By Sanjeevni Iyer
Top Five Prospects of the Academy this year
With the Season Four Calendar of the F1 Academy now officially announced, the anticipation around the paddock is rapidly building, as fans and drivers alike look forward to a season expected to deliver thrilling and “unapologetically bold” battles. At the centre of that excitement are five prospects in particular, whose performance would prove pivotal to shaping the narrative of this season.
ALBA LARSEN-FERRARI
Stepping into the cockpit of the Ferrari-liveried car and taking over the mantle from 2025 Vice Champion and teammate Maya Weug, Alba Larsen will enter the season with both expectations and opportunities on her shoulders. The 17-year-old Danish driver performed quite an impressive campaign last year, finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Standings after having scored seven top-five results across the season, including fourth-place finishes in Shanghai and Las Vegas Race 2. A winner of the 2023 FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, and a debutante in the 2024 Indian F4 Championship, Larsen will continue with MP Motorsport for 2026. Reflecting on the opportunity to represent Ferrari this year, Larsen expressed, “Racing for Ferrari in F1 ACADEMY is a dream come true.… I’m ready to give everything I have for the Scuderia. Bet on red!” To prepare for this season, she will also be participating in the F4 UAE Championship over the winter break and return to the British F4, thereby maximising her seat time and making her one of the most anticipated prospects on the grid.
ALISHA PALMOWSKI- RED BULL RACING
After winning the season-opening race in Shanghai and sitting fifth in the Drivers’ Standings, Alisha Palmowski returns to F1 Academy in 2026, while continuing to represent Red Bull. Before rapidly rising in the F1 Academy, Palmowski delivered a breakthrough rookie season in the GB4 Championship in 2024, where her skills and the MotorSport Vision (MSV) prize fund secured her step into the single-seaters at the Academy with Campos Racing. On representing the Red Bull banner for the second time, Palmowski adds, “I’m really excited to continue my F1 Academy journey with Red Bull Racing. I’ve loved being part of the team this last year and can’t wait to continue working hard next season.” Looking to build this momentum and work even harder, the 20-year-old driver establishes herself as a strong prospect in the upcoming season.
ELLA LOYD- MCLAREN
Sitting third in the Standings, the 2025 Rookie of the Year will be returning for a second F1 Academy season, while continuing with Rodin Motorsport under McLaren. She enjoyed a breakthrough debut campaign last year, celebrating her first F1 Academy win in Jeddah and collecting five podium finishes. Having initially started as the Singapore wild card entry in 2024, the Welsh driver has since also competed in the British F4 Championship, where she is one of the only two female drivers balancing both series. In 2025, Loyd emerged as one of the best rookies, scoring four podiums in her debut year and another in 2025 at Zandvoort, while finishing second in the Challenge Cup. Positioning herself as one of the grid’s most fearless competitors, Loyd expressed her excitement with the BBC, saying, “I want to beat the boys. I want to beat the girls. I want to be first.”
LISA BILLARD- GATORADE
The first female winner of the French Junior Karting Championship race in 2022, the French driver Lisa Billard, will be making her debut for her first full season in the Academy with ART Grand Prix. Billard, who has impressed as a Wild Card entrant at the Singapore round of F1 Academy, will be continuing her partnership with Gatorade for the year. For her first full season, Gatorade will be offering Billard with elite-level sweat testing, tailored hydration, nutrition plans, and recovery protocols. The 16-year-old has performed impressively in the single-seaters, not only scoring two ninth-place finishes at Spa and Le Mans in the French F4 Championship last year, but also claiming the Female Trophy as the highest-ranked woman among the six female drivers in the Championship. Billard positions herself as one of the most promising debutantes of the season, combining her early single seater success with an encouraging potential to excel.
ESMEE KOSTERMAN-LEGO
While representing Lego Racing’s debut campaign, Esmee Kosterman will also be participating in her first full Academy season, after debuting as a Wild Card entrant at Zandvoort in 2025. Before joining the Academy, Kosterman had built a very strong résumé, becoming the first woman to win in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup Benelux in 2023, and later claiming an 11th and two top 10 finishes in the British and Indian F4 Championships, respectively. Demonstrating her ability in multiple single-seater events, including the Dutch Supercar Challenge and her four consecutive wins in the Female Trophy of the Saudi Arabian F4 Championship in 2025, this 20-year-old driver is definitely emerging as a promising prospect. “To be the first driver for LEGO Racing is such an exciting opportunity, and I can’t wait to continue my racing journey with F1 Academy,” Kosterman expressed on her debut.
Season 4 promises to be a defining and motivating chapter for all drivers, and these prospects are all set to lock in full throttle. With an updated branding and logo design, the academy is ready to, as Susie Wolff, the Managing Director of F1 Academy, puts it, “step up a gear” and accelerate female talent on and off track.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 