ZOE FLORESCU POTOLEA Claims Two Female Trophy Wins in F4 Debut at Portimao

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February 15, 2026

GRRL! SUMMARY:

Romanian rookie ZOE FLORESCU POTOLEA delivered a standout debut at Portimao, sweeping two Female Trophy victories despite brutal rain conditions that claimed multiple cars. The More Than Equal programme driver showed she belongs in the top 20 overall throughout the weekend, setting lap times as quick as 2:08.038 in qualifying and 2:08.7 during races. Her weekend peaked with a stunning final-lap battle against MATHILDA PAATZ in Race 2, where post-race penalties handed her the win, followed by a controlled lights-to-flag victory in Race 3.
ELLA STEVENS made her highly anticipated single-seater debut ahead of her F1 Academy campaign, showing impressive composure for a newcomer in some of the most treacherous conditions the Formula Winter Series has seen. The McLaren-backed driver qualified P20 in the first session and consistently ran inside the top 20 before contact through no fault of her own dropped her down the order in Race 2. Stevens bounced back with strong late-race pace, proving she has the fundamentals to build on when dry conditions return.
CHIARA BÄTTIG continued building on her breakthrough Estoril podium with another weekend of steady progress, capitalizing brilliantly on the chaos of the opening-lap incidents in Race 1 to surge from P30 to P19 before track position shuffles. The Swiss driver showed she’s adapting well to European F4 competition, running competitive 2:09s pace and finishing consistently in the points-paying positions despite the lottery-like conditions that caught out several more experienced drivers.
The weekend highlighted how five women drivers are pushing each other to new levels in Formula Winter Series competition. MATHILDA PAATZ bounced back from early struggles to mount a thrilling challenge against Florescu, while GINEVRA PANZERI showed steady improvement throughout her second F4 weekend. With Valencia coming up in just days and American CAITLYN MCDANIEL joining the field, we’re watching a new generation establish themselves as legitimate contenders rather than just participants.