Motorsport exploded in scale across the globe this month. In Europe, regional Formula 4 series got underway. So too did a number of endurance championships – matched by their equivalents in North America. A plethora of rallies were held too and international NASCAR series also hit the tracks, to name just a few of the disciplines that saw new chapters being written that gave plenty of drivers the opportunity to stand out from the pack. The Paddock Chronicle takes a look at some of those women in motorsport who stood out in particular.
If you missed last month’s edition of this series, you can find it here.
Emma Gilmour
Down in New Zealand, the Otago Rally took place from the 10th-12th April. Marking the first round of the 2026 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship, fan favourite and former McLaren driver Emma Gilmour, along with her Co-Driver, Ben Searcy, contested the event.
Running in the podium positions in both the Allcomers category and in the overall ranking for the duration, the team would convert this into a spectacular result by the end of the rally. Emma finished third overall and won outright in the Allcomers category – an achievement that meant a lot to the New Zealander.
“This weekend we celebrated two 50ths — my sister Monica’s birthday, and the 50th Otago Rally. If you’d told me when Moni turned 34 — and I finished 2nd at Otago — that I’d have to wait until her 50th to stand on the podium again… I’m not sure I would’ve believed you. Or had the patience for it. This rally has broken my heart more times than I can count. So to finally stand on the podium again — at the 50th event — is pretty special. One of the highlights of my career.” – Emma Gilmour
It was a brilliant story for fans around the world to be treated to this month. It was also a perfect display of tenacity, determination and ability as well as a reminder to never give up.
Samantha Tan
The China GT Championship commenced in April at the Shanghai International Circuit. Entering the fray for her first ever excursion in Chinese motorsport with Team KRC was Samantha Tan. The Canadian driver had an incredible debut in the series as she went on to win the first race of the year, competing in the GT3 class. There’s simply not much else to say other than it was an outstanding performance by Tan that perfectly demonstrated her skill and ability behind the wheel.
“Shanghai was a really special weekend for me, not just because of the win, but because of what it represented. Competing in China, reconnecting with a part of my heritage that I’m still learning to understand, and doing it through racing made it feel bigger than just being on track. ” – Samantha Tan
Having competed in GT4 for the last few years – and something that she’ll continue this year – the race in Shanghai also marked her first time in the GT3 class, adding an extra element of impressiveness to the entire weekend.
“At the same time, it marked an important moment in my season: it was my first GT3 race and win of the year, and a reflection of all the hard work happening behind the scenes. With limited preparation, a new environment, and high expectations, we had to execute at a high level from the start. To come away with a win in those conditions is something I’m incredibly proud of, and it gives us strong momentum moving forward.” – Samantha Tan
Lisa Billard
Lisa had an excellent weekend at the opening round of the French Formula 4 season in Nogaro. Qualifying as high as P11 and P10 before converting those into a best finish of P8 for Sunday’s second race made Lisa one of the standout female drivers from the weekend. Moreover, all three of her race results were good enough to put her on top of the podium in the women’s category.
Billard certainly made the most of her time away from F1 Academy between races and set the bar for the other female racers in the series to beat when French F4 goes racing again in May in Dijon.
Clara Stiebleichinger
Another standout driver from French Formula 4 was Clara Stiebleichinger. The Austrian was well and truly in the mix in the first two races of the weekend. Finishing in P16 and P14 respectively meant that Clara was on the podium for both races in the women’s class. An unfortunate DNF came her way during Monday’s final race for the opening round. But with as solid a showing as she displayed, many will be hoping that to be a case of the exception, rather than the rule in 2026.
What helps Clara stand out with these results too is her overall lack of experience when compared to many of the other full time drivers. Having never karted and with only some Formula testing and a stint in the Indian Racing League to her name, her results display a clear level of talent that cannot be ignored.
Coral Taylor
In Australia, the 2026 EROAD Australian Rally Championship got underway with its first round of the year in Queensland. Co-Driver Coral Taylor, partnered with Harry Bates, took the field by storm to claim victory. The pair had a 19.1 second lead over second place and a whopping 36 second lead over third place. As a result, she has a twenty-two point lead in the Co-Driver’s Championship heading into the second round which will be held in May in Nannup.
Mathilda Paatz
Over in Austria, the first round of the Czech Formula 4 Championship kicked off. Of the six female drivers that took part, one stood above the rest – Mathilda Paatz. Finishing all three races in the points and with two top ten finishes, Paatz sits just outside the top ten overall in the standings.
The Aston Martin backed driver will be looking to carry that momentum forwards into the month of May when she returns to compete in F1 Academy in Montreal.
Therese Lahlouh
The GT World Challenge America Pro-Am hit the Circuit of the Americas in the last weekend of April. Competing there was Therese Lahlouh who was sharing driver duties with Thomas Merrill. Two races were held across the weekend and both were ones to remember for Therese. In the first race, she and Thomas finished in second place in the Pro-Am category. They made it a 1-2 finish for Wright Motorsports as they saw their other drivers of Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley take the victory.
Then, Therese and Thomas went from P16 to P3 in the second race and finished third overall too. Both podium finishes puts Therese in a strong position in the Championship. It also gives her some strong momentum to take into the next round of the Championship in May. Not bad for a driver also in her debut GT3 season.
Lanie Buice
Over in the ARCA Racing Series, Lanie Buice achieved her first career top five result in the series at the Kansas Speedway. She then went one step further next time out at Sonoma. There, she won the first race in a double header weekend – the first woman in Trans Am History to do so.
“Winners in the Trans Am Series TA2 Western Series!! First female to win in Trans Am Series history and it’s never been sweeter. Excited to chase more this year in this Team Chevy hot rod that Team SLR Insider brings to the racetrack!” – Lanie Buice
Notable Mentions
Isabella Abreu
By entering this season of the FFSA Championship, Isabella Abreu has become not only the first female Cuban but the first Cuban ever in history to compete in single-seater racing in Europe.
Isabella’s debut in French Formula 4 was one to be proud of too. From Practice 1 right up until the final race of the opening round, there was consistent improvement from the Cuban. This was most represented in both vastly improving lap times and clean racecraft.
“Today I’m representing my country, Cuba, at the international level in automotive.. and that doesn’t come from luck. It comes from a struggle. Of pain. Of not giving up when everyone said I couldn’t.. exactly what we Cubans represent to us.” – Isabella Abreu
In a field of over thirty drivers, chaos can and does often happen. Putting together a neat race weekend when starting out is often more important than finishing positions. All of this was achieved too, despite essentially not having any experience in single seater machinery when compared to all of her competitors in the series.
It’s a brilliant way to kick off a maiden campaign. Aiming to be noticed by F1 Academy in the near future and as one of the few rookie female drivers on the grid this year, we’ll be watching Isabella’s career this year with great interest.
Sally Mott
American Sally Mott made her NASCAR Regional Late Model debut at the Hickory Speedway in April. Having competed in Mazda MX-5s in previous years, this was a bit of a shift for Mott. But the Shift Up Now Foundation supported driver had an excellent start in the category, finishing in fourth place.
“I had so much fun in my first late model race at Hickory. I finished P4 after starting P8 and battling my way through the field. There’s a lot I have to learn coming from road course racing. It’s very different, but also very similar in a lot of ways. I really enjoying my new team and this style of racing. I can’t wait to see what I can do the rest of this season with more experience!” – Sally Mott
Lena Buhler
Back in Europe, Lena Buhler finished in third place in the opening round of the Le Mans Cup 2026 Season. The former F1 Academy driver was competing for the R-ACE GP Team and the Duqueine Team in the series in the LMP-3 category. Third place in the race also means third place in the Championship after the opening round with five rounds left in the season.
“The pace was good, and we’ll take all the positives, this is good points for the championship and keep pushing forward for the next race.” – Lena Buhler
Hana Burton
Another driver competing in the China GT Championship was Hana Burton. In the first race of the season in Shanghai, she too ended up on the podium. Burton finished second in class, driving a Porsche 992.1 GT3 Cup Car. She got to stand alongside Tan on the podium too for what will have been a very memorable podium, not just for the drivers and the fans, but for the history books.
Feature Image: Isabella Abreu, Samantha Tan, Zhiyi Xia, Taylor Burke, Clara Stiebleichinger and Sally Mott