Payton Westcott: Juggling Italian Formula 4 and F1 ACADEMY
Competing in both Italian Formula 4 & F1 ACADEMY in 2026, take a closer look at how Payton Westcott is balancing two demanding championships while continuing her rise through the single-seater ranks.
17-year-old Payton Westcott entered her second Italian Formula 4 campaign this season as one of the leading female talents in junior single-seater racing. After missing out on the Women’s Trophy title to her now teammate Emily Cotty in 2025, the American has her sights set on going one better in 2026.
Westcott has a packed schedule in 2026 as she is also making her full-time F1 ACADEMY debut competing for PREMA and Mercedes alongside her F4 commitments. As the teenager makes huge strides in her career this year, can she balance the two and achieve some level of success in one or the other, or even both?
Payton Westcott’s Journey So Far
Westcott began karting at six years old and quickly built an impressive résumé in the United States, earning success in the United States Pro Kart Series, California Pro Kart Challenge, and Challenge of the Americas. Her performances led to selection for the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Discover Your Drive programme, paving the way for her move into single-seaters.
Her maiden F4 season, racing for Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR), showcased her versatility across the Formula Winter Series, Italian F4, and the UAE F4 Championship. She claimed the Formula Winter Series Female Trophy, secured multiple Women’s Trophy victories in Italian F4, and became the first female driver to win outright in the UAE Trophy, converting pole position into victory in Dubai.
Alongside her F4 commitments, Westcott impressed in F1 ACADEMY. After topping the Rookie Test, she earned a Wild Card entry in Las Vegas and scored points on debut before securing a full-time 2026 seat with PREMA, backed by Mercedes. She has also benefited from the mentorship of reigning F1 ACADEMY champion Doriane Pin.
F1 ACADEMY Round 1: Shanghai (13-15 March)
In the opening round of the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season, Westcott kicked off her maiden campaign with a strong P6 finish on Saturday. The Mercedes junior then returned on Sunday to claim her maiden F1 ACADEMY podium with an impressive P3, behind Emma Felbermayr and Alisha Palmowski.
The American was one of only two rookies to score points in both races during the opening round in China, making an encouraging start to her rookie campaign.
F1 ACADEMY Round 2: Montréal (22-24 May)
It was another podium finish for Westcott in Canada, who had a quietly successful weekend. In the Reverse Grid Race, she was promoted to the final step on the podium, marking two podiums in the opening two rounds of the season. She then completed the weekend with a respectable P4 in the Feature Race, further strengthening her impressive start to the campaign.
F1 ACADEMY Round 3: Silverstone (3-5 July)
Last time out, at F1 ACADEMY’s first-ever visit to Silverstone, Westcott and PREMA endured their most challenging weekend of the 2026 season. After only managing 10th in Qualifying and missing out on the reverse-grid positions, the Mercedes junior was handed a five-second penalty for a false start in Saturday’s race, dropping her to 14th in the final classification.
A slight improvement followed in Sunday’s Feature Race, where she crossed the line in 11th, narrowly missing out on the points to end a 2026 F1 ACADEMY weekend empty-handed for the first time this season.
Up Next: Zandvoort (21-23 August)
Despite disappointing results at Silverstone, Westcott remains firmly in contention as the Championship battle begins to take shape. Following Round 3, she sits on 36 Championship points, placing her sixth in the Drivers’ standings. Despite dropping two positions, she remains one point ahead of teammate Mathilda Paatz.
However, the season has only just reached its halfway mark, and with a lengthy summer break before the series returns for Round 4 at the iconic Zandvoort Circuit, everything remains to play for as the midfield battle continues to tighten.
Can Westcott return to the podium? Or, even better, can she write her name into the history books by producing a drive worthy of her maiden F1 ACADEMY victory?
2026 Italian F4 Championship
Alongside F1 ACADEMY, Westcott has returned to Italian F4 for 2026. Joining Emily Cotty at R-ace GP, Westcott looks to build on her growing experience and establish herself as a regular contender in one of the world’s most competitive junior championships.
After the opening three rounds, let’s see how her 2026 Italian F4 campaign is unfolding.
Italian F4 Round 1: Misano (May 10th)
Westcott faced a challenging start to her campaign at Misano. Results of P17, P16 and P21 reflected the strength of the field, but also provided a solid foundation for her to build on as the season unfolds. After the opening round, the American occupied P32 in the Championship standings.
F4 CEZ Round 2: Salzburgring (29-31 May)
Rather than competing at Vallelunga in Italian F4, Westcott temporarily shifted her focus to the F4 CEZ Championship, a single-seater series based across Central and Eastern Europe. Making her debut with CRAM Motorsport during the second round of the season at Austria’s Salzburgring, the American gained valuable experience against a different group of competitors, many of whom she could encounter again as she progresses through the junior single-seater ranks. Competing on a circuit that was largely unfamiliar also provided another valuable learning opportunity, helping Westcott continue to develop her adaptability and broaden her experience.
Despite a disrupted weekend that ended with the final race being cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, Westcott made an encouraging debut in the F4 CEZ Championship. A second-place finish in the Women’s Trophy in Race 1 was followed by a respectable P8 in Race 2, adding another positive chapter to what has already been a busy and impressive 2026 campaign for the teenager.
Italian F4 Round 3: Monza (June 21st)
Returning to Italian F4 for Round 3, Westcott continued to build momentum in the Women’s Trophy battle with a series of determined performances at the Temple of Speed. Despite receiving a three-place grid penalty after Race 1 and finishing P26 in the final race, the American impressed with a strong P15 finish in Race 3, missing out on the Women’s Trophy victory by just 0.073 seconds to Felbermayr. She also completed the Women’s Trophy podium in the final race, crossing the line less than three-tenths of a second behind Rosanne den Drijver.
Up Next: Mugello (July 26th)
Following Round 3, Westcott sits third in the Italian F4 Women’s Trophy standings with 134 points, firmly in contention as the season progresses. In the overall Drivers’ Championship standings, she occupies P44 with a single point.
However, Felbermayr’s hat-trick of Women’s Trophy results at Monza moves the PHM Racing driver above Westcott by six points, meaning the American faces pressure to outperform the Austrian and regain second place next time out on track at Mugello.
The Women’s Trophy battle is beginning to really heat up after just three rounds. If you haven’t already made your predictions, now is the time to do so. All five women competing this year are worthy winners of the Women’s Trophy for their achievements in the sport so far.
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