F1 Academy: Encouraging debut weekend for Kaylee
March 17, 2026
The 2026 F1 Academy season got off to a flying start last weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit in China, with the championship’s 18-driver field launching a new campaign and setting the tone for what looks set to be a closely fought year.
After a pre-season test at the circuit in February, TGR Haas F1 Team driver Kaylee Countryman arrived with anticipation and optimism for her series debut with ART Grand Prix.
The 16-year-old American racer opened the weekend P14 in the lone practice session with a best time of 2:06.099, before heading into a warmer, more challenging qualifying session.
After her initial push laps, Kaylee sat P16 before pitting for a tire change. On her final run, an issue brought her to a stop on track, triggering a red flag. Though she was able to restart and return to the pits, she couldn’t improve on her best lap of 2:06.438 and qualified P17.
In Saturday’s first race, Kaylee made her way past the Aston Martin-supported Mathilda Paatz to take P16 at the start. A safety car neutralized racing on lap 8 and at the restart, Kaylee dropped to P17, but quickly regained the position from Wild Card driver Shi Wei. She finished her first F1 Academy race 16th.
Sunday showcased Kaylee’s race craft as she once again got a strong launch off the line to gain a position immediately. On lap 6, she navigated past an incident directly ahead between Esmee Kosterman and Jade Jacquet to move up to P14 before a safety car period halted further progress.
When racing resumed, Kaylee gained one further position and crossed the checkered flag 13th.
“My first F1 Academy weekend went okay. I wish we hadn’t had the issue in qualifying, but it’s better we learn what caused it now rather than deal with it later in the season. It meant we were further back on the grid than we deserved to be, and with the gaps being so close on track it was hard to pass in the races, even though the circuit offers a number of opportunities.
“I’m looking forward to the next event in Montreal now, where we will look to focus on qualifying performance and on the execution.”
After showing steady progress throughout the weekend, Kaylee Countryman sits 15th in the drivers’ standings, with ART Grand Prix fifth in the teams’ battle.
The next round of the 2026 F1 Academy season will take place at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, in Montreal on May 22-24.
