Three days of F1 Academy testing concluded at the Circuito de Navarra on Thursday (18 September), as a cast of 18 rookies sampled F1 Academy cars for the first time on the final day.
Following two days of running for the category's main season drivers on Tuesday and Wednesday, the newcomers took over on Thursday, with youngsters from across the world selected to showcase their abilities.
The Rookie Test was a groundbreaking initiative for the F1 Academy series, which aims to find the next batch of talented drivers for the all-female series, with British driver Ella Stevens setting the fastest overall time. In a competitive field, the top-three drivers were separated by just 0.12 seconds.
Each rookie was immersed in F1 Academy teams, gaining valuable insight from the current crop of F1 Academy drivers, and participating in team briefings, engineering sessions and research-led physical and cognitive assessments delivered by the series' Official Driver Performance & Research Partner, More than Equal.
The drivers then took advantage of six hours of testing time on Thursday, split into two three-hour sessions. Stevens set her fastest time of 1m46.921s in the morning, while American Payton Westcott was quickest in the afternoon with a 1m47.303s.
"We're delighted with the success of the rookie test in Navarra" said Delphine Biscaye, F1 Academy Head of Race Operations. "This milestone accomplishment reflects over two years of collaboration with local ASNs, F4 Championships and our F1 Academy and F1 teams. With the top three separated by just over a tenth of a second, the depth of the future talent pool is clear, and we're proud of every driver who took part in this inaugural test."
Performance & Talent Development Manager Katie Denver said: "The Rookie Test has been a fantastic opportunity for the rookies to showcase their potential and benchmark themselves against other aspiring drivers and the current F1 Academy grid.
"It has also been an insightful opportunity for us to gather evidence to inform long-term strategies to better support female drivers. This test was the result of close collaboration between the F1 Academy teams and our Official Driver Performance & Research Partner, More than Equal, and I was impressed by the professionalism and preparation shown by all participating drivers."