Mathilda Paatz confirmed as the Wild Card entry for Round 4 in Montreal

Mathilda Paatz will join the F1 ACADEMY grid as the Wild Card entry for Round 4 of the 2025 season in Montreal.

After several years in European and World level karting, the German driver progressed into single-seaters, competing in the French F4 Championship. This season, the 16-year-old has been honing her craft in the F4 CEZ Championship, scoring her first podium with a second-place finish at the Red Bull Ring.

To celebrate their launch as an Official Partner of F1 ACADEMY, Gatorade will be sponsoring her Wild Card entry, with Paatz getting behind the wheel of the #8 Gatorade car operated by Hitech TGR.

Preparing to race around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the first time, Paatz said: “I’m beyond excited to be the Wild Card driver at Round 4 of F1 ACADEMY at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, driving the Gatorade car. Growing up, I was captivated by the theatre of racing - the energy, the passion, and how drivers carried the pride of their teams.

“To now be racing on a Formula 1 weekend, with fans around the world watching, is a dream come true. I’m especially proud to partner with Gatorade, a brand that’s championed athletes at every level and is helping pave the way for the next generation of women in motorsport.”