Al Dhaheri podiums in Hungary and France build momentum

Al Dhaheri, earlier this year, signed to the Mercedes-AMG PetronasF1 Team Junior Programme, demonstrated pace, consistency, and adaptability across three key race weekends in July and early August, further establishing himself as one of the brightest young prospects in the paddock.

At the July 4–6 round in Budapest, 16-year-old Rashid delivered a standout drive at the Hungaroring, renowned for its tight, technical layout and high physical demands. Among a field of 26 international drivers, he was quick from the opening test sessions, consistently refining the car's setup with his team.

After qualifying P3 for Race 1, he managed a composed drive to finish P4, collecting important championship points. On Sunday, he went one better. After qualifying second, Rashid executed a near-flawless Race 2, maintaining pressure throughout and managing his tyres expertly to claim P2. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 1:58.862, underlining his ability to deliver under pressure.

Two weeks later at Circuit Paul Ricard (July 18–20), Rashid was once again among the front-runners. Despite suffering a slow puncture in Qualifying 1 that forced him to withdraw from Race 1, he bounced back with authority.

In Qualifying 2 on Sunday, he secured pole position in his group, missing out on overall pole by just 0.055s.

That pace translated into a hard-fought P2 in Race 2, a result that saw him raise the UAE flag on the podium once again. “It was a clear display of his pace and determination,” noted his team. The result came despite an overnight rebuild after being forced off-track and into the barriers in Race 1 by another driver.

Rashid’s final outing of the summer came at Italy’s Imola Circuit from August 1–3. Despite promising pace in Thursday and Friday’s practice sessions, Qualifying 1 pushed him down the order. A collision in Race 1 required extensive overnight repairs, and a compromised setup limited his Sunday performance. He finished inside the top 15, a result that didn’t reflect his earlier speed.

Nonetheless, Rashid’s team emphasised the collective nature of motorsport and the importance of overcoming adversity: “Success depends on every team member turning challenges into future opportunities.”