WILTSHIRE College & University Centre Motorsport Engineering student Rachel Robertson is set for the next milestone on an extraordinary journey that has taken her from kart racing to the F1 Academy’s global stage in less than two years.

The 18-year-old, who is in the second year of her Level 3 course at the College’s Chippenham campus, will fly out to Shanghai next week [February 11 to 13] to begin testing after being selected to drive the PUMA car, operated by Hitech GP, for the 2026 F1 Academy season.

The female-only competition competes across seven countries in three continents as part of the Formula 1 platform and begins on March 13 to 15 in Shanghai before visiting Saudi Arabia, Canada, Silverstone in the UK, the Netherlands and then Austin, Texas, and finally Las Vegas in November.

It’s a far cry from the kart racing centre her dad Colin took her to when she was nine. After the centre closed she had to wait five years to start driving again but within two years she was so improved she earned a place in the British Kart Championships, which led her to a berth in the Radical Racing sports car championship last year.

From there her growing reputation led to a seat in the F1 Academy’s final race in Las Vegas before Christmas, where she earned a fourth place in a 174bhp, 149mph, Tag Heuer car, operated by Hitech GP.

“Everything has happened very fast and there have been some times when I’ve had to pinch myself,” she said.

“It has all blown up now that the teams have been announced and there’s so much going on, it feels a lot more real now. But it’s very cool.”

She could be forgiven for being overwhelmed by the scale of the competition, up against more experienced drivers, but she is determined to remain level-headed. “I’m competing with drivers who have a performance coach and a racing coach there with them and I’m just turning up with my mum and dad,” she said.

“But this is the level and I will work it out for myself. I’ve had really good support from the PUMA team and it feel like a good environment compared to a lot of kind of different motorsport series.”

Her experience in Las Vegas rubbing shoulders with the F1 drivers will stand her in good stead for the new season, she hopes. “At Las Vegas, it was so weird not being a fan any more, we had access to the F1 paddock and it’s just such a different experience. I kept thinking I should be with all the other fans and saying to myself ‘why am I the one actually sat talking to them, getting pictures?’

“You’re driving down the F1 pit lane on the same weekend as the main race and there’s people watching and people making comments about everything. I tried to be level headed and having the mindset of being on such a big stage and thinking ‘I need to prove I can be here, but I’m only going to prove myself if I’m enjoying it as well’.”

Having almost two years of garage experience, thanks to the course at Wiltshire College is a bonus, she says. “A lot of the mechanics are almost impressed that I’m racing and actively studying motorsport,” she said. “And it heightens my knowledge of the car and how to set it up. I think with moving into the F1 Academy, it’s almost more vital.

“When we go to tracks like Montreal and Las Vegas we only will get one or two test sessions, so it’s very important to gather from just one session whether I like the feel of the car and knowing what needs to be done to correct it. It’s almost more important than ever to know what’s underneath you.”

Beyond the racing is the challenge of completing her coursework at college while trotting the globe and looking for sponsorship for a Formula Four drive as well. She has distinctions in many of the modules she’s studied so far.

“The challenge is a lot of the second year is using CAD and you need to be in college for that, and doing any practicals I need to prove I can do to pass the course,” she said. “Those are the struggles to try to find time to actually do them, but I’m going to give it everything.”

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