Mathilda Paatz is a German racing driver who traded Olympic skiing dreams for the racetrack—and promptly started making history as the first female driver supported by ADAC’s junior program and one of the few women racing wheel-to-wheel against the boys in European Formula 4.

EARLY YEARS

Born August 1, 2008, in Cologne, Germany, Mathilda Paatz grew up with racing fuel in her veins. Her father, Michael Paatz, was a former endurance driver and team boss who competed in the grueling 24 Hours of Nürburgring championship. After Mathilda was born, he did what any proud racing dad would do: he named his team Mathilda Racing after her and got back behind the wheel. From a young age, she was trackside with him, absorbing the sounds, the speed, and the strategy that would eventually pull her away from an entirely different sport.

But before Mathilda ever thought about racing cars, she was carving through snow. She pursued a professional skiing career, competing in the German skiing championship and training in Austria during the pandemic with her sights set on the Winter Olympics. It was a short but serious athletic chapter—one that gave her the physical toughness and competitive edge she’d later bring to the track. When she finally tried racing cars at around age 10, the decision was immediate. She got the bug, and skiing became a memory.

OTHER INTERESTS

Outside of racing, Mathilda’s interests remain largely private. Her pre-racing life revolved around skiing at a professional level, and since making the switch to motorsport, her focus has been firmly on the track. Still in school as of 2025, she balances academics with an international racing schedule—no small feat for a teenager chasing podiums across Europe.

EARLY SUCCESS

Mathilda began karting competitively in 2019, jumping into the ADAC Kart Cup and ADAC Kart Masters in the Mini category. By 2020, racing with TB Racing Team, she was already making noise—taking a double victory at Mülsen in the ADAC Kart Masters Mini class, finishing third overall in that series, winning the Ladies Cup, and claiming the West German ADAC Kart Cup championship title. Not bad for someone who’d been on skis just months earlier.

Her first year stepping up to the OK Junior class in 2021 was tougher, but she stayed realistic. “I was pretty sure that the first year wouldn’t be easy,” she said. “But I wanted to achieve some places in the top ten.” She did exactly that, notching top-ten finishes and proving she could hang with drivers who’d been karting since they could walk. In 2022, she won the Ladies Cup again in ADAC Kart Masters, finished third overall in that championship, and competed in the FIA Motorsport Games Junior Karting Spring Cup, placing 13th. She also became a two-time finalist in the FIA Girls on Track program—first in 2022 for junior karting, then again in 2023 for senior F4.

Her karting résumé included stints with Fernando Alonso’s junior team and runs in the FIA Karting World Championship and WSK Super Master Series in 2023. By then, she’d earned a reputation as a “speed girl” who could mix it up with anyone.

In 2024, Mathilda made the leap to single-seaters, joining the ADAC Formel Junior Team for the French F4 Championship. She finished 20th overall with a best result of tenth—a solid debut in a notoriously competitive series. She also contested the Formula Winter Series that season, earning 12 points and setting herself up for a breakout 2025.

That breakout came fast. Racing for her father’s Mathilda Racing team in the F4 CEZ Championship, she grabbed a second-place podium at the Red Bull Ring—a mixed-gender podium that made headlines and prompted her male peers to acknowledge, “You’re fast.” She also won the Ladies Trophy at the Formula Winter Series finale in Barcelona and took victory at Mugello. Paatz finished eighth overall in F4 CEZ with 94 points and multiple top-five results, becoming one of just three female drivers on that grid and the second F4 CEZ driver to join F1 Academy.

In June 2025, she got her first taste of F1 Academy as a wildcard entry in Montreal with Hitech TGR, running a Gatorade-liveried No. 8 car. She finished 11th in Race 2 (just outside the points) and suffered DNFs in Races 1 and 3 due to driver error—a tough but valuable learning experience that left her hungry for more.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: Double victory at Mülsen, ADAC Kart Masters Mini class; third overall in ADAC Kart Masters Mini; West German ADAC Kart Cup championship title; Ladies Cup win.
• 2022: Victory in ADAC Kart Masters Ladies Cup; third overall in ADAC Kart Masters Ladies Cup standings; 13th in FIA Motorsport Games Junior Karting Spring Cup; two-time FIA Girls on Track finalist.
• 2024: First female driver supported by ADAC junior team; 20th overall in French F4 Championship.
• 2025: Second place at Red Bull Ring, F4 CEZ Championship (making history with mixed-gender podium); eighth overall in F4 CEZ with 94 points; victory in Ladies Trophy at Formula Winter Series finale in Barcelona; race win at Mugello; second F4 CEZ driver to join F1 Academy; 21st in F1 Academy Montreal wildcard (three races with Hitech TGR).

INSPIRATIONS

Mathilda’s biggest inspiration is close to home: her father, Michael Paatz. His endurance racing career and hands-on support through Mathilda Racing gave her both access and belief. She’s been clear-eyed about her path from the start, never romanticizing the challenges but also refusing to see gender as a limiting factor. “I don’t think girls have it harder, because girls can be just as good as the boys,” she’s said—a statement backed up by her results.

REPUTATION

Paatz has earned respect the hard way: by being fast. Her Red Bull Ring podium in 2025 was a statement moment, not just because it made history but because it proved she belongs. “It felt so good showing everyone what I can do,” she said afterward. The media has taken notice, highlighting her as a rising talent and a trailblazer for female drivers in Europe. Her progression from karting champion to F4 podium finisher to F1 Academy driver has been steady, smart, and undeniable. She’s not just breaking barriers—she’s racing through them.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2026, Mathilda will compete full-time in F1 Academy with Prema Racing, representing Aston Martin. It’s a massive step up, joining one of the most successful junior teams in motorsport and aligning with an F1 organization that’s serious about developing talent. She’s stated her “big dream of one day competing in the premier class of motorsport”—and given her trajectory, Formula 1 doesn’t seem like a fantasy. Still based in Cologne, still in school, and still just getting started, Mathilda Paatz is a name you’ll be hearing a lot more of. And if her past is any indication, she’ll make sure you remember it.

References:

[1] Media feature on Mathilda Paatz’s career and achievements
[2] Official team announcement and career summary
[3] Championship site profile
[4] Wikipedia entry for Mathilda Paatz
[5] Personal website biography
[6] Interview and profile feature
[7] News article on racing career
[8] Driver database entry