Motorsport student heads to China for F1 Academy season
Wiltshire College & University Centre motorsport engineering student Rachel Robertson is set for the next milestone on a journey that has taken her from kart racing to the F1 Academy’s global stage in less than two years.
The 18-year-old, who is in the second year of her Level 3 course at the college’s Chippenham campus, will fly out to Shanghai this week [February 11th to 13th] to begin testing after being selected to drive the PUMA car, operated by Hitech GP, for the 2026 F1 Academy season.
The female-only competition competes across seven countries in three continents as part of the Formula 1 platform and begins on March 13th to 15th in Shanghai before visiting Saudi Arabia, Canada, Silverstone in the UK, the Netherlands and then Austin, Texas, and finally Las Vegas in November.
It’s a far cry from the kart racing centre her dad Colin took her to when she was nine. After the centre closed, she had to wait five years to start driving again but within two years she was so improved she earned a place in the British Kart Championships, which led her to a berth in the Radical Racing sports car championship last year.
“Everything has happened very fast and there have been some times when I’ve had to pinch myself,” she said.
“It has all blown up now that the teams have been announced and there’s so much going on, it feels a lot more real now. But it’s very cool.”
While she is up against more experienced drivers, Rachel is determined to remain level-headed. “I’m competing with drivers who have a performance coach and a racing coach there with them and I’m just turning up with my mum and dad,” she explained.
“But this is the level and I will work it out for myself. I’ve had really good support from the PUMA team and it feel like a good environment compared to a lot of kind of different motorsport series.”
Rachel hopes that her experience in Las Vegas rubbing shoulders with the F1 drivers will stand her in good stead for the new season. “At Las Vegas, it was so weird not being a fan anymore. We had access to the F1 paddock and it’s just such a different experience.”
Having almost two years of garage experience (thanks to the course at Wiltshire College) is a bonus, she says. “A lot of the mechanics are almost impressed that I’m racing and actively studying motorsport. And it heightens my knowledge of the car and how to set it up. I think with moving into the F1 Academy, it’s almost more vital.”
Beyond the racing is the challenge of completing her coursework at college while trotting the globe and looking for sponsorship for a Formula Four drive as well.
Rachel added, “The challenge is a lot of the second year is using CAD and you need to be in college for that, and doing any practicals I need to prove I can do to pass the course.Those are the struggles to try to find time to actually do them, but I’m going to give it everything.”
For more information about automotive and motorsport courses at WCUC visit: www.wiltshire.ac.uk.
Pictured above: Rachel Robertson in the pit lane for her new PUMA team
