Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Esmee Kosterman
- Alejandra Guajardo Lozano
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Alejandra Guajardo Lozano, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Women have played an influential role throughout the history of motor racing. Many have taken to the wheels of motorsport machines, while numerous figures have worked tirelessly on the sidelines in various roles, shaping the racing world to the present day.
This week, the spotlight shines on F1 Academy’s newest Wildcard, Esmee Kosterman.
Kosterman’s career in racing started back in 2020, when she was picked for that year’s Girls on Track- Rising Stars programme. In 2021, she joined the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup Benelux. Two years later, she achieved the title of being the first woman to win the series. She has lots of experience, racing in the Dutch Supercar Challenge, BMW M2 Cup and the Lamera Cup.
With plenty of skill and determination, the Dutch driver finally had her debut in single-seaters at the Indian F4 Championship, scoring points on her debut and securing two top ten finishes. She has currently entered four rounds of the British F4 Championship for JHR Developments in 2025.
At the season opener in Silverstone, Kosterman showcased her skills, placing 11th and impressing the British crowd. She then returned to Snetterton, managing to score her first points of the championship in Race 2.
Most recently, Kosterman was announced as F1 ACADEMY’s Wildcard for Zandvoort. Alongside Hitech and TeamViewer, the Dutch native sported a special livery that celebrated leaders and innovative women for TeamViewer’s Visibility Drives Change campaign.
The navy blue Hitech car, decked in TeamViewer branding, featured 200 women and role models who inspire women across many industries, including the paddock. Kosterman raced under the Number 86, which is the percentage of women who believe that visible female leaders are key to workplace gender equality.
Karin Fink, Head of Commercial Operations, F1 Academy commented: “Our sport has the power to inspire change, and we are incredibly proud to be championing women both on and off track. We know that creating female role models in motorsport is already helping to improve participation at the junior level of racing, and working with TeamViewer, we are excited to take this further and inspire the next generation of women in STEM.
"Together, our mission is to empower the next generation of female leaders and send a clear message: your presence matters, you are driving change.”
Kosterman certainly proved her worth on the F1 Academy grid in Zandvoort. Qualifying a strong ninth, she was forced to start Race 1 from the pits, as instructed by her race engineer on the formation lap. Despite the setback, Kosterman recovered, overtaking and battling those further down, and benefitting from the likes of Tina Hausmann and Alba Larsen’s issues to finish a solid 12th.
Kosterman’s day out would be on Sunday, though, as she converted her ninth at the start into seventh by the flag, finishing right behind fellow Dutch racer and Race 1 winner Gademan on the road. With seventh, Kosterman also became the first wild card driver to score points in the season, mirroring Gademan’s efforts from the 2024 F1 Academy weekend at Zandvoort.
Kosterman carries big expectations, as her fellow compatriot Nina Gademan still remains the most successful Wildcard entry in the series till date. Gademan managed to secure a permanent seat after her outstanding performance, which is what Kosterman is aiming for. With her skills and experience, there’s no doubt the 20-year-old won’t disappoint.
