That begs the question, is this a state-funded Saudi team, carrying with it both the associated heavy investment and dubious baggage all too familiar to fans of Newcastle United? “At the moment it is privately backed,” says Juffali. “In the beginning we want to get the team and structure set up right. There are plans for apprenticeships and bringing Saudis in, so we are looking for commercial support internationally as well as in Saudi to help propel the team forward.”
She insists a demand from Saudis to explore motor sport is real, as the kingdom opens up to racing via the Jeddah Formula 1 Grand Prix, Formula E in Diriyah and the Dakar Rally. “It’s an exciting time for people in Saudi to just have this as an option, which they never had before. I can finally answer their questions with this team.” Men and women? “Definitely. It’s about creating this space for people who feel up for the challenge and hopefully this will encourage them to get into the sport, even one day start their own teams.”
‘Theeba’ is Juffali’s nickname, meaning ‘She-wolf’
Theeba
Speak to Juffali and you can’t help but be impressed by her drive, ambition and a desire to make a difference, in a country where she has witnessed recent seismic change first-hand – most obviously by the lifting of the female driving ban that kept her at arm’s length from her passion for cars as she grew up in Jeddah. The team name fully reflects her spirit. “It was what I was called when I was a teenager,” she reveals. “When you are young and doing something cool, or some mischief, a friend would call you ‘beast’ or something that translates that way. In Arabic they use the word ‘beast’, but also the word ‘wolf’. It was very male and there wasn’t really a female version – so my friends basically contrived this word and called me Theeba, which is essentially ‘she-wolf’. I forgot about it until I started racing and thought it was quite a fitting name and symbol, so I had it on my helmet from the beginning. When I started the team I couldn’t think of any other name that was as fitting, because it really does describe that passion and drive to want more.”
Juffali flung herself straight into GT racing by competing in the Dubai 24 Hours in January. Again, there might have been easier ways – but ninth overall and second in GT3 Am was vindication. It also triggered the formation of Theeba. “The race was incredible,” she says. “I expected it would take me time to get my head around it, but I actually felt like I thrived, especially in night practice. I ended up doing quite a lot of the night stints and I really enjoyed the racing. It was a lot more strategic and not just driving to the limit constantly. I like that side of things and that excellent result was one of the reasons for thinking ‘this could go well, how can we think about the long-term goal of getting to Le Mans?’ We started thinking ‘we need a Saudi entry, this can’t just be a Saudi driver.’”
The relationship with Christodoulou stretches back to her first season racing in the UK in 2019 when he coached her in a Renault Clio around the British tracks. She knows the 2016 Nürburgring 24 Hours winner well and that is easing her learning curve. So while Le Mans is the target for the future, what does she want from this season? “To be on the overall podium [in International GT Open] and to win the Pro-Am class. Bearing in mind the team’s first race is this weekend, it is setting a reasonable expectation. But I am optimistic. We’re at that stage where I just want to get in the car and get going.”
But she knows she can never escape the long shadow Saudi Arabia still casts when it comes to its reputation for inequality. The stories of human rights abuses cannot be ignored. “I can’t speak for my country,” she says, “but we are making inroads and are trying to open up to the world through tourism, sporting events, even internally with local tourism. There are things I’ve never seen before that I’m going to visit. There is so much positivity and the people are excited, they want to be part of society and contribute, something I considered wasn’t a fact a couple of years ago.
“There is still some way to go. A new country opening its doors to the world, there’s bound to be some kickback. But just be patient and with time these things will change.”
She speaks passionately about a growth in interest for karting and the circuits that will soon be built, for a people who “are passionate and avid sportspeople. This will catch on and hopefully we will have a thriving car and race culture soon in Saudi.”
There’s a “curiosity” about this unfamiliar new world of motor sport, she says. “Theeba will be an introduction and once they hear about the opportunities we are opening for them I’m hopeful they will be excited and want to be a part of the team.
“It’s really about sharing this journey with them. It’s not just my story anymore.”