Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Lisa Billard
- Annalise Huang
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Annalise Huang, 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 motor racing world to the present day.
Woman Spotlight Wednesday aims to take a look at the tales of these superwomen, who have surpassed various hurdles to reach where they are today. In this article, we spotlight a young rising star in the racing world, set to make her F1 Academy debut in 2026.
Lisa Billard is a French racing driver whose career has exploded in recent years. Her performance in various Formula One feeder series has quickly elevated her amongst the group of young, rising female prodigies taking the motorsport world by storm.
Early career
Billard was born in 2009 in Normandy, France. She entered the world of motorsports at a young age, making her karting debut at the age of just seven. In her first national competition, the National Series Karting in France, she finished 22nd in standings.
The following year, Billard showed exceptional promise at her young age. She finished in the top 10 in all of her national competitions that year. Over the next few years, she raced in a variety of karting series, including a fifth place finish in the Championnat de France and eighth in the National Series Karting.
Racing breakthrough
Billard’s breakthrough came with her 2023 racing season, where she scored her first championship podium in the Championnat de France series. Her impressive third place finish resulted in a finish just seven points away from the championship leader.
The accomplishment was followed by a seventh place finish representing France at the Academy Trophy. After her successful 2023 season, Billard was selected as one of eight girls in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars initiative.
The FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars program was a collaboration between the FIA’s Women in Motorsports Commission and the Ferrari Driver Academy. Through its four editions from 2020 to 2023, the organization uplifted rising female racing stars through racing opportunities and publicity.
Billard was also recruited to Alpine’s new initiative, the Rac(H)er program alongside five other female prodigies, including future 2024 F1 Academy winner Abbi Pulling. Rac(H)er similarly helped develop Billard’s career and encourage more women in motorsport.
Single-seater endeavours
Billard’s momentum didn’t conclude there. In late 2024, Billard made her single-seater debut starting in Round 5 of the French Formula 4 Championship. Of her nine races that season, her best result was ninth place. Undeterred, Billard entered her highly anticipated 2025 season with full force.
In 2025, her results were similar, finishing 19th in standings after finishing ninth in Round 3 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. However, Billard’s efforts were rewarded with claiming the Female Trophy title at the end of the season.
F1 Academy and beyond
A significant opportunity arrived for Billard in September 2025, where she was chosen to participate as one of 18 female drivers in the F1 Academy Rookie Test. Held at Circuito de Navarra, the test aims to secure prospects for a full-time seat or Wild Card entry position for the F1 Academy Championship.
Billard excelled, scoring the second fastest overall time. The following month, she was announced as a Wild Card entry for Round 6 of the championship, driving for Hitech TGR team.
Despite being forced to retire from the race after collision inflicted damages, Billard succeeded in proving herself. She was the first ever Wild Card entry to qualify in the top eight with a fifth place qualifying result.
Between her impressive trial time and exceeding potential as a Wild Card entry, Billard was announced to be joining the 2026 F1 Academy grid, with Gatorade backing her full-time at just sixteen years old.
Billard’s steady ascent in the motorsport world has made her one to watch, especially in anticipation of her full-time F1 Academy debut. Her raw talent and resilience demonstrated in her career so far establishes Billard as a truly inspiring woman in motorsport.
