Young Kurdish Driver Eyes Formula 1 After UAE Wins
Fifteen-year-old Kurdish driver Mardin Suleimani has won two Newcomer categories in UAE motorsport and is building experience toward GT4 and an eventual Formula 1 dream.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - At just 15, Mardin Suleimani already carries a dream much larger than the kart he races: to climb onto an international motorsport podium and see the Kurdistan flag flying above him.
The young Kurdish driver from Maku in Eastern Kurdistan has spent the past two years based in Dubai, building his racing career after completing training at Russia's Limar Academy.
His first appearances in two major UAE motorsport competitions have given that ambition an early boost.
Competing in the Senior category, Suleimani took first place in the Newcomers category at both the IAME Series UAE and a Dubai Autodrome Motorsport Club competition, despite racing alongside more experienced drivers.
For the teenager, however, those results are only the beginning.
His long-term plan is to accumulate racing experience, sharpen his technical skills and advance through higher levels of motorsport, with GT4 competition among his targets before pursuing the much more distant goal of Formula 1.
His father and manager, Nezam Suleimani, told Kurdistan24 that racing has not weakened Mardin's attachment to his homeland.
Instead, he said, one of his son's strongest motivations is the prospect of representing Kurdistan on the international stage.
According to his father, Mardin's greatest sporting dream is to see the Kurdistan flag raised on podiums at major international races.
Nezam Suleimani said he takes pride in his son's determination and progress at such a young age and believes continued training and competition can move him closer to his goals.
That path will demand persistence.
Mardin is entering a busy 2026-2027 racing calendar that will take him to several of the UAE's best-known circuits and place him repeatedly against experienced competitors.
His next races are scheduled for Oct. 10-11 at Dubai Kartdrome, followed by rounds at Sharjah Kart Track on Nov. 21-22.
December will bring the National Day Cup at RAK Track on Dec. 4-5 before another round at Al Forsan on Dec. 19-20.
The new year will begin quickly. Rounds 9 and 10 are scheduled for Jan. 2-3, 2027, at Yas Marina Circuit, followed a week later by the Middle East Cup at Sharjah Kart Track.
An international race is scheduled for Jan. 30-31, followed by the Ramadan Trophy at RAK Track on Feb. 19-20.
The season then returns to Dubai Kartdrome on March 20-21 before races at RAK Track in April and a four-round Summer Series there in May.
For a young driver, competing regularly at circuits such as Yas Marina and Dubai Kartdrome provides the kind of experience needed to understand racecraft, technical preparation and the pressure of sustained competition.
Mardin's progress also comes as the Kurdistan Region is placing greater emphasis on creating opportunities for young people through private-sector development, including in areas connected to professional driving and motorsport.
On Sept. 30, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani laid the foundation stones for several Toyota Iraq projects in Erbil, including Erbil Motor City.
In his speech, Barzani said the project could create opportunities for young people who are passionate about driving and want to pursue it professionally. The project could also create opportunities for young Kurdish drivers such as Mardin to one day compete in international motorsport events on Kurdistan soil. He also emphasized broader cooperation with the private sector as a way to create jobs and bring new expertise to the Kurdistan Region.
For aspiring racers such as Mardin, that emphasis speaks to a challenge that extends beyond individual talent: professional motorsport requires tracks, coaching, technical knowledge, sponsorship and repeated access to competitive environments.
For now, his development is taking place largely in the UAE, where each round offers another opportunity to test himself against stronger competition.
Formula 1 remains an exceptionally distant destination, and Mardin is still at the beginning of his racing career. His immediate task is more practical, competing consistently, gaining experience and progressing through motorsport's different levels.
But the ambition behind those laps is already clear.
From Maku to Dubai, a 15-year-old Kurdish driver is trying to turn early results into a professional career, with one image guiding the journey: himself on an international podium, with the Kurdistan flag above him.