The significance of allowing women in Saudi Arabia to drive cannot be underestimated

In 2017 Aseel was appointed as a board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) as the first women board member. Aseel is currently FiA's Saudi Arabia Representative of Women Motorsport. In the wake of Saudi Arabia's lifting of a ban on women driving on 2018, Aseel drove a celebratory lap in a F1 car prior to the opening of the 2018 French Grand Prix.

As Chief Executive Officer Aseel has overall responsibility for the institutional relations of the Dragon Girls, including strategic direction, marketing and commercial development. In her role Aseel has direction and involvement in the motorsport team, as well as developing synergies at a regionally and internationally level.

Aseel Al-Hamad

The significance of allowing women in Saudi Arabia to drive cannot be underestimated. The lifting of the ban, on June 24, 2018, was not only a celebration for the automotive industry, but also a significant step forward in Saudi Arabia’s acceptance of women’s role in society, legitimising our aspirations, hopes, and dreams and allowing us to articulate and carve out identities for ourselves separate from our families and husbands.

While society considers motorsports to be a male arena, it is important that we remember that there are no actual rules forbidding women to compete on the track. We want to show that with spirit, determination, and by dreaming big, we can redefine what is considered ‘normal,’ and encourage more women to step forward into roles in the world of motorsports.

We work tirelessly to inspire our fellow women to express themselves clearly and take ownership of their limitless and true potential. We must believe in ourselves and never lose hope. No matter what challenges a woman faces, if she can meet them head on and gain strength from every aspect, she will grow. By never giving up and remaining faithful to both the values of our nation and our personal ambitions, we can show women that anything is possible with hard work and ambition. I encourage women to do what they love, to follow their dreams, and to really push themselves to become the truest articulation of their personality. We gain nothing by acting small. Life is like a race. We must always look to achieve our goals and, ultimately, become a champion.

Dragon Girls Racing Team CEO

One of Aseel's role is to champion the voice of female drivers in the kingdom.

Aseel Al-Hamad, Dragon Girls Racing Team CEO on the future of women drivers in the region.

If you need the password for this PDF email us to bristol@p1entertainment.com

PARTNER WITH DRAGON GIRLS PDF

The moment when true and unique talent is discovered is emotionally unparalleled

DOWNLAOD

Since 2008 Borja has been involved in motorsport series. Series which have gone to win amongst other awards the Golden and Bronze Lion at Cannes. In 2018 Borja produced McLaren’s World’s Fastest Gamer including Zak Brown, Mika Häkkinen, Lando Norris and Gonçalo Gomes.

Borja has a long track record in the British TV industry where he has produced unscripted films and series for the BBC, Discovery Channel, Red Bull, FOX, ESPN, WSL, and others.

As CEO Borja provides leadership, creativity, innovation and clear direction to the company looking continuously for opportunities to innovate and find new ways to increase reach and engagement levels through motorsport narratives.

Borja Cantera

The way motorsport is broadcast never appealed to me. I didn’t grew up watching races. I’m not a super-car fanatic, I don’t even like driving. My aim has always been to appeal to the broadest of the audiences. Whatever the subject matter may be, my like has always fallen for characters undergoing transformation. Characters fraught with love, loss, and pride. Characters committing terrible mistakes without realising how foolish and arrogant they had been. In 2011 and to my surprise I found all those ingredients in the most inconspicuous production.

Nissan GT Academy was born under a simple strap line; From virtual to reality. The aim was to transform gamers into professional racing drivers. In 2011 was brought-in to make a TV series narrating the challenges in which the gamers had to drive real racing cars in real racing circuits. After making several seasons I produced the last ever GT Academy in 2017. What I discovered during that period transformed my approach to live-action unscripted series, narrative and at large entertainment.

A driver’s academy contains all the ingredients to bake the finest Greek drama. But it also involves something I couldn’t anticipate back in 2011. However much it has been exploited, the moment when true and unique talent is discovered is emotionally unparalleled. Those moments are not for the motorsport fans to admire. They are for all to rejoice in the potential of youth, to admire the luck and predisposition of unique individuals, to give us hope for a greater future.

The women in our Academy series are daring and brave women. They all have that special grace, that special spirit that says, “give me a challenge and I’ll meet it with joy.” The few have the light of geniuses, the ability to inspire a generation. For us It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. These women are pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder at P1 Entertainment

Miriam — the mum of the last GT Academy’s winner marvels at his son’s unexpected achievement.

Borja Cantera P1’s CEO on the entertainment virtues of racing academies.

If you need the password for this PDF email us to bristol@p1entertainment.com

PARTNER WITH ARABIAN DRIVERS PDF

Someone with an exceptional racing intellect waits to be discovered. The skill is finding it.

DOWNLAOD

Gonçalo is a five-time national racing champion, a 24 Hours of Le Mans driver, F3 and Formula Opel Euro-series runner-up. Gonçalo has a long career history in GT Academy as racing mentor. His natural intuition for spotting talent, his deep understanding of motor racing, and his undisputed ability to coach successful drivers has earned him a record of five GT Academy wins. Gonçalo is also a McLaren official driver and sits at McLaren‘s World’s Fastest Gamer board of mentors.

In 2018, Gonçalo, Zak Brown, and Oliver Turvey selected Dutchman Rudy van Buren as the winner of WFG and McLaren’s new simulator driver. On his first season with McLaren, Rudy exceeded every expectation, thus validating WFG’s selection process.

As P1’s head of motorsports Gonçalo proactively engages with potential partners, identifying opportunities for strategic growth while being accountable for the performance of our racing programmes, ensuring that forward racing investment delivers the best value for money.

Gonçalo Gomes

Before I met him, I had only heard of Rudy van Buren as a name next to an online scoreboard, an avatar, or as a digital car in rFactor 2 — the closest game to a real racing simulator. I then met him in the flesh. It was day one of McLaren’s World’s Fastest Gamer — a series in which online gamers compete to be selected as the next McLaren F1 simulator driver. I remember the instant when I first saw him; the racing driver in me was quick to react; neither him or any of the gamers looked the part. It couldn’t be. How could any of them be joining Alonso, Stoffel and Lando defied my imagination. Two weeks later I was utterly convinced. He was the right man for the job.

Before Rudy the selection process for a F1 simulator driver was quite simple. An extraordinarily fast racing driver would be tried and tested in the simulator. Ensuring that the driver could relay feedback with surgical precision and endure the mental fatigue of long simulator sessions, he or she would be hired. The problem was that the pool of available racing drivers was very small. With World’s Fastest Gamer we gave ourselves more options. We went from looking at a handful of candidates to 30,000. Our instinct was proven right; somewhere within a well curated mass someone with an exceptional racing intellect and a truly unique competitive advantage waits to be discovered. The skill is finding it.

With Algorithm E we are taking this search even a step further. I believe that someone out there has the potential to become the next Senna, Alonso, Schumacher, or even greater. Our mission is to find him or her, looking at the biggest pool of talent the world can provide, using AI to discern the good from the exceptional. We want to find the next superstar of the sport, and our Algorithm will guide us in this otherwise daunting task.

Rudy become the first ever gamer to work for a F1 team taking motorsport yet another step forward towards its digital transformation. With AI we now explore new horizons beyond gaming. We start a new journey which promises a dazzling future. A journey which we confront with courage, character and fortitude, as Algorithm E brings us ever closer to a fastest future.

Head of Motorsports and Founder at P1 Entertainment

Gonçalo directing the first World's Fastest Gamer Virtual Race at McLaren's HQ.

Gonçalo Gomes P1’s Head of Motorsport on using AI to find the next superstar of the sport.