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MID-SEASON REPORT: How are the class of 2026 rookies getting on?
A new crop of drivers arrived on the F1 ACADEMY grid this year, all eager to try and make their mark by bringing home their first pieces of silverware.
As the field take a chance to rest over the summer break, we’re taking a look at how each of the 11 rookies’ maiden campaigns have unfolded so far in Drivers’ Standings order and assess where they’ll be looking to make step forward in the second half of 2026.
MEGAN BRUCE – TAG HEUER
- Best Finish: P2 in the Montreal Opening Race
- Total Points: 39
- Standings Position: 4th
What have been her strengths so far?
Megan Bruce has already shown she’s made of stern stuff in her wheel-to-wheel battles, such as those with Ava Dobson in Silverstone. Although she hasn’t always come out on top, she fended off Emma Felbermayr well in the Montreal Feature Race, running in P2 until she clipped the wall on the final lap. The TAG Heuer driver is also clearly focused on where she needs to improve every session, mastering the transition away from the lowdown force setup in Montreal Qualifying without running her race setup in Practice beforehand, which Bruce had avoided in Shanghai.
Where has she still got work to do?
Silverstone was a disappointing weekend after her promising results in testing, with the Briton showing she had the pace worthy of more than one P9 finish. Holding her own against her second year teammates Alisha Palmowski and Rafaela Ferreira, Bruce will play a vital role in Campos Racing’s quest for the Teams’ title but she needs to put Round 3 behind her and hone in on the minor details to extract those last tenths.
PAYTON WESTCOTT - MERCEDES
- Best Finish: P3 in the Shanghai Feature Race and Montreal Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 36
- Standings Position: 6th
What have been her strengths so far?
Arguably the most polished and experienced of the rookies, it’s little surprise that Payton Westcott quickly got to grips with racing in F1 ACADEMY. Aided by the knowledge gained from her Wild Card debut last year, the Mercedes driver has carved out a place as the leading performer amongst the PREMA Racing trio. Her one lap pace has been particularly impressive, with three top-four times so far.
Where has she still got work to do?
With a solid foundation for Qualifying and the Races, Westcott’s main task is to avoid repeating any costly mistakes that are common amongst the newcomers, such as her five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Esmee Kosterman in the Montreal Opening Race. If she does that, there’s a high chance she could elevate herself into the battle for third.
MATHILDA PAATZ - ASTON MARTIN
- Best Finish: P1 in the Montreal Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 35
- Standings Position: 7th
What have been her strengths so far?
The first rookie winner this season, Mathilda Paatz was one of the standout drivers in Montreal. The only first year driver to have raced at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before, courtesy of her Wild Card appearance last year, the Aston Martin junior put her advantage to good use. After achieving a maiden podium in the Opening Race, Paatz proved she could be relied upon to handle the pressure in the Reverse Grid Race, navigating a tricky Safety Car restart on her own after losing radio communications with her engineer.
Where has she still got work to do?
Extra seat time in F4 CEZ will certainly help Paatz’s cause, enabling the German to keep her skills sharp during the extended breaks this season. However, she must find a way to gel more with the car in Practice, especially at tracks she hasn’t tested at beforehand, such as Austin and Las Vegas.
NATALIA GRANADA - SEPHORA
- Best Finish: P2 in the Shanghai Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 23
- Standings Position: 10th
What have been her strengths so far?
The final full-time driver confirmed for this season, Natalia Granada stole the headlines on her debut, assuredly finishing P2 in her maiden Formula 4 race. Although the first rookie podium of the 2026 campaign marks her high point results wise, Silverstone was a significant step for the Sephora driver, as she climbed from P12 to P7 in the Feature Race.
Where has she still got work to do?
Granada still needs to find her groove whilst battling and has to avoid getting tangled up in incidents, such as colliding with Ferreira on Lap 1 in the Shanghai Feature Race and spinning on the opening lap of the first race in Montreal. Additionally, the Spaniard should be aiming for more consistent Qualifying performances. If she can score top-eight times going forward, it would set her up well for bigger points hails across the remaining seven races and allow her to gain more experience against the frontrunners.
LISA BILLARD - GATORADE
- Best Finish: P5 in the Montreal Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 15
- Standings Position: 12th
What have been her strengths so far?
Over at ART Grand Prix, Lisa Billard seems to be the most at home in her car compared to her fellow rookie teammates. She comfortably outqualified the pair in Shanghai and Silverstone, netting an impressive career-best of P3 on her debut at the British circuit.
Where has she still got work to do?
Given the pace the Gatorade driver has had so far, Billard should have more than 15 points on the board. On the one hand, she’s had her share of bad luck with contact from Ella Lloyd in the Montreal Feature Race and stalling on the grid at Silverstone — that race would have been the ideal chance to assess her growth. However, at times she’s been too cautious for her own good, allowing her to get swamped by the rest of the field. In contrast to the typical advice to be more tentative in her approach, Billard has to be more aggressive on track if she wants to be on the podium by the end of the season.
KAYLEE COUNTRYMAN - HAAS
- Best Finish: P2 in the Montreal Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 14
- Standings Position: 13th
What have been her strengths so far?
When she’s been comfortable behind the wheel, you can see real potential in Kaylee Countryman’s pace. The American’s podium in Montreal wasn’t a fluke, but the product of a solid Qualifying and a steady and mature drive in the Reverse Grid Race.
Where has she still got work to do?
There are two big areas for the Haas driver to pay attention to. Firstly, it’s her speed across one lap, with Countryman noticeably down on Billard’s times in Zandvoort testing. Secondly, her lack of experience with standing starts has shown on occasions, most noticeably when she lost the lead immediately off the line in the Montreal Reverse Grid Race.
RACHEL ROBERTSON - PUMA
- Best Finish: P4 in the Silverstone Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 13
- Standings Position: 14th
What have been her strengths so far?
Rachel Robertson took a little while to adjust her approach and driving style to the F1 ACADEMY car, but her persistence paid off as she made a sizeable jump forward at Silverstone. A strong Qualifying in fifth at her home weekend put her on the right track for a back-to-back points finishes, her first of the season.
Where has she still got work to do?
The remaining rounds will be proof of whether her progress can be sustained, as it remains to be seen whether she can recreate her Silverstone pace at more unfamiliar tracks. While the PUMA driver looks to have shifted up a gear in Qualifying, she still has to find more speed in the races to keep up with the regular top five contenders and make the most of her grid positions where she can.
AVA DOBSON – AMERICAN EXPRESS
- Best Finish: P7 in the Silverstone Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 7
- Standings Position: 15th
What have been her strengths so far?
Much like her Hitech teammate Robertson, Silverstone was a big plus on Ava Dobson’s report card so far. Although she scored a point in the first round, the American Express driver wasn’t the biggest threat to the point scorers early on. However, she was all around more confident behind the wheel at the British circuit, being quick with a top-four time in Qualifying and staunch in both her attack and defence.
Where has she still got work to do?
Race pace is where Dobson should be focusing her attention, particularly with an eye to Zandvoort. Silverstone demonstrated the American driver’s overtaking potential, but she will want to find a few more tenths so she can pull herself out of those back and forth battles and avoid losing time to those in front once she’s made a move stick.
ELLA STEVENS – MCLAREN OXAGON
- Best Finish: P8 in the Montreal Opening Race
- Total Points: 4
- Standings Position: 16th
What have been her strengths so far?
Navigating her first season in single-seaters was always going to be an uphill battle, but Ella Stevens is taking every lap as an opportunity to learn. Each of the three tracks so far have been a new frontier for her to explore and the McLaren OXAGON driver knows that in order to finish first, first you have to finish, with every completed race another step forward towards realising her potential.
Where has she still got work to do?
With mileage at a premium, Stevens has to utilise the track time during testing to ready herself for as many scenarios as possible. Without her own previous references to track conditions or situations, the Briton will rely heavily on her preparation and needs to translate that immediately on to the track in Practice. Her P8 finish in the Montreal Opening Race showed she could fight for points and now the target will be to net a few more by the end of the year, so we can fully judge how much she’s bridged the gap to the front of the field.
ESMEE KOSTERMAN – LEGO RACING
- Best Finish: P9 in the Montreal Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 0
- Standings Position: 17th
What have been her strengths so far?
It’s been an underwhelming start to the season for Esmee Kosterman, who is one of two drivers yet to score. Despite the continued setbacks, the Dutch driver remains as determined as ever, which is a testament to her passion and resilience.
Where has she still got work to do?
Last year, Kosterman claimed points during her Wild Card appearance in Zandvoort, but at the moment she doesn’t appear to have found the same way to get in sync with the car. Next time out will be a welcome return to home soil and a track she knows well, giving her a golden opportunity to start to turn around a disappointing campaign, as long as she can steer clear of drama on track.
JADE JACQUET - WILLIAMS
- Best Finish: P12 in the Montreal Opening Race and Reverse Grid Race
- Total Points: 0
- Standings Position: 19th
What have been her strengths so far?
It’s been a difficult start to life in F1 ACADEMY, but Jade Jacquet has taken every challenge in her stride. Although points haven’t been forthcoming, the Williams driver is beginning to see progress and importantly, she is gathering valuable data by making it to the chequered flag regularly.
Where has she still got work to do?
Jacquet’s pathway for improvement is like a jigsaw slowly coming together. A jump in Qualifying performance should give her a shot at the top 10 in the Races and crucially, a points finish will give her the reassurance that she’s on the right track. To do that though, she cannot afford repeating any rookie errors, such as when she misjudged her braking point and hit Kosterman in the Shanghai Feature Race.