Stephanie Hobeika, aged 22, originally hails from Lebanon but grew up in Dubai and then moved to the United Kingdom to study Design Engineering at the University of Bath in 2021.
A relative latecomer to competitive motor racing, she was 16 years old when she first took the wheel of a kart in the five-round IAME Series Lebanon at the RPM Karting Track.
Her raw talent immediately shone through, as she notched up an impressive victory in the penultimate round of a confidence-inspiring rookie season, classifying third in the championship.
Relocating to the United Arab Emirates broadened Hobeika’s horizons and exposed her to a higher-calibre opposition in the 2020-21 IAME Series UAE, which takes in RAK Track, Dubai Kartdrome, Sharjah Kart Track, Al Forsan International and the home of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit.
There was much to learn and she finished P6 in the definitive points with a best result of second, but it was only upon moving to the UK to study that racing became a more serious pursuit.
Hobeika showcased her talents in the Ultimate Karting Championship during her third year at university, but it was the F1 Academy – an initiative to promote and expand female participation in motorsport – that sparked conversations about car racing.
In 2024, a wide-ranging test programme, which included outings in a Radical SR1, Ginetta G56 GTA, Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and Formula 4 single-seater, helped her choose a direction and commit to DW Racing for the 2025 Radical Club Challenge presented by 750 Motor Club.
