The pathway for the next women of motorsport has just taken a massive step forward. F1 Academy has announced the first ever test for the novices in the sport, with dates, venue, and who is expected to participate in this historical event with 18 drivers. Set for 17-18 September 2025 at the Circuito de Navarra, Spain, the test is being heralded as a crucial move towards opening up the possibility of the place for young female drivers looking to make a place on the Academy grid.
The rookie test is more than just a speed evaluation. Organisers have designed it to be a two-day programme designed to test not only lap times, but also physical fitness, mental sharpness and how someone is ensuring that they can work in a professional racing environment. On the first day the drivers will join the F1- academy teams in engineering sessions, workshops and are put through physical and cognitive testing. The second day puts the track center stage where every competitor will have approximately 6 hours in an F1 Academy-spec car to show off their racing skills in near-competitive conditions.
The 18 chosen drivers are aged between 15 and 21, in the most important years when the young racers move up from karting and junior formulas heading for what will be a higher level. The line-up includes names like Natalia Granada, a 17-year-old Spaniard, who is linked to the Iron Dames initiative and alongside the drivers, Lisa Billard, Megan Bruce, Ella Stevens and Payton Westcott. Each has a different racing story but now they all have the same goal, to impress enough to have a full-time seat for 2026, or win a wild card spot.
This initiative also highlights F1 Academy’s increasing partnership with More than Equal which is focused on driving forward female representation in motorsport. Together, they are working to build such a system that holistically evaluates drivers to leave more flexibility for where their raw talent is what counts. As Katie Denver, Head of Performance & Talent Development explained, this test is about tearing down barriers and providing a structured and transparent route for women wanting to work in the field of motorsport.
The stakes, of course, are high. With little time behind the wheel and the eyes of everyone upon you, the pressure on these young drivers will be enormous. Every lap will count and other factors such as weather conditions, technical difficulties or nerves might come into play. But the structure of the rookie test makes sure each participant has the best chance yet to show off his or her abilities in the context of a situation designed to make people look as good as they can rather than make them look bad.
In more general terms, the significance of this test extends much beyond the 18 drivers taking part in it. It’s a statement of intent from F1 Academy, that building a sustainable and competitive future for women in motorsport isn’t just more than race weekends. it’s more than pathways, opportunities and a commitment to development. For the drivers who will be chosen, Navarra could prove to be the springboard for a lengthy and successful career. For the sport itself, it’s an important step to ensuring that motorsport’s future grid reflects their talent, not just their history.
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