Autumn was in full swing during the month of October and so too was the world of motorsport. Even with Championships beginning to wrap up around the globe, there was still plenty of racing to be done across the board and with that came a flurry of women in motorsport who continued to impress and hit motorsport equivalents of home runs.
From the McLaren Trophy Europe Series to the Kyojo Cup, the European Le Mans Series, the ARCA Menards Series West and plenty more besides, there certainly wasn’t a shortage of venues in which these women could, and did, excel. Let’s take a look at some of those who stood out the most in the month of October.
If you missed last month’s edition of the series, you can find it here.
Charlie Martin
Earlier this year, it looked like Charlie Martin wouldn’t be able to compete in the remainder of the 2026 McLaren Trophy Europe Series, where she’d been driving in the AM Class for Niemann Autosport. That was then though and this is now because not only was Charlie able to find the financing she needed to be able to continue but was also able to win the AM Class outright when it held its season finale in Portugal in October.
Set in an incredibly dramatic backdrop (rain on the grid and thunder and lightning in the background as it got darker and darker towards the end of the race), Charlie gave us one of motorsport’s feel good stories. It was also an important reminder both for motorsport in general and for women in motorsport specifically, to never give up on what you want.
Jessica Hawkins
Teamed up all season long with Will Orton as the pair drove for MK Racing, Jessica Hawkins was crowned the 2026 British GT4 Silver Cup Champion after the final round was held at Brands Hatch. The pair held off Jack Collins and Branden Templeton in second place by seven and a half points to claim the Championship.
Fabienne Wohlwend
Over in the GT Summer Series in Hockenheim, Fabienne Wohlwend made a blistering debut as she took pole position and the win in her very first appearance, swiftly followed by two second place finishes. Racing in a Porsche 992 Cup for SA Performance, Fabienne once again demonstrated her skill behind the wheel that many of us first saw when she was competing in W Series. An underrated driver if ever there was one, let’s hope that more people and teams take notice of her ahead of 2027.
Sarah Rumeau & Julie Amblard
To the west in France, Sarah Rumeau and Julie Amblard became French Gravel Rally Champions in October, further paving the future for women in the off-road world of motorsport. This season, the pair have accumulated a total of five podiums, including two victories in Causses and Aleria which propelled them to the title.
Laura Hayes
Laura Hayes was given an almighty challenge this month in the GT4 America Series. After her co-driver, Eddie Killeen, fell ill, Laura had to seek permission to race by herself in that weekend’s round held in Indianapolis. Permission was granted but that was just when the struggles began. Starting towards the rear of the field, with her car on a damp track fitted with slick tires and with a longer pit-stop time as a penalty for being the sole driver in her car, Laura had her work cut out for her.
But she rose to the challenge as she worked her way to through to the front of the field before going one step further and not just getting onto the podium but winning in the Pro-Am category. It’s like a story straight out of Hollywood.
Brittaini Norfolk
Grassroots motorsport can often be overlooked when it comes to achievements but without them, that crucial momentum that drivers need to build their careers wouldn’t exist. Brittaini Norfolk got a welcome dose of success in October as she won the regional finals for the British Indoor Karting Championships.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that supported me this weekend, it genuinely means the world to me to have people actually care.” – Brittaini Norfolk
Brittaini will next compete at the National Finals in Warrington in the UK in November.
Kokoro Sato & Miki Onaga
The penultimate round of the Kyojo Cup 2026 Season took place towards the beginning of October. With two races per round of the series, there’s double the chance to get new race winners. That’s exactly what happened here with two drivers, Kokoro Sato and Miki Onaga, winning their first races of the season.
Miki Onaga took Pole Position and went on to win the Sprint Race while Kokoro Sato turned her third place on the grid into a second place finish for that same race before winning the Final Race on Sunday. Both remain in the top five in the Championship and a shot at the title with one round left to go.
Alisha Palmowski
At the penultimate round of the 2026 season of F1 Academy, Alisha Palmowski achieved what she’d been aiming for all year long – to become this year’s Champion. A win in the Opening Race and a second place finish in the Reverse-Grid race were more than enough for the British driver to clinch the title with three races to spare. Palmowski has looked in control pretty much all season long but it was still good to see her convert this into a Championship victory with yet further measured and calculated performances.
Sandra Gomez
Sandra Gomez became this year’s inaugural Champion of the FIM Hard Enduro Women’s World Cup.
“I think it’s very important for our sport also, and for the little girls to see that there is a future where they can grow and they can be big.” – Sandra Gomez
Not only did Sandra win the sprint but she also won the main race at each of the first five rounds. Thus, she had the title all wrapped up with two rounds to spare.
Notable Mentions
Vicky Piria
When she isn’t covering Formula 1 for Sky Sport Italia, Vicky Piria spends her weekends racing GT Cars in the Italian GT Championship Sprint Cup. At the latest round held on home turf for Vicky at Monza, despite gearbox issues, she was able to come home with a solid podium result. It’s fantastic to see her switching so seemingly effortless between her two roles on and off track – even if we know the sheer amount of work that goes into both.
Courtney Crone
Back in the United States of America, former F1 Academy driver Courtney Crone was competing in the Grand Sport X (GSX) Championship. Racing in the series all year, since July Courtney has been on a fantastic run of form. At the second race held at Mosport Park in Canada, she finished in second place and hasn’t finished off the podium since then. P3 and P2s followed in Virginia and at the latest round at Road Atlanta where she achieved two back-to-back second place results.
Consequently, she also finished in second place overall in the Championship.
Clara Stiebleichinger
The French Formula 4 season concluded at Paul Ricard in October. Clara Stiebleichinger had to win all three races in the women’s Championship if she was to become French F4 Female Champion and given the topsy turvy nature of the Championship, this was a tall order, even for someone of Clara’s capabilities.
“Coming into the final weekend, knowing I had to win every race in the women’s category, was a lot of pressure. However, I’m really happy I was able to handle it, deliver when it mattered, and bring it home.
Overall, this season has been an amazing opportunity to grow, learn, and challenge myself. Despite the many ups and downs, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, and how much I’ve grown throughout the journey.” – Clara Stiebleichinger
But that’s precisely what Clara went and did in Le Castellet and thus became Female F4 Champion in the French Series for 2026. F1 Academy or another regional series higher up the food chain seems the only logical next step for Clara come 2027.
Jamie Chadwick
At the final round of the European Le Mans Series, held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, Jamie Chadwick finished her season with a solid third place result. She also received the Goodyear Wingfoot Award too.
ARCA Menards Series West
Back in America, the ARCA Menards Series saw history made at the round held at Phoenix Raceway. Six women started that race and in the process, set a West Series record for most women to start such an event. Dystany Spurlock, Taylor Reimer, Quinn Davis, Jade Avedisian, Mia Lovell and Hailie Deegan were the women in question on this occasion.
Lindsay Brewer
Following a double podium finish in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Season Finale in Monza, Lindsay Brewer finished in second place overall in the Championship for 2026. It was not a bad way at all to cap off an already exhilarating season of racing.
Feature Image: Kyojo Cup, Red Bull Content Pool and Radiocheck