How a family holiday uncovered Saudi Arabia's youngest rising motorsport star

JEDDAH — What were you doing when you were 12? Were some of the biggest names in international motorsports telling your father they'd discovered a rare talent? Were you overtaking drivers years older than you just days after climbing behind the wheel for the first time? By 14, had you already represented your country, earned consecutive invitations to the IAME Ladies Cup, and competed among the world's best karters? Jana Anjaiman has. In just two years, the 14-year-old Saudi racer has competed on some of Europe's biggest karting stages, earning the respect of coaches and world champions along the way. **media[2733439]** During a family vacation in France in the summer of 2023, Jana and her father, Captain Talal Anjaiman — a former Saudi Airlines pilot who gave up his career and invested his retirement savings to fully support his daughter's dream — visited a karting circuit in the city of Nancy simply to try something new. It was the first time she had ever driven. Within days, instructors were asking whether she had received professional training. Coaches even invited the school's director to watch her drive. Despite being only 12 years old, she was quickly moved into older categories, where she won both the junior and senior championships. Among those watching was championship-winning rally co-driver Vincent Landais. His advice to Jana's father would become the moment everything changed. "Keep Jana on track. She is going far." **media[2733434]** The school, convinced of her potential, began opening its circuit early each morning just for Jana. By the end of the summer, she had broken the school's all-time lap record. Returning to Saudi Arabia only reinforced what coaches in France had already seen. Competing against more than 150 drivers from across the Kingdom in a national karting championship, Jana was the youngest competitor in the field and the only girl. She qualified third. Then she won. The victory launched a remarkable rise. Over the next two years, Jana collected national titles before testing herself against Europe's most experienced young drivers, finishing 19th among around 120 competitors in Italy, placing 13th in Spain, and earning back-to-back invitations to compete among the world's top female karters at the IAME Ladies Cup. **media[2733437]** In her most recent appearance, despite suffering two engine failures that forced her to start the final from 32nd on the grid, Jana fought her way through the field with 12 overtakes to finish 17th in the world. Despite her rapid rise, Jana insists talent alone is not what matters. "For me, it's more about passion. Without passion, I wouldn't pursue something I don't like," she said. While many drivers dream only of Formula One, Jana dreams of understanding every bolt, gear, and component beneath her. Racing transformed the way she sees mathematics and physics, inspiring her to pursue mechanical engineering so she can one day design and drive race cars. "If you don't understand your kart," she said, "you're not really a driver." Despite competing in one of the world's most male-dominated sports, Jana says racing against men with years of experience has never intimidated her. Instead, she studies them. "I don't feel intimidated by the men," she said. "I feel the need to learn from them. I stay behind on the track and watch how they drive, how they control the machine until I find myself being bumper to bumper with them and even overtaking them in some instances." **media[2733436,2733440]** For Jana, however, racing has always been about something bigger than results. She hopes her journey encourages a new generation of Saudi girls to pursue ambitions that once seemed impossible. "I'm not just doing this for myself. I'm doing this for every Saudi girl. I want to make history for this country. I want to break records internationally and let people know Saudi women can do the impossible." Those words carry special meaning for her father. **media[2733432]** While Captain Talal dreams of seeing his daughter succeed on the track and raise Saudi Arabia's profile in international motorsports, his greatest achievement has always been raising a good person before raising a champion. That belief was put to the test when Jana knowingly sacrificed her own race by stepping out of her kart to help a fellow driver whose kart had flipped on track, a decision that effectively ended her race but reflected the values her father had always hoped to instill. "My greatest pride," he said, "is seeing my daughter carrying the Saudi flag among the flags of the world." But talent alone is no longer Jana's biggest challenge. Opportunity is. **media[2733430]** As Jana prepares for another appearance at the IAME Ladies Cup in early October — receiving a special invitation after missing qualification through the European series because she was unable to compete in enough races — many of the drivers she will face have spent months training on the same circuits that host the championship. Jana, meanwhile, is still searching for sponsorship that would allow her to gain the same level of preparation before the competition begins. For Captain Talal, supporting his daughter is about more than funding another racing season. It is an investment in a young Saudi athlete capable of competing with the very best if given the same opportunities. "If I had to sell everything I own, I would," he said. Every sacrifice, he says, is driven by one vision: seeing the Saudi flag represented on starting grids alongside the world's best and knowing his daughter helped carry it there. **media[2733441]**