Global motorsport proceeded to wake up further from its winter slumber over the past month. As a result, we got to witness some excellent racing action across a variety of categories, as well as many stand out performances. Last month saw a multitude of women hit the ground running with their opening gambits for 2026. February was no different.
“You can start slow and build up as you feel more comfortable with yourself. You don’t need to have everything figured out from the beginning, I’m still figuring it out myself too, and this is only the beginning of my journey.” – Lina Hammadeh
The Paddock Chronicle takes a look back at some of those who impressed the most in February of 2026.
Hedda Hosås
The Jordan Baja Cross Country Rally threw up a lot of brilliant storylines during its 2026 incarnation. One of those was the fantastic win in the SSV category by none other than Norway’s Hedda Hosås. Having previously competed a plethora of off road races, including a P3 finish at the Extreme H World Cup last year, Hedda is really getting into her stride in 2026.
Along with co-driver Pol Tibau, the pair finished in eighth place overall. Both of these results became new personal bests for Hedda in FIA competitions. Not only then did Hedda become the first Norwegian to compete in the Baja Jordan, but she also became the first Norwegian to win it. There is no doubt that she will continue to be a driver to keep a firm eye on in the future.
Lucie Baud
Competing in the Jordan Baja alongside her father, Lionel, as a co-driver, the duo kicked off the cross country rally in style. They overtook recent Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah in the final moments of the opening stage to take the stage win for themselves by just 1.8 seconds. It’s not often that somebody does that so when it does, we should all pay attention.
By the end of the event, Lucie and Lionel finished in third place overall, despite a puncture on the final day.
Enni Mälkönen
Rally Sweden took place mid way through the month of February. It gave us some truly beautiful cinematic style shots throughout the event – always a bonus. The World Rally Championship is challenging enough at the best of times and it also perfectly highlights the importance of a good relationship between a driver and a co-driver.
Enni Mälkönen proved that she is a formidable co-driver once again to fellow Finn Esapekka Lappi. The pair’s lowest finish across the eighteen stages was P7. That came at the end of the very first stage on Thursday. They rose as high as P4 overall across Friday. But they had to settle for P6 come the end of Rally Sweden on Super Sunday. P6 may not seem worthy of note to some but when the fact that Enni was less than two minutes behind overall winners Elfyn Evans and Scott Martins, that objection melts away like the snow they were racing on.
Fabienne Wohlwend
Fabienne has been competing in the Indian Racing League since 2022. While she’s had a number of podiums over her time in the series, a win has always eluded her. Until now. Midway through February, Wohlwend, competing for JA Racing, changed that by winning on the very first street circuit race held on Goa. It was a long time coming for the German driver and a victory she’s sure to not to forget any time soon. She was awarded driver of the day too.
“Unexpectedly, the Safety Car came out 10 minutes before the end — my gap was gone. I kept my nerves, executed a strong restart, created a gap to P2 and brought the win home in a dominant style…Simply fantastic to win on the streets of India at our team’s home race! With this weekend, Raoul and I also retook the championship lead.” – Fabienne Wohlwend
Luna Fluxa
Mercedes junior Luna Fluxa made her Spanish Formula 4 debut in February. Competing in Portimão for the opening round of the 2026 season, Luna hit the ground running. P14 in the very first race wasn’t what she might have been hoping for. But that all changed in the second race of the weekend. Second place and a first podium in the series were the fruits of her labour there. This was followed by a solid eighth place finish in the final race of the weekend too.
The Campos Racing driver will be looking to build on these results in the final two rounds of the Championship. These will be held in Jarama and Aragon respectively.
Notable Mentions
Hilâl Olgun
Meanwhile, over in Türkiye, there was an awards ceremony celebrating those that were at the top of their games in 2025. One of those was Hilâl Olgun. To date, Hilâl is the only female athlete in Türkiye who competes in separate races both as a driver and as a co-driver. In the Turkish Rally Championship, she competed as a female co-pilot. She achieved first place in Category 1, second place among the female co-drivers and finished in third place in the overall standings.
“Winning the championship in the season cup is not just an award for me, it’s the culmination of long hours of hard work, discipline, and belief. Between the adrenaline I felt at the starting line and the flag I saw at the finish line, there are countless sacrifices and unwavering determination. The moment I held this trophy in my hands, I felt that all those challenging corners, lost seconds, and repeated bounces gained meaning.” – Hilâl Olgun
Over in the Izmir Autocross Cup, which takes place primarily on gravel based stages, Hilâl was the Women’s Pilots Winner and the Category 2 Winner.
“As a female driver, this achievement is also a source of great pride for me. On the track, it’s not gender that matters, but courage, talent, and determination. This championship is also a message to all women who pursue their dreams: When you get behind the wheel, the limits disappear.
This success is not an end for me, but the beginning of new goals. I will continue to work to be faster, stronger, and to raise the flag even higher.” – Hilâl Olgun
In a country that is producing more and more female talent in motorsport, particularly in off-road competitions, it’s awesome to see individuals out there such as Hilâl, who are helping to pave the way for those that come after her and show everyone that there’s no need to always choose between being a driver and a co-driver. You can be both.
Amelia Charlesworth
Karting Championships exist right across the globe and are filled with hundreds and thousands of aspiring racing drivers. As you can imagine, it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all in one convenient place. But when news of a particular racer doing well reaches our ears, it wouldn’t be us not to report it.
“Honestly I thought getting to the B final would be an achievement for me against 62 of the best drivers in Daytona. But to make it to the A final and to do well in it proves that I have got the pace to make up with the top drivers. I hope what I did inspires the other girls that race amongst us to know that they can do it as well.” – Amelia Charlesworth
In the first full weekend of February, the 2025/26 Daytona Race of Champions was held in Milton Keynes in the UK. 145 drivers took part in the competition, with British racer Amelia Charlesworth among them. Across the event, Amelia managed to knuckle down and work her way into the A Final – the only female driver to do so in the adult category. While forced to retire due to contact in the final, the achievement of reaching the final to begin with is worthy of celebration and proof that Amelia is a fierce and capable driver.
Asia Vidori
Over in Italy, the Ronde Val Merula took place over the weekend of February 14th-15th. Asia Vidori, alongside Alex Guion, competed together in the Rally4 category, finishing in P12 overall. But the extra spoils of victory came as a result of Asia winning outright in the female category of the rally.
“Despite the unexpected, we managed to have a good race and I am very happy.” – Asia Vidori
Regional racing is a vital lifeblood of motorsport. We see this across all motorsport disciplines and some of our favourite personalities in motorsport wouldn’t exist without them. Celebrating these milestones as they happen is therefore crucial and helps build those driver’s stories.
Lina Hammadeh
Last year, Sebastian Vettel held a two day karting event (Race 4 Women, Challenge Me) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Young female drivers were encouraged to take part in the event which involved both training and a final race. Of those that participated, Lina not only stood out from the rest of the competitors but also won the final race.
“I believe experience comes with opportunity. Today reminded me how much you learn simply by being in the car and listening to people in the motorsport community. Whether it’s drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone brings a different perspective. My goal is to keep getting better behind the wheel whenever I get the chance to, and to keep learning and getting better.” – Lina Hammadeh
As a result, earlier in the month, Lina took her next step on her motorsport journey. She tested the Ferrari 488 Challenge Car at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, completing two forty five minute sessions. While it’s not known where her racing journey will take her next, it’s worth highlighting and mentioning this story. Lina is also now studying Mechanical Engineering. She’s blending together on and off track knowledge in what is sure to be an incredibly beneficial way.
Feature Image: Hedda Hosås, Lucia Baud, Fabienne Wohlwend, Amelia Charlesworth, Hilâl Olgun and Asia Vidori.