Interview
Robertson reflects on ‘big learning curve’ after surprise points-scoring debut in Las Vegas
Rachel Robertson wasn’t expecting to be called up to F1 ACADEMY for the dazzling season finale, but she resolved to make the most of the unique opportunity under the Las Vegas lights.
After TAG Heuer driver Aiva Anagnostiadis was ruled out of Round 7 following surgery on her left foot, Hitech TGR recruited 18-year-old Robertson to compete for the team alongside Nicole Havrda and Wild Card entry Payton Westcott.
Despite her limited single-seater experience, including an appearance in the F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test, the Scottish racer put on a remarkable performance in Race 1. Having outqualified both of her teammates in P14, she surged through the field and took advantage of the drama around her to improve to P4 — marking Hitech TGR’s highest-placed finish of the season.
Reflecting on her development across the weekend, she said: “I think it’s definitely been such a big learning curve, especially gaining experience on a street circuit which I’ve never done before and the other drivers have had quite a lot of experience this year on (them).
“Getting P4 on Friday was very good. Then on Saturday, just gaining more experience with the car and knowing how it feels, especially with the track – it changes all the time. It’s been a great weekend and lots of improvements.”
Interestingly, of the one-off appearances this season, only Zandvoort Wild Card Esmee Kosterman has scored more points than Robertson. Filled with confidence to pursue a similarly strong result in Race 2, Saturday’s race was a messier affair. Involved in an incident with Joanne Ciconte and Westcott at Turn 5, she was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision.
It meant she finished where she started in 14th place, but that wasn’t enough to dissuade from focusing on the positives and looking ahead to the future.
Asked what learnings she’ll take from the weekend into the next stage of her career, Robertson replied: “I’d take just the experience. Hopefully next year I’m able to get a seat, and this street circuit experience will be so valuable heading into next year.”