Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Payton Westcott
- Alejandra Guajardo Lozano
- 2 hours ago
- 2 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.
Today’s spotlight shines on the American driver and the latest Wild Card entry of the 2025 F1 Academy season, Payton Westcott.
Westcott barely started competing in competitive karting just three years ago. Even so, she has already managed to draw attention with her raw talent on track, scoring wins, podiums, and pole positions. Because of her outstanding performance, in 2024, the American rising talent was selected for the Champions of the Future Academy Program, which gave her the support of the F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE in the OK-N Senior category.
The 16-year-old kept demonstrating her passion and talent behind the wheel. She has delivered amazing performances in the Formula Winter Series and the Italian F4, where she took class victories at various rounds.
Her performances led to her being selected for the F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test at the Circuito de Navarra in Spain. During the test, she placed third in the morning session, before going on to finish top of the standings in the afternoon session, showing raw speed.
Subsequently, Westcott became the last Wild Card entry of the season at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. At just 16, she became one of the youngest Wild Card entries in F1 ACADEMY history. Speaking on being the Wild Card entry for the grand finale, Westcott said to F1.com:
“I’m so proud to be racing as the F1 ACADEMY Wild Card driver in Las Vegas, especially as an American driver. It’s incredibly special to be part of this moment on home turf.”
“I’m hugely grateful to F1 ACADEMY and Visit Las Vegas for this opportunity. To be racing on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, under the lights, is a dream come true.”
Supported by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (Visit Las Vegas), Westcott raced in a Las Vegas-themed livery and race suit. The American driver managed to place herself sixth, scoring points in race 1 to make up for a tough qualifying session. Despite a DNF in the season finale on Sunday, there’s no doubt Westcott made a strong impression for a future, and maybe a full-time seat in the series come the future.
Payton Westcott is definitely a driver to look out for. Even though she’s been in the racing scene for only a handful of years, she has already accomplished a lot, showing innate talent and raw speed. Truly a superwoman on the racing scene.
