Stevens dominates the Rookie Test ahead of France's Lisa Billard

By 2026, a large part of the plateau F1 Academy is preparing to evolve. For example, the current top 3 of the championship, composed at this stage of the French Dorian Pin, of the Dutch Maya Weug, and the American Chloe Chambers, is in fact having its second consecutive season in the category, the maximum limit imposed on the drivers. To anticipate this turnover combined with the growing ambitions of the organizers, a first Rookie Test session has indeed been organized.

Organized into a day of exercises outside the car, and a full day of driving, this test saw the British Ella Stevens set the best time of 1:46.921 set on Thursday morning at the Navarra circuit in Spain. Second in the session, the French Lisa Billard, just 16 years old, set a personal best time of 1:47.013. 19th in F4 France for her first year in car – first in the women's ranking – the pilot, notably followed by Iron Dames, has thus confirmed all the potential she has already demonstrated, placing herself in ideal conditions to continue in the international championship from the coming season.

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Billiards 2nd, the French in the spotlight

In addition to the small gaps to be noted between the leader and her closest pursuer – 92 thousandths of a second – Payton Westcott, a young 16-year-old American, and VAR driver in Italian F4, climbed to third place in this test, setting a reference time of 1:47.044, just 31 thousandths behind Lisa Billard.

Elsewhere, behind the leader of the French F4 women's standings, Frenchwoman Lisa Bourguet achieved the tenth fastest time in the morning, as well as the ninth fastest time in the afternoon. Jade Jacquet, currently 25th in FFSA F4, finished seventh in the afternoon, while Alexandra Herve, who notably worked in Formula Renault Cup, and the Dutchwoman Annabelle Brian, 24th in the FFSA F4 this year, managed to climb into the top 12 in the morning and the top 13 in the afternoon respectively.

As for the tests conducted by the drivers making up the current F1 Academy grid, Maya Weug dominated the first day of testing ahead of Doriane Pin, while Welshwoman Ella Lloyd took the lead on the second day. Doriane Pin finished third behind her Dutch rival in the championship. The duel between the two competitors will resume at the next round in Singapore, from October 3 to 5.