NICOLE HAVRDA Takes On F1 Academy Debut as Canadian Teen Chases F1 Dreams

March 18, 2025

• NICOLE HAVRDA, the 19-year-old from Comox, BC, secured her spot in F1 Academy—Formula 1’s premier women’s development series—and kicks off her campaign this week in Shanghai. She’s one of the select few competing in what’s considered the top women’s circuit, where drivers aged 16-25 get just two seasons to prove themselves in single-seater competition.
• The Canadian racer is refreshingly honest about the financial realities we rarely hear discussed—while some competitors arrive with massive marketing budgets, HAVRDA and her family navigate the sponsorship landscape differently. She’s secured American Express backing for the Academy and has her sights set on landing Lululemon as a dream Canadian sponsor.
• What started with a family trip to the Austrian Grand Prix when she was 10 has evolved into a clear-eyed pursuit of F1, driven by that unmatched adrenaline rush she discovered in go-karts. HAVRDA expects the Academy’s media presence to amplify her message to young girls: “You can do it. Just believe in yourself and follow your goals—we all believe in you.”

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