2025 In Review: LILOU WADOUX, DORIANE PIN & JAMIE CHADWICK Lead Historic Year

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January 10, 2026

GRRL! SUMMARY:

  • 2025 marked unprecedented female participation at Formula 4 level with nearly 80 drivers competing globally – a massive 64.5% increase from 2024. The symbolic peak came at Saudi F4’s season finale where women comprised 57.1% of the grid, achieving motorsport’s first majority-female single-seater championship race. Rising stars like NINA GADEMAN, PAYTON WESTCOTT, and rookie EMILY COTTY led this grassroots surge, while MATHILDA PAATZ emerged as one of the most consistently competitive F4 drivers anywhere.
  • While F4 exploded with opportunity, the single-seater ladder above Formula Regional remained frustratingly brittle. Only eight female drivers appeared at Formula Regional level – an 11% drop from 2024 – and for the first time since 2021, zero women competed in FIA F3 or F2. Even proven talents like DORIANE PIN struggled in her FRECA campaign before focusing on F1 Academy, where she ultimately secured the championship in a season-long battle with MAYA WEUG and CHLOE CHAMBERS.
  • Endurance racing emerged as the true powerhouse for elite female talent, with JAMIE CHADWICK’s immediate LMP2 success proving the point. Fresh from Indy NXT, she won on debut and stayed in ELMS championship contention all season, while LILOU WADOUX dominated at the highest level, claiming both the IMSA GTD Michelin Endurance Cup title and ELMS LMGT3 vice-championship. Their manufacturer backing through Genesis and Ferrari respectively signals where the real opportunities lie for sustained progression.
  • GT racing continued delivering championship contenders rather than just participation trophies. LAURA VAN DEN HENGEL claimed the first-ever GT Cup Europe ProAm title by a woman, while MARTA GARCÍA won her GT3 debut season despite missing Le Mans and surviving a fiery Barcelona crash. The Iron Dames made history by winning across every ACO category level, proving that when women get proper backing and competitive machinery, they don’t just participate – they win titles and set the standard.

UPCOMING:

  • 2026 F1 Academy Season Opens in Bahrain
  • Formula 4 Championships Resume Globally
  • ELMS and IMSA Seasons Begin
  • GT World Challenge Europe Returns

LINKS TO RACER'S PROFILE PAGES:

NINA GÅDEMAN PAYTON WESTCOTT FARAH AL YOUSEF AVA DOBSON CHIARA BATTIG MEGAN BRUCE RACHEL ROBERTSON ESMEE KOSTERMAN DORIANE PIN MAYA WEUG CHLOE CHAMBERS EMILY COTTY MATHILDA PAATZ ELLA LLOYD ALBA LARSEN CHLOE CHONG EMMA FELBERMAYR IVANNA RICHARDS RAFAELA FERREIRA ANNABEL KENNEDY CLARA STIEBLEICHINGER PAIGE RADDATZ IMOGEN RADBURN ALEXIA DANIELSSON LOUISE LARSSON EMMA SCARBROUGH KAYLEE COUNTRYMAN AVA HANSSEN RIO SHIMONO MIKI ONAGA AIMI SAITO KOKORO SATO RAMI SASAKI MAKO HIRAKAWA RIONA TOMISHITA NICOLE HAVRDA VICTORIA BLOKHINA ANNA INOTSUME AI MIURA ABBI PULLING BIANCA BUSTAMANTE SOLENN AMROUCHE VANINA ICKX LILOU WADOUX JAMIE CHADWICK LÉNA BÜHLER BELÉN GARCÍA CINDY GUDET CHRISTINA NIELSEN CELIA MARTIN SARAH BOVY MICHELLE GATTING RAHEL FREY MARTA GARCÍA JESSICA HAWKINS RENEE GRACIE SAMANTHA TAN LAURA VAN DEN HENGEL MANUELA GOSTNER JODIE SLOSS HANNAH GRISHAM HANNAH GREENEMEIER LAURA HAYES GABRIELA JÍLKOVÁ REEMA JUFFALI CHRISTINE SLOSS ALEXANDRA HAINER LINDSAY BREWER JEM HEPWORTH CHLOE GRANT GRACIE MITCHELL ALBA VAZQUEZ LONI UNSER ERIKA HOFFMAN ANNA CECCHI HANNAH CHAPMAN LYDIA WALMSLEY AIMEE WATTS KATIA LOGGIE MADDIE AUST RILEY PEGRAM MEGAN TOMLINSON CHRISTINA LAM TAYLOR HAGLER PIA OHLSSON ANTONELLA BASSANI BRUNA TOMASELLI KAKÁ MAGNO SIRI HÖKFELT PATRICIJA STALIDZANE SALLY MCNULTY ALANA CARTER ASHLYN SPEED SALLY MOTT HEATHER HADLEY MAITE CÁCERES CAROLINE CANDAS KATRINA EE ASHLEY GREGORY MILLIE HART KATHERINE LEGGE TONI BREIDINGER ISABELLA ROBUSTO LANIE BUICE BECCA MONOPOLI REGINA SIRVENT TAYLOR REIMER AMBER BALCAEN KAYLEE BRYSON JADE AVEDISIAN MANDY CHICK LOGAN MISURACA ALEXANDRA MOHNHAUPT SOL DIAZ ARIANNA CASOLI KLARA KOWALCZYK ELLA HAKKINEN LUNA FLUXA DANICA PATRICK ALISHA PALMOWSKI

all-female f1 academy, brazilian formula 4, european le mans series, imsa gtd

GRRL! summary based upon reporting by RACERS originally appearing on www.racers-behindthehelmet.com