥檛 always go to plan. I had the same design for two years in Formula 4 so now I鈥檓 really happy with what we鈥檝e come up with because it鈥檚 very representative of me, it feels authentic which is hugely important to me.鈥
Juffali鈥檚 Saudi heritage plays a pivotal role in her life and, as the country鈥檚 most high-profile female racing driver, she has a huge opportunity to inspire young women who might wish to follow in her footsteps.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very important and something extremely close to my heart,鈥 said Juffali. 鈥淕rowing up in Saudi, I didn鈥檛 have many role models in the public sphere who I could look up to, and now there are so many.鈥淧eople can connect with other people who are like them and from a similar background, whether that鈥檚 a racing driver, an artist or something else entirely. I think it鈥檚 crucial to have somebody like that and I think I鈥檓 in a very fortunate position to be able to inspire youngsters.鈥漈urning her attention back to the upcoming event, Juffali says she has left no stone unturned ahead of her return to action at the British F3 Championship.
For any professional athlete, preparation is key, and she is confident of reaping the rewards out on the track.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been good,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been trying to put in as much time as we can, whether that鈥檚 in a simulator or on a track, just so I stay fresh and get as much experience as I can prior to the race weekend,鈥 Juffali said. 鈥淚鈥檝e managed to do that and it鈥檚 given me that extra bit I need to come here with confidence. And it鈥檚 also important because I don鈥檛 want to come into the event feeling like I need to brush off the cobwebs. I feel like I鈥檓 ready to go, which is great.
鈥淎 top 10 finish would be great,鈥 she added. 鈥淚t depends on the conditions and what鈥檚 happening throughout the races, but for me, breaking into the top 10 would be a big win and that鈥檚 where I鈥檇 like to be. I鈥檓 feeling confident so let鈥檚 see what happens.鈥