DOHA, 16th February, 2026 (WAM) — Emirati Rashid Al Dhaheri has concluded the 2026 Formula Regional Middle East Trophy as Vice Champion—falling just a handful of points short of the title in a dramatic final race, in a season defined by resilience, breakthrough victories and history-making milestones.
The 2026 winter campaign will be remembered as the year Al Dhaheri elevated himself from contender to benchmark. Across four intense rounds, he led the championship in three of them, establishing himself as the reference driver of the field and carrying the weight of an entire region on his shoulders.
The 2026 grid was widely regarded as one of the most competitive in recent years, featuring leading talents from Europe, Asia and the Americas—many already aligned with top junior academies on the FIA single-seater ladder. Amid that international depth, Al Dhaheri stood as the only MENA representative, competing not just for results, but for representation.
The defining chapter of the season unfolded at home in Abu Dhabi. Across two rounds at Yas Marina Circuit, Al Dhaheri delivered three commanding victories, writing his name into the record books as the first and only MENA race driver to win races in Formula Regional.
Round 1 (YMC1) immediately set the tone, with a dominant win that announced his championship intent. Round 2 reinforced his authority with two more victories in front of home fans—an achievement widely praised across regional and international media as a watershed moment for Middle Eastern motorsport.
Through Dubai and Lusail, Al Dhaheri remained at the forefront. Consistency, tyre management discipline and race intelligence kept him in championship control for the majority of the season. Entering the final round, the title was firmly within reach.
Round 4 in Qatar proved to be a fierce battleground. Finishing P6 in Race 1 and P7 in Race 2, Al Dhaheri fought relentlessly in tightly contested conditions. Technical issues were some bad luck on Friday. Despite narrowly missing out on crucial points in the closing stages of the final race, he secured the 2026 Vice Championship—losing the title by only a few points after leading the standings across three of the four rounds.
While the trophy narrowly escaped him, the broader achievement is undeniable. Al Dhaheri’s 2026 winter campaign has established him as the most successful MENA driver in Formula Regional Middle East history and a serious prospect on the international single-seater ladder.
The winter season now transitions into the main European campaign. At the end of April, Al Dhaheri will begin the FIA Formula Regional European Championship, an eight-round series on F1 race circuits in Europe running through October and regarded as one of the most competitive junior categories globally.
