Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi score double P4 in Le Castellet Ligier European Series round

Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi had another strong outing in the Ligier European Series at the second round of the season in Le Castellet, where they came very close to another podium finish in both races. Ultimately, they secured two fourth-place results, collecting a healthy haul of championship points.

Photo credits: Team Virage

Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi had another strong outing in the Ligier European Series at the second round of the season in Le Castellet, where they came very close to another podium finish in both races. Ultimately, they secured two fourth-place results, collecting a healthy haul of championship points.

The Emirati sisters, who stepped up to sportscars after competing in single-seaters from F4 to Formula Regional and F1 Academy, are sharing the #88 Team Virage Ligier JSP4 prototype in their first season of endurance racing. Both have several F4 wins under their belts and enjoyed significant success in the 2024 F1 Academy season, representing Red Bull and VCARB. Having reached their two-year limit in the all-female series, they made a promising career move to prototypes.

The Ligier European Series, part of the ELMS support package, is a rapidly growing development championship that has become a key stepping stone on the sportscar ladder — and the Al Qubaisi sisters are aiming to continue their rise after a remarkable debut in Barcelona.

On their first weekends as co-drivers, Amna and Hamda impressed with front-running pace, contending for the podium throughout. Despite a first-lap contact in Race 1 that forced Hamda into a recovery drive, they claimed a podium finish in Race 2 at Barcelona, starting their campaign with a third-place result.

The second round at Le Castellet further proved that the Emirati sisters are emerging as leading contenders in the JSP4 class. The #88 Ligier continued to run near the front all weekend, despite their limited testing time in the prototype. The pair adapted quickly to both the car and the French circuit;

in the opening practice session, Hamda set a 2:10.478 lap time, placing third overall. Amna followed with a similarly strong pace in FP2, where the two were separated by just a few tenths — confirming them as one of the strongest driver duos in the championship.

Hamda tackled the first qualifying session on Friday. She had the pace for a front-row start but encountered traffic in the final sector of her best lap, ending up fourth on the grid with a strong 2:08.212.

"Quali was quite good — we were P2 the whole way through, and then in the last lap I caught some traffic when I had my two best sectors," Hamda explained. "It kind of caused us to lose two positions only in the last lap. So then I ended up P4, but I knew we could make it up in the race, so I wasn't too worried."

Amna took over for Q2 and was also hampered by traffic: "I got held up with one JSP4 for three laps," she said. "When I managed to overtake him, I had GTs on every sector of my qualifying lap, so it was really difficult." Despite this, Amna still managed a 2:08.587, placing her seventh on the grid for Race 2.

Photo credits: Team Virage

Hamda started Saturday morning’s race from third on the grid after a commendable qualifying performance. She held position through Turn 1, defending well from Bouteiller and Bertocco, and soon began pulling away, closing in on the top three.

Maintaining third behind Iko Segret and the sister #22 car of Vic Stevens, Hamda steadily increased her pace, eventually catching Stevens by lap 8. Under pressure, Stevens made a mistake at Le Beausset, and Hamda capitalized to move up to second on lap 10.

As she tried to chase down Segret, a yellow flag was brought out for a stranded LS2R car just as the pit window opened. The safety car was deployed shortly after, bunching up the field. With 31 minutes to go, the GT cars pitted, followed by the JSP4 class a lap later. Hamda handed over to Amna, but a slow pit stop dropped the #88 to eighth in class.

Back on track, Amna began her recovery. She overtook several cars, including Poulet and Preen, and broke into the top five. She then challenged Hage for fourth, and although she briefly got ahead, she was forced to give the position back.

Under pressure from Schell in the closing laps, Amna held her ground and crossed the line fifth — which became fourth post-race after Hage received a penalty for a starting procedure infringement.

"Race one was quite good in the start — I stayed around the outside in P3 and was able to get past into Turn 4," Hamda recalled. "We stayed alongside for quite a while, and after that I pressured him into a mistake at Turn 11. I was stronger in the last sector, so I knew that was the place to overtake."

"The pit stop didn’t go as planned — someone was standing in the way, and I couldn’t park the car properly, so it took longer to switch with Amna and we lost several positions."

"After the issue in the pit stop, I was able to bring the car back to P4 and tried to gain as many positions as I could and avoid silly mistakes," Amna added. "We could have finished P2, but I’ll take a P4."

It was another strong run for the sisters — both showing excellent pace and racecraft, even if misfortune cost them a podium shot.

Photo credits: Team Virage

Race 2 followed in the afternoon. Amna started from seventh and was boxed in at Turn 1, dropping to eighth. She quickly regrouped, passed Schell, and began chasing the pack ahead, pulling clear of the cars behind.

By lap 5, Amna was behind Steed and Poulet, with the fast-charging Dario Cabanelas also joining the fray. Amna attempted a move on Steed at Turn 1 but had to back off, coming under pressure from Cabanelas. When Steed went wide at Le Beausset, both Amna and Cabanelas got past.

Now in seventh, Amna pushed hard, closing the gap to Poulet while defending from Cabanelas. The pair battled, and when Cabanelas cleared Poulet, Amna followed through with a great move into the chicane. She set personal best sectors and latched onto Cabanelas as they pursued Peters and Hage ahead.

Amna handed over to Hamda with 31 minutes to go; the pit stop went smoothly, and Hamda emerged in P5, three seconds behind Vic Stevens. She quickly closed the gap, setting a 2:09.285 and then dipping under 2:09 with a 2:08.9 — the third-fastest lap overall.

As Bertocco served a drive-through penalty, Hamda’s fight with Stevens became a battle for the final podium spot. Unfortunately, heavy JS2R traffic cost her time. Stevens passed Segret for second, then made a mistake and lost the position again, while Hamda crossed the finish line in fourth — just shy of the podium once more.

"Amna’s stint went quite well," Hamda summarized. "She kept her position for a long time and this time we didn’t lose any time in the pits, which helped. I had good pace and was catching our sister car quickly. Once I got to him, though, traffic came at the wrong time and made it very difficult."

"We were catching P2 quickly, both of us. If we didn’t have that traffic, we could’ve finished in the top three. Pace-wise, and in terms of consistency, we’re there."

With two fourth-place finishes, Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi collected another strong points haul and showed top-three pace throughout the event. "Last race weekend it was P6 and P3 — now it’s a double P4, so good points," said Hamda. With 45 points across the opening two rounds, the sisters now sit third in the championship.

"Next race is Le Mans — it’s a new track for me, so I’m excited to go for it," Hamda concluded, as the series now heads to the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe, supporting the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 8th.