Sebastian Vettel confirms race return in Saudi Arabia for key initiative

Sebastian Vettel has confirmed that his initiative Race for Women will return in Saudi Arabia this weekend, as he aims to empower the next generation of female racers.

The four-time world champion first launched the female-only karting event in 2021, ahead of F1's first race in Jeddah, where drivers of varying ability took part in the race.

Now, Vettel has announced that the initiative is returning to Jeddah, in a bid to empower more women in Saudi Arabia to get out on track and also provide them with a chance to race alongside the former F1 driver.

“Since 2018, women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to obtain a driving licence. We celebrated this positive change in 2021 with the first #RACE4WOMEN event on a kart track in Jeddah,” Vettel wrote on Instagram.

“From the Ladies Karting Cup to the new grassroots academy at The Track Jeddah, we’ve seen real progress in the empowerment of women through motorsport. What was just a first taste of karting in 2021 has grown into a real passion for some of these women.

“This year – 2025 – I am returning to Jeddah to practice and race with 20 female racing drivers from Saudi Arabia at The Track Jeddah.

“Change doesn’t happen overnight – but I’d love to see more strong female drivers at the top of the sport!”

Saudi Arabia sees the return of the F1 Academy

Speaking on BBC Sportsworld, Vettel discussed the impact of hosting the karting event in Saudi Arabia, hoping that the return to Jeddah will help give women a voice.

“Obviously, it was a great experience on the day. A lot of smiles. These girls and young women were very, very happy, and we, you know, share those memories," he said.

"I think it means I had a lot of messages after the event, but also the years after that, they felt a lot more courageous about speaking up on certain topics."

The all-female racing series the F1 Academy will also race in Saudi Arabia this weekend, where their latest wild card entry features Riyadh-born racer Farah AlYousef, who won the 2022 Saudi Women’s Karting championship.

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