18 Rising Stars Get Their Shot: F1 Academy’s First-Ever Rookie Test Lineup

September 12, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

F1 Academy’s inaugural rookie test at Circuito de Navarra brings together 18 talented female drivers aged 15-21, representing a genuine merit-based pipeline from karting champions like double English KZ2 winner ELLA STEVENS to proven F4 competitors like LISA BILLARD, who’s leading the French F4 Female Trophy despite being just 15. The September 17-18 event combines real track testing with performance assessments, offering each driver six hours in F1 Academy machinery under identical conditions.
The field showcases remarkable diversity in racing backgrounds and achievements, from IMOGEN RADBURN’s dominant Australian F4 campaign (currently fourth in standings with multiple podiums) to ALEXANDRA VATEVA’s impressive GT success including Porsche Cup victories at Hockenheim. Meanwhile, Americans PAYTON WESTCOTT and EMMA SCARBROUGH represent the growing transatlantic talent pool, with Westcott already collecting six Female Trophy wins in competitive Italian F4.
What sets this initiative apart is the comprehensive evaluation approach – drivers will be embedded with F1 Academy teams for engineering briefings and subjected to physical and cognitive testing by More Than Equal, F1 Academy’s research partner. This data-driven method aims to build evidence supporting female drivers across motorsport while identifying potential Wild Card candidates for the 2026 season, creating a transparent pathway that rewards talent over connections.