Reema Juffali (Theeba Motorsport) : "I do motorsport to go to Le Mans"

Theeba Motorsport is a newcomer to the motorsport this season and is aiming to climb the ladder step by step to the ultimate dream of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This new structure is the work of Reema Juffali, who comes from Saudi Arabia.

Before aiming higher, the International GT Open is on the planning of the season of Theeba Motorsport, which is fielding a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Reema Juffali and Adam Christodoulou, her coach for several years. The first female driver from her home country to be awarded a driver's licence studied in England. There she raced in F4 before breaking new ground as the first Saudi woman to compete in an international race in her country in the Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy on the streets of Diriyah. 

For the opening of the International GT Open season in Estoril, the pair drove for SPS automotive-performance, the team with which Reema Juffali competed in the Dubai 24 Hours last January. Theeba Motorsport took off at Paul Ricard and the results soon came in, so much so that the Mercedes crew left the Var at the head of the Pro-Am championship. 

"You never know if the timing is right to launch a team," Reema Juffali told Endurance-Info. "I have been doing motorsport for four years, I have learned a lot and progressed a lot. My goal is to go to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so I asked myself how I could get there. 2022 is my first year in GT and I'm starting this team so we can all go to Le Mans together. The decision was made about six months ago and the team didn't wait long for success." 

The International GT Open track was quickly favoured to launch the team, which runs under the Saudi Arabian flag. "The GT Open is a great place to start," says Reema Juffali. "The tracks are beautiful and the competition is very good. I think it's the perfect platform. Having Adam by my side is a real plus as he introduced me to motorsport in a Renault Clio Cup in England. To have someone by your side that you believe in is a real plus and my aim is to be as close to him as possible."

As Adam Christodoulou is close to Mercedes-AMG, the AMG GT3 was an obvious choice for the driver who is new to the GT3 class this year. Theeba Motorsport's technical team has a background in WEC and F1. For the future, nothing has been finalised but a winter programme could well see the light of day in the United Arab Emirates before thinking about 2023 on a programme which has yet to be determined and which could involve the entry of a second car. 

Reema Juffali does not have a clear timetable for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. "I don't have the answer", she explains. "It will depend on my progress and I hope to be at Le Mans in the next few years. I haven't been to Le Mans yet, but it's the race that I'm doing motorsport for. F1 has given me the opportunity to discover motorsport but going to Le Mans is what I want. It's a realistic dream for me unlike F1." 

By launching Theeba Motorsport, Reema Juffali also hopes to develop motorsport in her country, especially for women.