Aramcon Ali’s passion for motorsport shifts into top gear

A young Aramco professional is living out his motorsport dream, having qualified as a “deputy chief scrutineering” marshal for Formula 1 (F1) and other grades of motorsport.

An assistant engineer with the Eastern Region Terminal Operations Department, Ali H. Homoud was on duty at the successful inaugural F1 race at the new Jiddah race track last year, and at the 2022 race last month.

A scrutineer’s job is to check that competing vehicles comply with the predefined technical regulations, which help to ensure safety and fair play.

Homoud’s involvement as a marshal in motorsport began in 2018 when the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) announced that the Kingdom would be hosting the Formula E race event in AlDiriyah in 2018. 

SAMF, in collaboration with the Bahrain Motor Federation (BMF), provided an official course to interested people, and Hamoud was lucky enough to follow his dream of being involved in the race.

Pole position

As an Aramco professional, Homoud found himself in the pole position to be involved in some of the most high-profile races, culminating in the Formula 1 and 2 races in Jiddah, which pits the world’s best drivers and teams against each other.

He has also scrutineered at several drag racing competitions in Bahrain, the Sharqiyah International Baja Cross Country Rally, the Extreme E Electric Rally in Alula in 2021, and was involved in the Extreme E Electric Rally at Neom earlier this year.

Each of the events has its own rules and regulations, and Homoud has to understand them weeks prior to the races.

“As a scrutineer, it was my responsibility and that of the scrutineering team to ensure that all participating vehicles at a particular event comply with the technical regulations and requirements for the category of race,” Homoud explains.

Inspections

Once at the circuit, his work starts with the inspection of the cars and the driver’s gear prior to a race. Once everything is checked and verified, the cars will be cleared to participate.

During a race, the work continues with the monitoring of the team garages to ensure that each team is complying with the rules.

Fast and furious

Homoud’s love of all thing’s motorsport can be traced back to childhood when he was inspired by his older brothers.

The famous 2001 movie, “The Fast and the Furious,” also piqued Homoud’s interest in motorsports.

“That was a turning point for me,” he says. “That’s when I decided that I would create a path for myself that would revolve around cars.”

Aramco is one of the global partners of F1 across all of its races, and is using the platform to showcase its commitments to precision engineering, high performance, and “future fuels.”

Pride

“A big moment of pride for me was when I saw the Aramco name and logo at the Jiddah circuit in 2021, and this year — a dream I have always had, had come at last to fruition, Homoud stated.

I have spent my entire career working with Aramco, and I have never felt prouder to be an Aramcon. The company that I work for and my passion are in collaboration for the foreseeable future. Who knows what kind of opportunities might arise?
— Ali H. Homoud

History

History was made as the checkered flag came down on the Jiddah Corniche circuit and the buzz of high-performance engines heralded the beginning of Saudi Arabia’s first ever F1 Grand Prix race last year. 

This year’s race was held at the Jiddah circuit on March 27, and Aramco’s own Ali Homoud was on hand to ensure that the rules were followed in a race that saw Max Verstappen cross the finish line in first place.