Jamaica’s Sara Misir created history when she became the first woman from the Caribbean to make it to the final of a Formula One qualification competition in the United Kingdom yesterday. Misir was counted among the final 50 in the final. That 50 came from more than 9,000 applicants to the Formula One Women’s Programme from all over the world. At the end of the programme, the top driver will be selected to drive for a McLaren GT team. The final of the competition will be held on March 2 and 3 in the United Kingdom.
Sara’s father, Rugie Misir, said he was delighted with his daughter’s achievements and that she is now looking forward to competing in the final next year. “As a father, I am elated because she is living her father’s dream,” said the elder Misir. “She is very elated because she can’t believe it. She is finishing her master’s degree at the Florida International University, and so she is in school, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime for her,” Misir said.
“This is a massive boost for the sport in Jamaica because this will put us on the map for racing, but it is not like anybody in the world doesn’t know who Jamaica is, thanks to our forefathers in motor racing,” Misir said. Misir added that the 23-year-old will return home in January, where she will be doing a lot of practice sessions in preparation for the final in just a few months’ time.
Practise in Jamaica
“She would like to win, and the next thing is what she has to do to win, and so we are going to get here (Jamaica) in January and take her to Dover to practise and let her get some laps under her belt,” he said. Misir said he wasn’t surprised by his daughter’s achievements because she is a very talented and disciplined individual who always strives to be the best.
“She has a lot of talent because she started racing late in life when she was about 16 or 17 years old,” he said. “She was an equestrian when she was the first Jamaican to have a world ranking of number six, however, she had an accident with the horse where she had to have life-saving surgery, and so I had to find another sport for her, and that sport was motoracing,” Misir said.
