- Home
- Other Sports
- Welsh F Academy Star Ella Lloyd Shines In Breakthrough Season
Lloyd, from Pontypridd, finished the year with 109 points, securing fourth place overall in F1 Academy and runner-up in the rookie standings.
The 20-year-old, who only began car racing in 2022, competed in both F1 Academy and select rounds of the British F4 championship this season with Rodin Motorsport.
Her impressive performances have already earned her a second season in F1 Academy, continuing as part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme for 2026.
After first appearing as a wildcard entry in the 2024 campaign of F1 Academy at the round in Singapore, the Welsh sensation secured a drive with Rodin Motorsport in the championship with the backing of McLaren Formula 1 Team.
Lloyd instantly made a name for herself as she claimed her maiden F1 Academy victory in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following a tight finish with Ferrari-backed driver Maya Weug in Race 1 of the weekend.
The win also marked McLaren’s first race victory of any kind in Saudi Arabia.
After securing a spot on the front row for the reverse-grid race, Lloyd instantly took the lead after a great launch off the line. By lap three, she had almost pulled out a three-second advantage, but a safety car unfortunately undid all of her hard work.
When the race resumed with six laps remaining, all Lloyd had to do was hold off Alisha Palmowski and Weug in the remaining laps, with the pair pushing hard behind.
Nevertheless, it was the Welsh driver who saw the chequered flag first to win her first F1 Academy race by just one tenth of a second over second place.
After winning, Lloyd said: “It feels pretty good, but it’s not really where I wanted to win from. I need to work on my qualifying to get a win from a better qualifying position.
“I think I kept my head quite cool in the race and just didn't look behind. That was a positive thing to take away – it’s probably the first time I've done that, so that was a positive to take into the next race.
“I’ve now had my first win, so hopefully, as a team, we can keep pushing for more.”
READ MORE: Meet Caleb McDuff . . . The Welsh Racer Who Turned Silence Into Speed
Lloyd also achieved a hat-trick of podiums at the Canadian Circuit, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located just outside of Montreal, featuring three second-place finishes.
That pushed her firmly into the top five in the championship standings, as it was one of the highest-scoring weekends for any driver in the field.
Strong performances like those in Montreal and consistent top ten finishes meant she finished the season fourth in the standings, so she will definitely be one to watch in the title fight next year.
Besides F1 Academy, she also competed in select races of the British F4 championship this year, again with Rodin Motorsport.
She notably picked up a podium at one of the European rounds in Zandvoort, finishing third, and also entered the non-championship round that took place over the British Grand Prix weekend.
Furthermore, she competed in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Berlin E-Prix Rookie Test on Monday, 14 July, with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team.
She competed alongside fellow British drivers Abbi Pulling and Jamie Chadwick, with the trio completing more than 150 laps combined in the morning session.
Lloyd also took part in the Women’s Test with Envision Racing ahead of the 2025–26 Formula E season in Valencia, where she finished both the morning and afternoon sessions in fifth.
It has already been confirmed that the Welsh star will return to F1 Academy next season under an expanded McLaren entry.
Lloyd will be joined by Ella Häkkinen, daughter of two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Häkkinen, as the British team strengthens its commitment to developing female talent.
