Emirati teenager Rashid Al Dhaheri has joined Mercedes as part of their Junior Driver Programme, the Formula One team has announced.
Al Dhaheri, 16, is a rising star of UAE motorsport and becomes the first driver from the Middle East to be selected for the Mercedes team's F1 development initiative.
“I am deeply honoured to join the Mercedes-AMG Junior Team. This is a dream come true, and I am incredibly grateful to Toto Wolff and the entire Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team for their trust in me and this incredible opportunity," Al Dhaheri said.
"I will give my absolute best every single day to grow, improve, and make the most of this privilege. I am eager to work with the team’s world-class experts and learn from their unparalleled experience in the sport.”
The Mercedes Junior Driver Programme is renowned for its commitment to developing young racing talent, combining state-of-the-art facilities, technical expertise, and motorsport experience. The programme has a track record of preparing drivers for the highest levels of competition, as demonstrated by the recent promotion of Kimi Antonelli, who was announced as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for the upcoming F1 season.
George Russell, Hamilton's teammate last year, is also a graduate of the programme while fellow graduate Fred Vesti will occupy the role of the team's reserve driver in 2025.
Gwen Lagrue, Mercedes F1's driver development advisor, said: "2025 marked a special year for the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team’s Junior Programme, that was reborn in 2016. Both of our F1 drivers this year have come from our own programme and are showing the way for all our young drivers.
“We have allowed ourselves to explore new championships and challenges this year, welcoming six new members from go karting all the way up to FIA Formula 3. Some of our junior drivers are ready to fight for their respective championships, some are just starting their journey in single seaters, some are at the end of their karting careers and others are at the beginning. At all levels we have some exciting talents and a busy season ahead."
Al Dhaheri's motorsport journey began at the age of three, and he quickly rose through the ranks, winning the WSK Super Master Series and the South Garda Winter Cup in the 60 Mini category. In 2023, he made his single-seater debut with Prema Racing in the Italian F4 Championship, finishing 10th overall and taking P3 at Macau. He continued to impress in 2024, competing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship and the Euro 4 Championship.
This year he will race in the Formula Regional European Championship with Prema Racing.
“Formula Regional this year will be a new experience, new tracks, with a new car, so there's a lot of learning to do," Al Dhaheri said. "My biggest goal is to always give 100 per cent and to keep developing. I’m still at an early point in my career and we never stop learning.”
In an interview with The National in February 2024, Al Dhaheri said his focus was on progressing through the ranks with the ultimate goal of becoming the first driver to represent the UAE in motorsport's premier series of F1.
“It’s always hard to say because of a lot of factors. Hopefully, in the next seven to eight years,” Al Dhaheri said when asked to put a timeframe of when he might reach F1.
“It’s hard to say how it goes. We’re focused on the next category, to go year by year, focus on my development and that brings us to what we are doing right now.”
Friday's announcement has brought that dream one step closer.
