Mercedes announces renewed confidence in Rashid Al Dhaheri as part of the Young Drivers Programme

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas team officially announced the continuation of Emirati driver Rashid Al Dhaheri in the Mercedes program to develop young drivers, in a step that enhances his competitive path towards the Formula 1 World Championship.

Rising Emirati star Rashid Al Dhaheri joined the program in 2025, becoming the sole representative of the Middle East and North Africa region within the team’s development system, which is based in Brackley and is considered one of the most prominent talent preparation programs in motorsport, as it has contributed to developing a number of drivers to reach the highest levels of competition.

Among the graduates of the program are current Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, in addition to a number of drivers who have progressed through various development paths until they reached the Formula 1 World Championship.

Gwen Lagro, driver development advisor at Mercedes, said that Rashid officially joined the program in 2025, after following him since his first participation in karting races, noting that he was one of the most prominent rookie drivers in the Alpine European Regional Formula Championship, and provided remarkable performances on a regular basis.

He explained that Al Dhaheri’s start to the 2026 season was encouraging, after achieving two advanced positions in the qualifying trials, two victories and a runner-up in the Middle East Regional Formula Cup Championship, which gives the team great confidence before the start of the European season.

Al Dhaheri’s continuation within the program allows him to benefit from advanced technical resources, specialized supervision, and integrated support inside and outside the track, which enhances his development in international single-category races, coinciding with his preparations for the launch of the European Regional Formula Championship at the end of April.

This announcement comes at a time when the Middle East region has established its presence on the global motorsport map, hosting four rounds of the Formula 1 World Championship annually, while Mercedes’ continued support for Al Dhaheri represents an additional step in the path of developing a promising talent from the region capable of competing in the first category in the future.