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Nicole Havrda is a 19-year-old Canadian racing driver from Comox, British Columbia, who went from Olympic swimming dreams to making history as the first female Formula Pro USA Western Champion and the first Canadian to compete in F1 Academy.

EARLY YEARS

Growing up on Vancouver Island in Comox, British Columbia, Nicole Havrda spent her childhood chasing athletic excellence—just not on four wheels. For six years, she dove headfirst into competitive swimming with Olympic aspirations, while also carving her way down Mount Washington as part of the ski racing team. She was good at both. Really good. But something was missing.

Everything changed in 2018 during a family holiday to Austria. Her dad brought her to her first Formula 1 race, and the second those engines screamed to life, swimming pools and ski slopes suddenly felt like the past. “I mean everyone has that thing when you get to the track and you have that adrenaline rush,” she later said. “I never had that in swimming.”[7] That rush? It stuck. By 2019, at 14 years old, she ditched the goggles and ski boots for a racing suit and never looked back.

OTHER INTERESTS

Before racing consumed her life, Havrda was a multi-sport athlete with serious credentials. She spent six years as a competitive swimmer with Olympic goals and several years on the Mount Washington ski racing team, both pursuits demanding the kind of discipline and competitive edge that would later define her racing career.[1][2][7] The transition from individual sports to motorsports wasn’t a stretch—she just swapped lanes and slopes for apexes and chicanes.

In 2024, she was featured in the documentary “The Car Knows No Difference,” which highlights women breaking barriers in motorsports.[1] Her international racing schedule has taken her far beyond Vancouver Island, from karting events in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, and Tucson, Arizona, to professional circuits across North America.[2]

EARLY SUCCESS

Havrda dove into karting in 2019 and immediately made noise. She earned her first podium finish and Rookie of the Year honors at the West Coast Kart Club that same year.[2] It was a promising start, but the tiny karting scene on Vancouver Island couldn’t contain her for long. By 2020, she was racking up wins and podium finishes across North America—first place at the Calgary Shootout in Strathmore, Alberta, sixth at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Mont Tremblant, and a half-dozen podiums scattered across various events.[1][2]

The travel demands were brutal. “The car scene it’s even harder [than karting] because I would have to travel down to America,” she explained. “We would do long drives of 24 hours straight just to go to the racetrack in California.”[4] Her family drove those marathon hauls because there simply weren’t enough competitive opportunities in Canada. It paid off. By 2021, she was dominating the West Coast Kart Club with multiple wins, finishing second at the Rotax West Final, and placing eighth at the Canadian Nationals.[2] At just 12 years old, she became a national champion in karting—a title that earned her special permission to race Mercedes-Benz Canada’s AMG GT4 at 14.[2]

In 2022, she made the leap to car racing with the Indian Racing League, earning two top-five finishes.[1][5] That same year, she became the youngest of nine finalists for the Aston Martin GT4 female shootout organized by The Heart of Racing and tested with W Series, making her the youngest Canadian to do so.[1][5] By 2023, she was unstoppable—sweeping three championships in a single season: the Formula Pro USA Winter Series, the Formula Pro USA Western Championship (becoming the first female to win it), and the SFR FA2 title.[1][3][5] Early in the season, she rattled off six straight class and overall wins at Thunderhill Raceway Park and Buttonwillow Raceway Park, cementing her reputation as a serious contender.[3]

Her first professional start in Canada came over Labour Day weekend in 2023 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the Formula Regional Americas season.[3] That emotional weekend, which included a teary hug with team owner Teena Larsen after clinching her championship, revealed the heart behind the helmet. “Wasn’t expecting to get emotional,” she admitted.[3] But when you’ve just made history as a teenage girl in a male-dominated sport, a few tears are earned.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2019: Rookie of the Year at West Coast Kart Club; first podium finish in karting[2].
• 2020: First place at Calgary Shootout, Strathmore, Alberta; sixth at Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, Mont Tremblant, Quebec; half-dozen podium finishes in karting[1][2].
• 2021: Vice Champion at Junior Rotax Challenge Grand Finals; multiple wins at West Coast Kart Club; second at Rotax West Final; eighth at Canadian Nationals[1][2].
• 2022: Two top-five finishes in Indian Racing League; youngest finalist (of nine) for Aston Martin GT4 female shootout by The Heart of Racing; youngest Canadian to test with W Series[1][5].
• 2023: Formula Pro USA Winter Series Champion; Formula Pro USA Western Champion (first female); SFR FA2 Champion; six straight class and overall wins at Thunderhill Raceway Park and Buttonwillow Raceway Park; two wins in Formula Pro USA Winter Series primer[1][3][5].
• 2024: Sixth overall in Formula Regional Americas Championship rookie season with four podium finishes, including podiums at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Circuit of the Americas; competed in two Audi R8 GT4 endurance races; tested with F1 Academy in Spain[1][4][5][6].
• 2025: First Canadian driver to compete in F1 Academy, racing for Hitech TGR with American Express sponsorship[1][4][7][8].

INSPIRATIONS

Havrda’s racing career traces back to one transformative moment: that 2018 Formula 1 race in Austria her dad brought her to during a family holiday.[1][2][7] The sights, sounds, and sheer adrenaline of F1 ignited something she’d never felt in a swimming pool or on a ski slope. Her family’s support has been critical ever since—those grueling 24-hour drives to California tracks weren’t just logistical; they were proof of belief.[4] Along the way, Teena Larsen, owner of Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport, became a key figure in her development, offering both professional guidance and emotional support through the highs and lows of championship battles.[3]

REPUTATION

Nicole Havrda has quickly earned a reputation as a rising star who doesn’t just compete—she wins. Media coverage consistently highlights her speed, grit, and determination, framing her as a barrier-breaking talent in a male-dominated sport.[4][6] Her 2023 championship sweep was described as both dominant and deeply emotional, a testament to how hard she’d worked to get there.[2][3] Industry professionals see her as someone who’s climbed the ranks faster than most, and her success in Formula Regional Americas as a rookie—finishing sixth overall with consistent top-five results at major tracks like New Jersey Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway—only solidified that view.[1][3]

As the first female Formula Pro USA Western Champion and now the first Canadian in F1 Academy, she’s carved out a place in motorsports history before even turning 20.[3][4] Fans and peers alike recognize her as one of the most successful female drivers in recent memory, and her partnership with American Express for her 2025 F1 Academy campaign signals that the industry is paying attention.[1][8]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

For 2025, Havrda is pulling double duty: a full season with Hitech TGR in F1 Academy (racing the #2 car with American Express backing) and a sophomore campaign in Formula Regional Americas.[1][4][7][8] Her next event is at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.[8] But her eyes are set far beyond the current season. Her ultimate goal? Formula One. “Main goal Formula One, depending on opportunities,” she’s said, though she’s also keeping IndyCar and IMSA in her sights if the right doors open.[3]

She’s already proven she can compete at the highest levels, and with F1 Academy serving as a direct pathway to motorsports’ top tier, Havrda is positioning herself exactly where she needs to be. The kid from Comox who fell in love with racing at 13 is now chasing the biggest dream in the sport—and given her track record, it’s hard to bet against her.

References:

F1 Academy Official Driver Profile – Nicole Havrda
FolioYVR – Nicole Havrda Feature (April 2024)
Inside Track News – Nicole Havrda Championship Report (2023)
Females in Motorsport – Nicole Havrda Interview (2024)
NicoleHavrda.com Official Website – About Page
Youth Media Forward – Nicole Havrda Profile
UFV Cascade – Nicole Havrda Interview
NicoleHavrda.com Official Website – Homepage