Women all over Saudi Arabia are celebrating a historic day for their country: the day that Saudi women are legally allowed to drive on the kingdom’s roads.
The decision to lift the archaic ban was made by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in September 2017, making Saudi Arabia the last country in the world to allow women to drive.
Female race care driver Aseel Al-Hamad decided to mark the exciting day by taking a celebratory lap around the Le Castellet circuit in a 2012 Renault Formula One race car.
Al-Hamad’s drive was part of a pre-race parade to welcome back the first French Grand Prix tournament in 10 years.
“I have loved racing and motor sport from a very young age and to drive a Formula One car goes even beyond my dreams and what I thought was possible,” she said in a statement. “I hope doing so on the day when women can drive on the roads in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia shows what you can do if you have the passion and spirit to dream.”
“The most important thing I am looking forward to is to start seeing the next generation, young girls, trying [motor sport]. I want to watch them training and taking the sport very seriously as a career. This is going to be really my biggest achievement.”
Al-Hamad also marked the day exciting day by going on her first ever drive on a racing circuit in her home country.
GNN
