Tunisian female drift racer breaks stereotypes - in pictures

Nour Bendhia speeds past gender stereotypes as she practises for her first international competition

Nour Bendhia, 27, is a trained architect who fell in love with drift racing after accidentally walking into a race. All photos: Reuters

Nour Bendhia, 27-year-old drift racer, practices in Tunis, Tunisia, June 14, 2022. Picture taken June 14, 2022. REUTERS / Jihed Abidellaoui

'People are shocked when I tell them that I race, when they see my posters or see me in the media. They wonder how can a woman drive and win races – how can this happen? I used to get upset about this, but now it actually makes me happy because I am breaking this stereotype. With time, people have become accepting of the idea and they say it's great when they watch me.'

Bendhia is practising for her first international competition and is the first Tunisian female drifter to take part in the event. She and her friends also founded ‘Dissent Diva’, an all-female car drifting club.

'I feel like drift racing is a battle, we can say that the car is the beast and I am the warrior. The car has a lot of power, and I try to push it to its limits, but without losing control. I try to maintain control over it and do the things I want. In the end, winning gives you a mixture of adrenalin and satisfaction.'

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