Emirati Driver Rashid Al Dhaheri Set to Debut in FIA Formula 3 with Van Amersfoort Racing in 2027

Announcement and Background

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team has announced that Emirati driver Rashid Al Dhaheri will advance to the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2027, making him the first UAE national to compete in the series.

Al Dhaheri, an 18-year-old Mercedes-AMG F1 Junior Driver, will join the Dutch team Van Amersfoort Racing. The team has a history of developing young international talent, including four-time World Champion Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing), Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) and Oliver Bearman (Haas).

The FIA Formula 3 Championship forms part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix programme. Only 30 drivers across 10 teams compete on the international grid, racing in 10 countries and four continents. The series is regarded as a key stage in a driver’s path to Formula 1.

Career Progression

Al Dhaheri’s motorsport career began in UAE karting, where he won multiple World Series Karting titles and the Macau International Kart Grand Prix. He progressed to Formula 4 in 2023, recording five victories and 14 podium finishes across the 2023 and 2024 seasons before moving to Formula Regional in 2025.

In 2026 he became the first Emirati driver to win a Formula Regional race, achieving the milestone at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. He also earned the Vice-Championship title in the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy with three victories and four podium finishes. Additionally, he competed in the 2026 FIA Formula Regional European Championship, securing three victories, eight podium finishes, one pole position and a fastest lap.

2027 Formula 3 Schedule

Al Dhaheri will make his FIA Formula 3 debut when the new season opens in March 2027. The season opener is scheduled in Bahrain from March 12 to 14, 2027, a change from the usual Australian start due to the Holy Month of Ramadan.

The second round will take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia from March 19 to 21, 2027, marking the championship’s inaugural visit to that venue. No FIA Formula 3 race is planned for Abu Dhabi in 2027, but the city will host the first-ever F1 Sprint race that year.

The FIA Formula 3 calendar for 2027 is available on fiaformula3.com, with images credited to @mercedesamgf1 and @aldhaherirashid.

Speaking about his move to Formula 3, Al Dhaheri stated it was an important milestone in his career, saying his focus is now on preparing as strongly as possible for the 2027 season. He hopes that his journey would inspire other young Emirati drivers to pursue a pathway towards the highest levels of international motorsport.

Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO of Ethara, the operator of Yas Marina Circuit and the official organiser and promoter of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, stated that Rashid Al Dhaheri’s progression into FIA Formula 3 is an important milestone. He stated that the ‘progression of Emirati talent onto the international motorsport stage reflects the UAE’s commitment to developing the next generation of racing drivers’.