July was a blockbuster month for women in motorsport. From an outstanding F1 Academy debut at the start of the month to rewriting what’s possible in the Porsche Iberia Cup and much more besides, there were plenty of huge and important stories to take away from racing in the heart of the summer. Let’s take a look then at the women in motorsport who stood out the most over the month of July.
If you missed last month’s edition of the series, you can find it here.
Célia Martin
Célia Martin made history in July. The Iron Dames driver made her debut in the GT2 Europe Series at Misano, driving for LP Racing alongside Luca Pirri. Putting on a composed performance together as they shared driving duties, the pair won the the opening race of the weekend on track at the Italian venue. Not only did they finish first in class, but they also finished that race first overall. Gut wrenchingly though, the win was taken away from them through a disqualification because of a weight issue. But Célia’s performane out on track spoke for itself.
“It was amazing to get the opportunity to be back in a contemporary GT race car. The goal for the weekend was to enjoy it and deliver the best performance for the team. I am pleased I could pay back Stephane for the opportunity he gave me to compete in the SRO GT2 Championship with some good pace, running at the front and a podium. From a discussion at Le Mans Classic something great came out of it, so I am super happy. Was cool to be on the grid with Sarah and Laura as well. Let’s see what the future brings now.” – Célia Martin
The pair bounced back in style though as they went on to finish second in class in the second race of the weekend and in sixth overall. Thus Célia was still able to make history as she became the first ever woman to get onto the podium in the GT2 European Series. If that wasn’t enough, it was Célia’s first full race weekend in any racing series since she competed in the World Endurance Championship back in Bahrain last year. If this isn’t an advertisement for someone to give her a full time race seat, we’re not sure what is. Stories like this are why we fall in love with motorsport and why true racing drivers never give up.
Chiara Bättig
Chiara Bättig came into the third round of the F1 Academy Season at Silverstone as the Wild Card Driver. Racing for Hitech alongside full time drivers Ava Dobson and Rachel Robertson, many were keen to see what the Swiss driver would be capable of.
As it turned out, it was quite a bit. Everyone sat up after Friday’s sole Practice Session as Bättig topped the time sheets, beating Championship leader Palmowski by two tenths of a second to claim the top spot. She then followed this up with a fantastic qualifying lap to give herself Pole Position! In the Reverse Grid race, she finished in eighth to get her first point in the series with a bonus point for setting the fastest lap of the race too. In the Feature Race, she converted Pole to an impressive second place finish, just behind Palmowski whom she kept honest throughout.
On debut then, Bättig earned not only her first points in F1 Academy but her first podium too, beating many full time drivers to that accolade. She sits in eleventh place overall in the standings with 22 points and is ahead of seven full time drivers after just one weekend. It’s surely now just a matter of time before she’s confirmed to have a full time position on the grid in 2027.
Federica Levy
Over in Vallelunga in Italy, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Championship was holding its seventh round of the 2026 season. Federica Levy claimed her first win of the Championship here, following up her first podium in the series back at the second round of the Championship earlier this year in Misano.
It’s absolutely fantastic to see this level of progression from the young Italian as she now sets her sights on going after the Championship title.
Tatiana Calderón
Over in Guyana, the GT Challenge de las Américas series was taking place. Tatiana Calderón was competing on this occasion alongside her Guatemalan teammate Juan Diego Hernández as the pair drove for Nacent Racing. The third round of the Championship was held for the first time at the South Dakota Circuit in Guyana and will now be a venue that holds fond memories for Calderón.
After narrowly missing out on the victory in the first race of the weekend to finish second, Calderón’s teammate secured victory in the second race as he took over driving duties. Their combined results meant that in their first race weekend together at a brand new circuit for Calderón, they’d achieved overall victory.
“This was an incredible weekend for us. Winning with the McLaren 720S GTX3 – one of only 15 in the world – in my very first race with Nacent means so much to me. They believed in me from day one, and I’m grateful I could repay that trust with this victory. Being part of the inaugural GT Challenge America event in Guyana was truly special – the fans, the energy, the whole vent exceeded expectations. I’m leaving very happy and grateful, and I’m already looking forward to being in Barbados for the next round.” – Tatiana Calderón
The series becomes yet another that Calderón has raced in during her motorsport tenure so far. It once again proves her adaptability across disciplines to deliver results and will surely turn a few more heads in her direction as driver markets open up for 2027.
Notable Mentions
Mariana Posser
Over in Estoril, the third round of the Caterham Motorsport Iberia Championship was underway. Mariana Posser was competing and on this occasion, scored two podiums from three races – her first in the series.
In the first race of the weekend, Posser drove home to finish in third place which she then followed up with an impressive second place finish in the third and final race of the weekend. It’s a tremendous result that helps to rewrite what’s possible in yet another motorsport series. We love to see it.
Nina Gademan
At this year’s edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, F1 Academy Driver Nina Gademan got the opportunity to drive the E20 Formula 1 car which Kimi Räikkönen drove to victory for the then Lotus F1 Team at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It was the Dutch driver’s first time driving a Formula 1 car and at Goodwood, she got to take part in the famous hill climb that is one of the staples of the epic festival.
Alba Larsen
Competing at Zandvoort in the F4 British Championship, Alba Larsen reached a significant milestone moment in her career – her maiden overall podium in the series.
Supported by former F1 Academy driver and Ferrari Academy Driver Maya Weug, Larsen made her way up through the top ten positions to finish in an impressive third place in the second of three races that weekend – with the fastest lap of the race to her name too.
Toni Breidinger
Over at the Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, Toni Breidinger competed in both races of the Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Model twin 40-lap features during the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series competition in early July. The California born driver, who is on an eight race Truck Series schedule for 2026, finished in sixth place in the opening race and was one of only eight drivers to finish on the lead lap.
In the second feature, Breidinger took things up a notch and proceeded to win the race with a comfortable margin of 1.418 seconds to Dexter Canipe behind in second.
Two more races remain on her Truck Series docket for this year in New Hampshire and Talladega.
Madelyn Tabor
West of Breidinger, Madelyn Tabor was competing in the American Rally Association. It was Tabor’s first time racing at Rally Colorado but despite the numerous challenges that came her way, she and co-driver Sophia McKee endured and was able to finish in second place in her class in their 2025 Ford Fiesta Rally3.
“We had a great weekend at Rally Colorado, which is the newest round of the American Rally Association, (8 rounds in total). This was our first time racing here, and we faced new challenges like 90+ F temps, high altitude, and very rough stage road conditions at times. Overall we managed well and played our cards right, this was a hard race to endure but we were happy to end up 2nd place in class and 9th overall!” – Madelyn Tabor
Daiana Darderi
The third round of the ERC Junior Championship took place in Poland at the end of July. One of the plethora of individuals competing was San Marino born driver Daiana Darderi. Teamed up with Italian Francesco Dei Ceci for the first time, the rally was a last minute opportunity for Daiana. Needless to say though that she didn’t need any convincing before saying yes to the opportunity.
“This rally in Poland was an opportunity that came up unexpectedly, and I decided to seize it right away! I had never raced in Poland before, and it was also my first time competing with Francesco. We got along really well from the very beginning and built a great connection.” – Daiana Darderi
The pair hit the ground running as they won the opening stage of the weekend – Daiana’s first in the series. Not only did the pair then go on to finish the rally – always an achievement in this style of racing – but they finished in fifth place overall. Results like this matter and can be just the remedy for drivers after difficult periods in their career. Given this opportunity last minute, Daiana showed she can perform under pressure with a fresh teammate and that sort of ability will always get noticed.
Racing the Lancia Rally4 in the ERC Junior Championship was an amazing experience. It was a beautiful, challenging event that allowed me to learn and grow a lot. I’m heading home happy and satisfied, with plenty of valuable experience gained and even more motivation for the challenges ahead.” – Daiana Darderi
Feature Image: Célia Martin, Daiana Darderi, Tatiana Calderón, Madelyn Tabor and Mariana Posser de Andrade.