Emirati driver Rashid Al Dhaheri to race in FIA Formula 3 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. A post shared by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@mercedesamgf1) 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. A total of 30 drivers across 10 teams compete for points 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. 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.