Brazil has produced a number of outstanding motorsport drivers over the years. Emerson Fittipaldi. Ayrton Senna. Rubens Barrichello. This year, another entered Formula 1 in the shape of Gabriel Bortoleto. Could Rafaela Ferreira be another name to add to this list in the future?
The Paddock Chronicle got the chance to speak with the F1 Academy Driver ahead of their latest round in Zandvoort to discuss the chances of F1 Academy in Brazil, the summer break and more.
Rafaela Ferreira – The Story So Far
Rafaela Ferreira’s karting career saw her become the first woman to score a pole position in the Copa Brasil de Kart in 2022. She would go on to finish fourth in the championship. Ferreira then competed in Brazilian Formula 4 in both 2023 and 2024. She became the first woman to stand on the podium in the series, with a third-place finish at Interlagos in the penultimate round of the season.
The Brazilian driver racked up 10 podiums across 2024, finishing P3 in the first race at the Autódromo Velo Città. Her podium tally also included three wins, one at the Autódromo Velo Città and another at the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Galvez. Rafaela’s final victory came fittingly at Interlagos.
Early in 2025, Rafaela Ferreira also competed in the Formula Winter Series for a few rounds. She did this alongside many other young women, all of whom had one thing in common – they were about to compete in F1 Academy.
Rafaela Ferreira in F1 Academy
An incident with Lia Block in the very first practice session of the season heavily compromised Ferreria’s qualifying in Shanghai. But the Brazilian driver immediately went to work with showing what she was capable of when it came to the races. Starting down in P13 for both races that weekend, Ferreria carved her way through the field and survived the chaos around her in both races. She finished in an impressive fifth in the first race and in eighth for race two.
Jeddah didn’t quite go to plan with P13 being her not-so-magic number there. But she bounced back in rain-laden Miami, where she was able to finish in eighth place. Canada was another weekend where the young Brazilian would be tested. A DSQ, a DNF and then a P12 did nothing for her Championship. But the string of unfortunate results did give Ferreira the perfect springboard from which to launch herself back onto the scene after the summer break.
Benefits of the Summer Break
In motorsport, the importance of building and carrying forward positive momentum is often talked about. But the same can be, and often is, true of negative momentum. When drivers and teams are attempting to get away from this, a break from proceedings can work wonders.
“I think it was a really good break, to be honest. We could rest, mainly for me.
I’m coming from Brazil, you know. So I was like almost three months out of home. So being one month at home was really good to recharge the energy, you know. To rest a little bit. And I think be more ready for this race. We did some tests, too, during the summer break.” – Rafaela Ferreira
Ferreria certainly came out the other side of the summer break recharged and ready to go. Frustratingly for the Brazilian, it didn’t all go to plan for her. Last time out in Zandvoort, Ferreira qualified just outside the top ten. Once again then though, P8 was where she would rise to by the end of the second race. With two rounds to go in 2025, Rafaela Ferreira sits in P11 overall – but with a real chance of breaking into the top ten.
Carrying the Brazilian Torch
Alongside developing her career in single-seater racing, Ferreira’s also been spending time with Daniel Ricciardo as part of her collaboration with Enchante. This is relevant because not only does it help to raise her profile off track, but it also gives Rafaela access to someone who knows what it takes to make it in the world of F1 – and how to operate outside of it. If anyone would make a good mentor for becoming an iconic, universally loved role model for a country, then it would be Daniel Ricciardo.
Following in Figueiredo’s Footsteps
Growing up, Bia Figueiredo was an inspiration figure for Rafaela. Figueiredo is a former Brazilian racing driver who competed in Formula 3 South American for a full season in 2006, finishing fifth overall in the Championship. That year, she stood on the podium four times, including three second place finishes, the last of which came in São Paulo. Bia also drove for Formula Renault in Brazil for three years and became the first woman ever to win in Formula Renault.
“I think a woman who inspired me the most was Bia Figueiredo. She was racing in a car. It was a lot of years ago. She opened a big door in the past. Before I started racing, she was already racing. She was on the podium. It was really nice because it was the first time I saw a woman on a podium in a motorsport. I think she was a big inspiration in that stage when I was starting. ” – Rafaela Ferreira
Figueiredo went on to compete in Indy Lights (the precursor to Indy NXT) where she won twice and was on the podium a further six times. In doing so, she was the first woman ever to reach the podium in an Indy Lights race. Figueiredo then raced in IndyCar across four seasons and had a highest finishing position in the Indy 500 of P15 in 2013 when she raced for Dayle Coyne Racing.
“She takes care of the females in the motorsport in Brazil. She was racing, she is racing and she inspires other girls. She is always open to a call if she can help us. Now she can put more girls on car events. It’s really nice the job she is doing in Brazil.” – Rafaela Ferreira
It’s not difficult to see why Bia was and is someone for Rafaela to look up to. She helped to forge the path that Rafaela is now on herself and while it’s still early days in her career, it isn’t at all difficult to imagine Rafaela in Formula 3 or IndyCar one day.
F1 Academy in Brazil in 2026?
At the time of writing, only Canada is confirmed to be on the F1 Academy calendar for 2026. With F1 Academy opting to visit parts of the F1 calendar that Formula 2 and Formula 3 don’t, might there be a chance that they go to Brazil next year?
“I think F1 Academy in Brazil is a little difficult now. But it’s really, really nice if we could go there. I think now the schedule there is a little full. Because in the race weekend in Interlagos there is Formula 1, there is Brazilian Formula 4 and there is Porsche Cup. So I’m not sure if we can race like 4 series during a race weekend.” – Rafaela Ferreira
While Rafaela thinks that this might be tricky, you can never say never in motorsport. Perhaps the series will visit Mexico instead – another popular venue for South American motorsport fans to flock to. With Sergio Perez’s return to Formula 1 with Cadillac in 2026, staging a round of F1 Academy in at least one of these locations seems like a no-brainer in order to capitalise on the opportunities that this would bring for both Ferreira and F1 Academy.
F1 Academy Returns October 3rd in Singapore.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool