Mathilda Paatz: The young racing driver from Cologne is fighting for her dream!

Mathilda Paatz: The young racing driver from Cologne is fighting for her dream!

Mathilda Paatz, a 16-year-old racing driver from Cologne, has qualified for the “F1 Academy” with a wildcard and is bringing a breath of fresh air into the world of motorsport. She's racing in Montreal this weekend and has already had some exciting races. In the first race, however, she had a violent crash into the dreaded “Wall of Champions”, which was painful but didn't discourage her - on the contrary, she said with a laughing eye: "I'm going to scare my driving instructor!" Image reports.

In the second race she wanted to do better: she started from 15th place and managed to finish 11th. A total of three races are planned as part of the Canadian Grand Prix, and the third highlight will take place on Sunday at 4:55 p.m. (Sky live). Mathilda doesn't let the challenges of the competition get her down. “I want to be a role model for the next generation,” she explains, looking optimistically into the future.

The F1 Academy: Step by step to Formula 1

The “F1 Academy” was launched to specifically promote young female drivers between the ages of 16 and 25 and to increase the visibility of women in motorsport. According to WDR, the aim of this series is to provide talented female drivers with a platform to prepare for higher levels of competition, such as Formula 3 and Formula 2 . The women of tomorrow should also start here. During her career so far, Paatz has been the first German woman to stand on the podium in the Central European Formula 4 Championship.

The F1 Academy is an official feeder series of Formula 1, and therefore an important part of the development pyramid for female racing drivers. A total of 15 drivers took part in the first season and the current title holder is the Spanish Marta García, who previously drove in the W Series. Managing Director Susie Wolff has big plans: “In 8 to 10 years, the first woman could be in Formula 1,” she said recently, to illustrate the ambition and hope in this otherwise male-dominated sport ..

A look behind the scenes

Mathilda Paatz has made impressive progress, which is not only due to her driving technique. Her journey in motorsport began at the age of four when she started racing in karts. However, she had previously been active in skiing and then took the big step into racing. “I also gained experience in the male-dominated motor sport, where I was often isolated,” she explains. Her father, Michael Paatz, a former racing driver and team boss, supports her as a coach. In their own racing team, which was named after her, the family also enjoyed the successful car conversion.

It will be particularly exciting because next year the entire F1 Academy season is on the program and Paatz is also planning to reach the podium. Due to the media presence that the F1 Academy now enjoys - numerous broadcasts on Sky and even a Netflix documentary about the racing series - not only is their own career being promoted, but the entire topic of women in motorsport is also increasingly coming into focus.

With the aim of revolutionizing the sport and gaining visibility alongside talent, the F1 Academy is the key for young drivers like Mathilda Paatz to realize their dream of Formula 1.