Esmee Kosterman

Esmee Kosterman is a Dutch racing driver who’s made history as the first driver for LEGO Racing in F1 Academy, proving that patience, persistence, and a whole lot of karting can get you pretty much anywhere—including a commemorative LEGO set.

EARLY YEARS

Born April 16, 2005, in Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands, Esmee Kosterman didn’t exactly stumble into racing. She grew up watching her older brother Michael compete in karting, and like any self-respecting younger sibling, she decided she could do it too—probably better. She asked her father to buy her a kart, and the rest is motorsport history. By the time she was 13, Kosterman was the only girl competing in the 2018 FIA CIK Karting Academy Trophy, representing the Netherlands on an international stage while most teenagers were figuring out Instagram.

OTHER INTERESTS

In January, Kosterman traveled to Sweden for an ice drifting event, because apparently racing on regular tarmac wasn’t exciting enough. There, she learned car control on frozen lakes—a skill set that’s equal parts practical and utterly terrifying. The lake was called Södra, and yes, it was as cold as it sounds.

EARLY SUCCESS

Kosterman started winning almost immediately after her first race. In 2018, she competed in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy, and by 2019, she was deep into the Dutch Championship. In 2020, she was selected for the prestigious FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, making it to the top eight out of a highly competitive field. That same year, she finished third in the Rotax Max Championship’s Junior class rookie standings, collecting podium finishes and proving she wasn’t just along for the ride. When she transitioned to car racing via the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup Benelux, she became the first woman to win in the series—a milestone that should’ve come with confetti and possibly a parade.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2018: Represented the Netherlands in the FIA CIK Karting Academy Trophy as the only female competitor
• 2020: Selected for the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, reaching the top eight
• 2020: Finished 3rd in the Rotax Max Championship Junior class rookie standings
• 2022: Competed in the Radical class of the Prototype Challenge and retained as a KNAF Talent Junior
• 2023: First woman to win in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup Benelux; finished runner-up in the Junior Cup and third overall, with a win at Assen
• 2024: Scored points on debut in Indian F4 Championship with two top-10 finishes at Madras International Circuit
• 2025: Scored first British F4 championship points at Snetterton with recovery drives
• 2025: Became the only F1 Academy wildcard driver to score points, debuting at Zandvoort
• 2025: Earned Best Female Driver trophy in the fourth Jeddah round of Aramco F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, topping female entries in both races
• 2025: Announced as first-ever driver for LEGO Racing in F1 Academy for 2026

INSPIRATIONS

When asked about her racing idols, Kosterman named Max Verstappen—unsurprising for a Dutch driver—and Beitske Visser, proving she keeps her role models both national and female. She’s also cited the opportunity to inspire young girls as part of what drives her, which is sweet and also strategically excellent PR when you’re backed by a toy company.

REPUTATION

Kosterman’s 2025 trajectory became one of the year’s most interesting stories in women’s motorsport. She made rapid progress in British F4, became the only wildcard to score points in F1 Academy at Zandvoort—on home turf, no less—and consistently delivered recovery drives that showed she’s as scrappy as she is talented. Described as someone girls around the world can look up to, she’s carved out a reputation as a versatile driver who doesn’t just survive in male-dominated series but actually wins in them. Whether it’s single-seaters, touring cars, prototypes, or endurance racing, she’s done it—and she’s done it with a helmet on and a point to prove.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2026, Kosterman will compete full-time in F1 Academy with LEGO Racing, a multi-year partnership that also includes a commemorative LEGO set—because if you’re going to break barriers, you might as well get immortalized in plastic bricks. The partnership is designed to inspire young fans, especially girls, to see themselves in motorsport, whether behind the wheel or behind the garage doors. LEGO’s messaging is clear: build, dream, take the driver’s seat. And Kosterman? She’s already done all three.

REFERENCES

Esmee Kosterman (WCD) – F1 ACADEMY™ Racing Series
Esmee Kosterman Driver Biography PDF
Rising Stars Profile Vol. 5 – Esmee Kosterman & Astrid Almlöf – Paddock Sorority
Esmee Kosterman – Wikipedia
Esmee Kosterman secures full-time F1 Academy seat with LEGO Racing for 2026
Designing the LEGO Group’s new F1 ACADEMY™ racing car
LEGO® Racing: Inspiring young fans
Esmee Kosterman confirmed as F1 Academy wild card for Zandvoort
British F4: Esmee Kosterman scores first championship points with recovery drives at Snetterton
F4 Saudi: Esmee Kosterman tops female entries in Jeddah
2025: Women In Motorsport, a year in review
JHR add Esmee Kosterman to their British F4 team – KartXpress
JHR add Esmee Kosterman to their British F4 team
Women take the wheel: 44% of Aramco F4 Saudi Arabian Championship
F1 ACADEMY – Kosterman secures Zandvoort Wild Card entry
TeamViewer debuts WildCard Livery F1 ACADEMY car at Zandvoort
Esmee Kosterman aims for the Fiesta Title
Meet the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars! (Part 1)
Ice Drifting Event Zweden – Esmee Kosterman