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Ivanna Richards is a 17-year-old Mexican racing driver making serious noise in a sport that still thinks it belongs to the boys—and she’s not here to ask permission.

EARLY YEARS

Ivanna Richards was four years old the first time she hit speeds nearing 260 kilometers per hour. She wasn’t driving—yet. She was riding shotgun with her father, Homero Richards, a competitive racer himself, during his training sessions at the track. Most kids that age are still mastering tricycles. Ivanna was already hooked on horsepower. Growing up in Mexico City, racing wasn’t just something her dad did on weekends—it was the family business, the dinner table conversation, the whole vibe. And Ivanna? She wanted in.

Her father didn’t just tolerate her interest; he fueled it. Homero became her first coach, her fiercest supporter, and eventually, her on-track rival. The two raced together for Team Zapata in the Super Copa series, competing in the Gran Turismo Mexico division. Father-daughter bonding took on a whole new meaning when it involved late-braking into Turn 1 and arguing over racing lines over breakfast.

OTHER INTERESTS

While racing dominates her schedule, Richards has embraced her role as a public figure and advocate for women in motorsport. She’s served as an ambassador for the Mexico Grand Prix, a high-profile gig that put her front and center at one of Formula 1’s most exciting races. She’s appeared alongside Colombian racing trailblazer Tatiana Calderón at events discussing the future of women in Mexican motorsports, and she’s been vocal about wanting to inspire the next generation of girls who think racing might be cool—but aren’t sure if it’s for them. Spoiler: it is.

EARLY SUCCESS

Richards cut her teeth in karting, where she racked up multiple victories in the Micro Swift category and quickly became one of the most talked-about young talents in Mexican karting circles. She competed with HRI Mexico on a Tony Kart and showed she had the speed and the guts to mix it up with anyone. At the 2024 Superkarts! USA Winter Series, she fought her way into podium contention during the final minutes of a race, proving she could read a race, manage pressure, and make moves when it mattered.

In 2025, Richards made the leap to formula racing, joining RRK Racing in the NACAM F4 Championship—a critical step on the ladder toward her ultimate dream of Formula 1. She earned her first NACAM F4 podium in Puebla, a breakthrough moment that proved she could compete at this level. Later in the season, she took the GTM Pro 1 title in the Roshfrans Super Cup with a dramatic last-lap pass, sealing the championship by just 8.5 points. That’s the kind of racing that gets people talking.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2023: Selected as a finalist for the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars program in the Junior Class at age 13, becoming one of four drivers chosen from a competitive international field.
• 2024: Competed in the Superkarts! USA Winter Series with HRI Mexico, fighting for a podium finish in the closing laps.
• 2025: Scored her first NACAM F4 podium in Puebla with RRK Racing.
• 2025: Won the GTM Pro 1 championship in the Roshfrans Super Cup with a final-lap overtake.
• 2025: Named to TIME Magazine’s Girls of the Year list, recognizing her as a leader in changing the next generation of motorsport.
• 2025: Became the first Mexican young woman invited to drive in the F1 Academy, testing an F4 car in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
• 2025: Appointed as an ambassador for the Mexico Grand Prix.

INSPIRATIONS

Richards draws her biggest inspiration from the man who started it all: her father, Homero. Racing alongside him taught her not just how to drive fast, but how to race smart, how to handle pressure, and how to keep pushing even when the odds aren’t in your favor. Beyond family, she’s been connected to Tatiana Calderón, one of Colombia’s most accomplished racing drivers and a role model for young women across Latin America trying to break into motorsport. The two have appeared together at events, and Calderón’s journey—making it all the way to Formula 2 and test driving for Formula 1 teams—has shown Richards that the dream isn’t just a dream. It’s a possibility.

REPUTATION

Richards has quickly built a reputation as one of the most promising young drivers in Mexico—and one of the most determined. She’s known for her composure under pressure, her willingness to go wheel-to-wheel with anyone, and her refusal to let age, gender, or expectations define what she’s capable of. The racing community in Mexico has embraced her, but she’s not content being a local star. She wants the world stage, and she’s putting in the work to get there. Her inclusion in TIME’s Girls of the Year list and her role as a Mexico GP ambassador show that people are paying attention—not just because she’s a girl in a male-dominated sport, but because she’s genuinely fast.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Richards has one goal, and she’s not shy about it: Formula 1. She wants to crack the most exclusive boys’ club in motorsport and make it to the pinnacle of racing. The path is steep—fewer than 800 drivers have ever competed in F1, and only a handful have been women—but Richards is methodically working her way up the ladder. Her experience in NACAM F4, her testing with F1 Academy, and her championship-winning form in Gran Turismo Mexico are all building blocks. She knows the odds. She’s racing anyway.

REFERENCES

A teenage Mexican girl is racing against men and dreaming of reaching Formula 1
2025: Women In Motorsport, a year in review
Ivanna Richards: TIME’s Girls of the Year List
Girl Power | G3-4 – TIME for Kids
EKN Trackside: 2024 Superkarts! USA Winter Series – AMR1
F4 NACAM: 2025 season guide
Richards takes the GTM Pro 1 title in the 2025 Roshfrans Super Cup
Girls on Track – Rising Stars: who are the second edition finalists
Ibrahim crowned NACAM F4 champion in F1-supporting finale
FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars – Wikipedia
Mexican Women in Motorsports | Ours Abroad News
Tatiana Calderón talks about Ivanna Richards and the future of women’s motorsports in Mexico
Ivanna Richards – Driver Database