LILOU WADOUX Leads Historic 2025 as Women’s Racing Hits New Milestone

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January 11, 2026

GRRL! SUMMARY:

  • F4 experienced unprecedented growth with nearly 80 female drivers competing globally, representing a 64.5% increase from 2024. The surge was driven by F1 Academy’s pipeline success and Japan’s Kyojo Cup transition to F4 machinery. Saudi F4’s season finale made history when women comprised 57.1% of the grid, including standout performers NINA GADEMAN, PAYTON WESTCOTT, and karting graduate CHIARA BÄTTIG. However, this F4 boom hasn’t translated to Formula Regional progression, where only eight women competed – an 11% decline.
  • Endurance and GT racing emerged as the strongest platforms for elite female competition, with LILOU WADOUX dominating headlines by winning the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup title and ELMS vice-championship. JAMIE CHADWICK’s rookie LMP2 campaign delivered three class victories including outright wins, while MARTA GARCÍA secured her first GT3 victory at Silverstone despite facing a fiery crash earlier in the season. Iron Dames made history by winning across all ACO categories from Ligier European Series to WEC.
  • The single-seater ladder above F4 remains problematic, with zero women in F2 or F3 for the first time since 2021. F1 Academy provided compelling racing as DORIANE PIN claimed the championship after a season-long battle with MAYA WEUG and CHLOE CHAMBERS, but graduation pathways remain uncertain. Success stories like ABBI PULLING’s GB3 podium and rookie breakthrough performances from EMILY COTTY in Italian F4 demonstrate talent availability, yet structural and financial barriers persist beyond entry levels.
  • The data reveals a clear pattern: massive growth at grassroots F4 level, elite success in GT/endurance racing where women regularly win championships, but a concerning gap in the middle ladder of Formula Regional and F3. Manufacturer backing proves crucial – Ferrari’s support of WADOUX and Genesis Magma’s development of CHADWICK show the pathway forward. The challenge isn’t talent identification anymore; it’s creating sustainable progression routes for the 80 women now entering F4 to reach the top levels five years from now.

UPCOMING:

  • 2026 F1 Academy Season Opener
  • Genesis Magma Hypercar WEC Debut

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 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 HAILIE DEEGAN JUJU NODA JAMIE CHADWICK VANINA ICKX LILOU WADOUX LÉNA BÜHLER BELÉN GARCÍA CINDY GUDET CHRISTINA NIELSEN CELIA MARTIN SARAH BOVY MICHELLE GATTING MARTA GARCÍA JESSICA HAWKINS RENEE GRACIE SAMANTHA TAN LAURA VAN DEN HENGEL MANUELA GOSTNER GABRIELA JÍLKOVÁ REEMA JUFFALI HANNAH GRISHAM HANNAH GREENEMEIER LAURA HAYES 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 CHARLOTTE TRAYNOR JEM HEPWORTH KATRINA EE ASHLEY GREGORY MILLIE HART KATHERINE LEGGE DANICA PATRICK TONI BREIDINGER ISABELLA ROBUSTO LANIE BUICE BECCA MONOPOLI REGINA SIRVENT TAYLOR REIMER AMBER BALCAEN KAYLEE BRYSON JADE AVEDISIAN MANDY CHICK LOGAN MISURACA VALERIA ARANDA ALEXANDRA MOHNHAUPT SOL DIAZ ARIANNA CASOLI LUNA FLUXA KLARA KOWALCZYK ELLA HAKKINEN RAHEL FREY ALISHA PALMOWSKI ALEXANDRA HAINER

autodromo enzo e dino ferrari, brazilian formula 4, european le mans series, imsa

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