The story of Californian Payton Westcott

When Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team announced their F1 Academy driver in February 2026, the name chosen was not one of the most familiar faces on the international circuit. It belonged to a sixteen year old from California who, barely a year earlier, was taking her first steps in European single seater racing. That name was Payton Riley Westcott, and in the short time she had spent in competitive motorsport, she had accumulated enough reasons for one of the world’s most iconic teams to back her unconditionally.

Born on March 20, 2009 in California, Westcott represents a new kind of talent on the women’s motorsport map. She did not grow up on European circuits from a young age, nor does she carry a decade of international karting history. She is a young woman who started racing at twelve, caught the attention of the F1 Academy through its Discover Your Drive programme, and within two years went from American karts to a full-time seat in the world’s most visible all-female single-seater series, representing Mercedes and racing with PREMA Racing.

California, karts and the late discovery of an early talent

Westcott began karting at twelve, relatively late by elite European motorsport standards. However, results quickly spoke for her. She produced standout performances in the most competitive American karting series: the United States Pro Kart Series, the California Pro Kart Challenge, and the Challenge of the Americas, where she finished third overall.

In 2024, the F1 Academy selected her for the inaugural Discover Your Drive karters programme, enabling Westcott to compete in the Champions of the Future Academy Program in the OK-N Senior category. It was her first significant step outside the American continent. And she made the most of it.

2025: from single-seaters to the doorstep of F1 Academy

In 2025 Westcott made the jump to single-seaters. She competed in multiple series: the Formula Winter Series with Van Amersfoort Racing, Italian F4, the Euro 4 Championship, and F4 Saudi Arabia. The schedule was breathtaking for a sixteen-year-old in her first year in open-wheel cars. But the results justified it.

In the Formula Winter Series she won the Female Trophy. In Italian F4 she won the women’s class from her very first race at Misano. Then came the moment that changed everything: she became the first and only woman to win the UAE Trophy Series. That triumph, together with an outstanding performance at the F1 Academy rookie test at Navarra, where she finished third in the morning and first in the afternoon, opened the door to her dream.

The invitation arrived as a wild card for the final 2025 F1 Academy round at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. On her absolute debut in the series, she finished sixth in race one on a challenging night street circuit. Race two ended in retirement following contact, but the message had been sent. The potential was real.

2026: the year of Mercedes’ big bet

Mercedes did not wait long. In February 2026, the German team announced Westcott as their full-season F1 Academy driver with PREMA Racing. The direct successor to Doriane Pin, who had won the 2025 championship under exactly the same team and manufacturer combination. Enormous shoes to fill.

But the structure was not looking for a replica. It was looking for someone with the right talent and the right mindset for the next chapter. And Westcott, at sixteen, arrived in the F1 Academy paddock with the maturity of someone who has learned that every race is an opportunity and every mistake a lesson. She is also the first Discover Your Drive pilot in the F1 Academy’s history to graduate to a full time seat, a historic milestone that adds an extra dimension to her story. At the 2026 season opener in Shanghai, she already stood on the podium, confirming that Mercedes’ bet was far from a whim.

TIMELINE

March 20, 2009
Born in California, United States.

2021
Begins karting at age twelve. Competes in United States Pro Kart Series and California Pro Kart Challenge.

2022–2023
Standout results in American karting, including third overall in the Challenge of the Americas.

2024
Selected for the inaugural F1 Academy Discover Your Drive karters programme. Competes in Champions of the Future Academy Program in Europe, OK-N Senior category.

2025
Graduates to single-seaters. Formula Winter Series (Female Trophy), Italian F4 (wins women’s class from race one), Euro 4 Championship, F4 Saudi Arabia. First and only woman to win the UAE Trophy Series. F1 Academy rookie test at Navarra: P3 morning, P1 afternoon. Wild card Las Vegas: P6 race 1, retirement race 2.

February 2026
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and PREMA Racing announce Westcott as full-season F1 Academy driver for 2026. First Discover Your Drive pilot to earn a full-time seat.

2026
First full F1 Academy season with PREMA Racing representing Mercedes. Podium at Shanghai GP (opener). Continuing dual programme in Italian F4.

KEY QUOTES

• “I’m excited to join the Mercedes family for the 2026 F1 Academy season. They are an incredible team and one that is driven by passion, determination, and a constant pursuit of excellence.”
  Payton Westcott — Mercedes-AMG F1 official statement, February 2026
• “Every race weekend will be a chance to push my limits, refine my driving, and build consistency. I’m motivated to make the most of this journey and take the next big step in my career.”
  Payton Westcott — F1 Academy official statement, February 2026

CURIOSITIES

• The first F1 Academy Discover Your Drive pilot in history to graduate to a full-time seat in the series. A genuine milestone.
• First and only woman to win the UAE Trophy Series in the F4 UAE Championship in 2025.
• Succeeds Doriane Pin as the Mercedes driver in F1 Academy. Pin won the 2025 championship with the exact same team and manufacturer backing.
• At the F1 Academy rookie test in Navarra, she was third fastest in the morning and fastest overall in the afternoon. That performance earned her the Las Vegas wild card.
• Works directly with Doriane Pin as a mentor throughout the 2026 season. The champion guiding her successor throughout the year.
• At just 16 she is the youngest driver on the 2026 F1 Academy grid, making her results even more remarkable against more experienced competitors

Payton Westcott is 16 years old, has the backing of Mercedes, and the distinction of being the first Discover Your Drive driver to make it to the F1 Academy as a full-time driver. Do you think she has what it takes to follow in Doriane Pin’s footsteps and fight for the championship, or will the experience of her rivals be too much of a disadvantage in her first full season? Let us know what you think.

Sources: mercedesamgf1.com, premaracing.com, f1academy.com, formula1.com, en.wikipedia.org, racers-behindthehelmet.com