© Getty ImagesHamda signs off with a double podium on home soil Red Bull Racing’s Hamda Al Qubaisi ended here F1 Academy with a stunning double podium finish on home soil.
Aftertakingsecondinthefirstofthreeseason-closingracesatAbuDhabi’sYasMarinaCircuit,theEmiratidriveraddedasecondpodiuminRace2withabattlingthirdplacefinish.
And she might have made it a hat-trick on Sunday, but with a little over two laps left and well on her way to another top three finish, Hamda was hit by Williams-supported Lia Block and ended up crossing the line in P14.
Hamda Gets Double Podium© Getty Images
In the opening race of the weekend in Abu Dhabi, Hamda held her starting position well at the start and then when Haas-supported Chloe Chambers spun in Turn 9, the Red Bull driver swept through to second place.
She set off in pursuit of Alpine-supported race leader Abbi Pulling but in clean air the series champion was able to control the gap back to the local hero.
Crazy Traffic© Getty Images
In the final five laps, Hamda came under heavy pressure from Mercedes-supported Doriane Pin, but the Red Bull driver defended beautifully to cross the line in P2. It was her second podium of the season, the ninth of her F1 Academy career and her first on home soil in the series. Behind her, Red Bull Ford driver Emely de Heus scored her best result of the season with fourth place, while VCARB’s Amna Al Quabaisi finished eighth to score points for the fourth time in 2024.
With one podium in her pocket, Hamda went into Saturday night’s race with high expectations, and she delivered a pitch performance to take her second podium of the day. Starting from third place Hamda got away well at the start to hold the position behind Chambers and Pulling.
The Chase Is On© Getty Images
Chambers then ambushed Pulling into Turn 9 to steal the lead and the top three then began a close battle for supremacy that lasted until the midpoint of the race when Pulling finally got past Chambers to retake the lead.
Behind them, Hamda again became embroiled in a tight fight with Pin, but once again the home driver defended with tigerish determination to keep her French rival at bay. And when a late crash involving Lola Lovinfosse and Jessica Edgar resulted in a Safety Car, Hamda cruised to the line to take P3 and her second podium of the weekend.
A Tough Battle© Getty Images
Behind her Emely took another four points with eighth place but Amna was hit with a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and finished in P13.
On Sunday morning, Hamda looked on course to make a triple end-of-season treat. The Red Bull driver rose from fourth on the grid to second when Chamber and Pin collided in Turn 1, before being pipped back to third by Ferrari Academy driver Maya Weug on lap 2.
Weug then passed Pulling to steal the lead and in the closing stages Hamda began to put pressure on Pulliing who tyres were beginning to fade.
After almost making the move on two occasions, Hamda closed right up to Pulling on lap 12, but setting her car up into Turn 7 she was hit from behind by Block, and the Emirati driver was pitched into a spin. She was able to rejoin but finished in P10.
Emely, meanwhile, took another two points with ninth place and Amna ended her season by finishing in P13. Hamda’s 34-point haul on home soil means she finishes her second season of F1 Academy competition in fifth place in the Drivers’ standings, just three points behind Spain’s Nerea Marti.
The Boss Is Pleased© Getty Images
