At just 18 years of age, Rachel Robertson is taking the motorsport world by storm. Having only started karting three years ago, her progress has not been hindered by a lack of experience.
Already proving to be up there with the best, she earned a full-time drive with Hitech TGR and PUMA in F1 ACADEMY this year. She currently competes alongside the biggest female names in motorsport as she moves closer to Formula 1.
F1 ACADEMY: Support Series Provides “Massive Stage” For Female Drivers
Robertson’s dedication to improving her racecraft alongside studying Motorsport Engineering at Wiltshire College has not gone unnoticed. Marked as one of Britain’s brightest prospects in women’s motorsport, the young Scot has been very vocal about the positive impact F1 ACADEMY has had on allowing women access to the higher levels of motorsport.
Speaking to the BBC, she explained how F1 ACADEMY provides a “massive stage”, particularly for young female drivers like herself, to showcase their abilities and get noticed by the ‘big dogs’ in Formula 1. These young female drivers have massive hopes and dreams for their future careers. Even as rookie drivers they want to “compete at the top”.
With more women involved in motorsport than ever before, stories like Robertson’s continue to inspire the next generation of young girls chasing the same dream: reaching the heights of Formula 1.
Rachel Robertson’s Road to F1 ACADEMY Through British Karting
Since that day in 2023 when Robertson first stepped foot in a kart, karting has come naturally to her. Starting out in indoor rental karting in the UK, she made rapid progression. Competing in the 2023 British Kart Championship, Robertson immediately stood out as the only female driver in the Senior Rotax category.
In the 2024 season, Robertson established herself as a frontrunner, securing multiple top-10 finishes. She ended the season 26th overall in a crowded, male-dominated field. Later that year, she managed to beat more than 50 young drivers and was awarded a factory-supported drive with Radical Motorsport.
The success didn’t stop there. The sky became the limit for the girl from Edinburgh, achieving third place overall in the 2025 Radical Cup UK season. This and her consistent performances earned her an invitation to the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test at Navarra – a breakthrough moment in the teenager’s career.
Saudi Arabian Formula 4 Championship
Alongside her F1 ACADEMY and Radical Cup commitments, Robertson also began her transition into single-seaters. After participating in F4 testing, she went on to make her full-time F4 debut in the 2025 Saudi Arabian Championship.
The Bahrain season opener proved tricky, as Robertson tried to find her rhythm in the car. Steady progress shortly followed in the second event, securing her first top-10 finish in single-seaters.
Battling for the podium in the Jeddah finale, she had to settle for fourth. However, she ended the year on a high by achieving her first Female Trophy win, and with a total of 19 points from 10 races. Four top-10 finishes across the season earned her deserved recognition as one of the most improved drivers in the field.
2025 F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test – Circuito de Navarra, Spain
The inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test took place in September 2025, with 18 female drivers taking to the stage. With 18 spots up for grabs for the 2026 season, Robertson would have felt quietly confident that one could be hers.
Putting in back-to-back top-five times across sessions, she placed comfortably amongst the frontrunners. The name Rachel Robertson was remembered for her consistency, pace, and adaptability to unfamiliar machinery. She earned a place waiting in the wings in the latter stages of the 2025 season.
A Dazzling Debut in Las Vegas Season Finale
Robertson’s opportunity to show what she’s really made of came in time for the 2025 season finale. Las Vegas: a track which carries huge pressure from the spotlight placed upon it. Those who succeed and those who fail are seen and remembered by a large global audience. Drivers cannot afford to make mistakes.
After Aiva Anagnostiadis had to withdraw due to injury, Robertson was called upon for her F1 ACADEMY debut in the Hitech TGR #11.
Her first F1 ACADEMY weekend outing in Free Practice saw her finish in P15. There was a lot of work to do ahead of Qualifying. In that session, Robertson only managed one place better off in P14, but impressed by outperforming more experienced drivers such as Courtney Crone and Chloe Chong.
It was in Race 1 that the Scot produced a truly outstanding drive in tricky wet conditions. She made up 10 places to finish P4 overall, narrowly missing out on a podium on debut. This marked Hitech’s best finish of the year, as well as one of the highest rookie finishes of the season. The stars really do come out for Las Vegas.
Robertson’s shining debut performance caught the attention of F1 ACADEMY and F1 teams up and down the grid. Ultimately, it was Hitech who won the battle to sign her ahead of the 2026 season. Hitech TGR #56 now belongs to Rachel Robertson, adding her name into F1 ACADEMY folklore in 2026.
2026 F1 ACADEMY Round 1 – Shanghai
The 2026 F1 ACADEMY sees a record number of rookies – 11 out of the 18-car grid – all manifesting a dream start to their F1 ACADEMY careers. Robertson lines up for Hitech alongside last year’s Miami Wild Card entry and fellow rookie, Ava Dobson, and the first Wild Card entry of 2026, Shi Wei.
Continuing from where she left off after her short but sweet appearance in Vegas last year, the teenager was expected to carry this momentum with her into Shanghai. Proving she isn’t a one-race wonder, she immediately demonstrated rapid pace in Free Practice before just missing out on the top 10 in Qualifying.
In the Reverse Grid Race, she was part of a three-way battle for the final points, but couldn’t maintain the position, having to settle for P10. The Feature Race came to an abrupt end for two of the three Hitech drivers on Lap 10. Robertson collided with her teammate, Shi Wei, on the approach to Turn 14.
As a result, Robertson received a five-place grid penalty for Canada. Not the perfected and polished start the Scot would have hoped for, but glimmers of potential shown and lots of learnings taken on board.
Round 2 – Montréal
After a long break due to the circumstances in the Middle East, Rachel Robertson returned to action for Round 2 of F1 ACADEMY 2026 in Montréal. She hoped to use her previous experience at the high-speed Las Vegas street circuit to quickly get to grips with the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
In the first Qualifying session of the weekend, Robertson placed just outside the top 10 in P12, followed by P13 in Qualifying 2. Work to do to reach those points-scoring positions.
It proved to be another difficult weekend for the Hitech driver. In the Opening Race, Robertson took the chequered flag in P11, narrowly missing out on her first top-10 finish of the season. Signs of hope were diminished after receiving a five-second penalty post-race for causing a collision with Natalia Granada at Turn 2. The Scot was demoted to P13 as a result.
The weekend only went downhill from here. Contact with Ella Lloyd in the Reverse Grid Race resulted in a DNF. Then, after hard-fought battles in the Feature Race, she only did enough for P14.
A weekend she won’t want to reminisce on. Her focus turned to preparations for Silverstone, in the hope of finding form in front of her home crowd.
Round 3 – Silverstone
Round 3 marked F1 ACADEMY’s debut on British soil, with Silverstone hosting the series for the first time. Returning to home turf and a circuit she adores, Robertson arrived determined to bounce back after a difficult first two rounds. With all eyes on the Scot in front of her home crowd, the Hitech driver hoped Silverstone would provide the breakthrough she had been searching for.
Ahead of the weekend, Robertson also appeared on the cover of Tatler magazine alongside Alba Larsen and Nina Gademan. This further highlighted her growing profile both within motorsport and beyond.
The Hitech driver looked immediately at home around the iconic Silverstone circuit. Securing her best Qualifying result of the season in P5, she missed out on the second row by just five thousandths of a second to teammate Dobson.
Beginning the Reverse Grid Race from fourth, Robertson delivered a composed performance to take the chequered flag in the same position. The result earned her maiden F1 ACADEMY points, narrowly missing out on a first podium. She then converted fifth on the grid into sixth in Sunday’s Feature Race, securing consecutive points finishes to cap off a breakthrough weekend.
Does Robertson Have an Advantage Over Her Competitors?
The teenager may have an advantage over some of her peers, with previous single-seater experience in F4. Balancing her Motorsport Engineering studies alongside competing in F1 ACADEMY could also prove valuable, particularly in helping her understand the technical side of the car as the season progresses.
Speaking to F1 ACADEMY ahead of the 2026 season, Robertson was asked what she wanted to be remembered by. Her response was clear:
“My driving style to be remembered as aggressive but respectful. I want them to have a bit of fear. I want anyone watching to know I’m going to do something.” – Rachel Robertson
Glimpses of that “aggressive but respectful” approach have been evident throughout her rookie campaign. While the opening two rounds yielded little reward, her performances at Silverstone finally translated that potential into results, with her maiden F1 ACADEMY points and consecutive top-six finishes.
Whether Robertson’s technical background ultimately gives her an advantage over her rivals remains to be seen. However, her steady progression throughout the first half of the season suggests she is beginning to find her footing in one of the most competitive grids in women’s motorsport.
Next: Round 4 – Zandvoort
The Paddock Chronicle will continue to follow Robertson’s progress throughout her rookie F1 ACADEMY campaign, as she battles it out with some of the most established names in women’s motorsport.
She next takes to the F1 ACADEMY stage for Round 4 at Zandvoort (21-23 August) as the championship enters its second half. The Dutch circuit becomes the only venue to feature on every F1 ACADEMY calendar to date, making its fourth consecutive appearance in the series in 2026.
Following her breakthrough weekend at Silverstone, Robertson climbed to 14th in the Drivers’ standings. After arriving on home soil without a point to her name, she left with 13 points and ahead of teammate Dobson. With momentum finally on her side, all eyes will be on whether the Scot can continue her rise when the lights go out at Zandvoort.
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Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool