Brit watch 2025 report: Shining performances in F1 support series
12 December 2025As the 2025 season comes to a close, young British talent is continuing to make its mark on the global motorsport stage in support of Formula 1 and beyond.
From F1 Academy to FIA Formula 2, rising stars from the UK have delivered victories, podiums, breakthrough campaigns and championship-winning performances, all while carving out exciting paths for 2026.
Here’s how the British contingent has got on this season and what to expect from them next season.
F1 Academy
Megan Bruce
Just three years on from her competitive debut, Megan Bruce continues her rapid rise. She impressed at the inaugural F1 Academy rookie test in Navarra, finishing inside the top four in both sessions, and soon found herself called up as an injury replacement in Singapore. After qualifying 15th, she delivered solid drives to 12th and 13th.
Alongside her F1 Academy appearance, Bruce completed a full GB4 season, scoring in 12 races with a best result of P4 at Oulton Park, and added five top-ten finishes in the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship.
Ella Lloyd
Ella enjoyed a standout rookie season in F1 Academy, consistently running towards the front of the field. She claimed her maiden victory in Race 1 at Jeddah and added three more podium finishes in the first half of the season.
At Zandvoort, she came painfully close to further success, securing two fourth-place finishes. One of those could have been another podium, but a five-second penalty for a jump start dropped her down the order.
Returning to Singapore’s Marina Bay after making her series debut there as a Wildcard in 2024, Ella secured her fourth podium of the season in Race 2, holding onto third place as changing weather conditions made the race increasingly challenging.
A small mistake in Race 1 in Las Vegas saw her slide into the barriers in the wet, but she bounced back with a sixth-place finish in Race 2. That result sealed fourth place in the final standings and earned her the honour of being the highest-placed rookie in 2025.
With points scored in 12 of 14 races, Ella’s season provides a strong foundation as she returns to F1 Academy in 2026 with Rodin Motorsport and support from McLaren, aiming to fight for the title.
Alisha Palmowski
Alisha Palmowski burst onto the F1 Academy scene in 2025 following a successful GB4 campaign in 2024, making an immediate impression by winning on her debut in Shanghai.
Throughout the season, she delivered a series of strong performances – including four additional podium finishes in Jeddah, Miami, Zandvoort, and Las Vegas – firmly establishing herself as a consistent front-runner.
In Las Vegas, she qualified second and converted it into another podium, though a technical infringement later led to her disqualification from the final classification. She rebounded in Race 2 with a commanding drive, securing a Campos Racing 1-2 alongside team-mate Chloe Chambers.
With only two finishes outside the top ten all season, Alisha concluded the year fifth in the championship standings and will aim to build on that momentum as she returns to the grid under the Red Bull Racing banner for her second F1 Academy campaign.
Chloe Chong
Returning to F1 Academy for 2025 with support from Charlotte Tilbury, Chloe Chong steadily built momentum through the year. Despite some early-season challenges with pace and a couple of retirements, she consistently held her own in the midfield, ultimately finishing 11th in the standings with 18 points.
Alongside her F1 Academy campaign, Chloe also contested two British F4 rounds with Rodin Motorsport at Snetterton and Zandvoort. She secured a top-ten finish in Race 1 at Snetterton, though misfortune struck in the Netherlands, where she recorded two retirements across three races.
Formula 3
Callum Voisin
Joining Rodin Motorsport for a second season in FIA Formula 3, Callum Voisin entered 2025 with renewed confidence after his impressive rookie year. Adapting to the new generation of F3 car wasn’t going to be easy, but the Brit showed strong race craft, often making up positions during races even when Qualifying hadn’t gone his way.
After a podium in the Bahrain Feature Race, he also secured third place in the Spa Feature Race, a circuit he’s had previous success at. A further handful of top ten finishes saw Callum finish the year in 14th.
Callum was announced as the RAFA Racing Club Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2026/2027 Junior, where he will compete in Porsche Carrera Cup GB for the next two seasons, marking a shift away from single-seater racing.
James Hedley
James Hedley endured a challenging campaign in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, ultimately finishing the season 28th in the standings after joining the grid in Imola.
At only his second round, Hedley was forced to withdraw in Monaco after sustaining a hand injury in the Sprint Race. As a result, he also had to miss the race weekend in Barcelona before returning again in Austria.
His highlight of the season came in Budapest, where he secured his only points finish with an impressive fourth place in the sprint race, narrowly missing out on a podium.
Freddie Slater
One of the newest faces to join Formula 3 in 2025, Freddie Slater – one of the UK’s most highly rated young drivers – made a partial debut, competing in rounds at Sakhir and Spa-Francorchamps for AIX Racing and Hitech TGR respectively.
In his debut race, Slater impressed with a thrilling battle against Nikola Tsolov for the lead, ultimately finishing second. At Spa, he added another point to his tally, finishing 10th in the Sprint Race after starting from pole position. However, the rising star was unable to fully showcase his potential, retiring from the Bahrain Feature Race and seeing the Spa Feature Race red-flagged due to adverse weather conditions.
Beyond F3, the Brit continued to shine elsewhere – taking three wins from three rounds in GB3 with Hillspeed and claiming the Formula Regional European Championship title in his rookie season with eight victories and four additional podiums.
Slater also dominated in the FIA FR World Cup qualifying race at the Macau Grand Prix, securing pole for the main race, but a gamble to try and get back into the lead backfired and he crashed out in the closing stages.
Slater is set to return to the Formula 3 grid in 2026, joining TRIDENT for a full campaign. Early signs are promising, as he has already shown strong pace during pre-season testing in October.
His winter is set to be busy, with confirmation of his entry into the four-round Formula Regional Oceania trophy, set to take place in New Zealand in January, as well as taking part in the Super Formula rookie test.
Formula 2
Arvid Lindblad
After a sensational start to the season, including two wins in Jeddah and Barcelona, Lindblad faced a challenging mid-season spell, but he quickly rediscovered his form after the summer break. He scored a podium in the Sprint Race at Monza and added further points to his tally in Baku.
The Brit capitalised on a strong alternative strategy in the Qatar Feature Race, producing a notable recovery drive from 17th to fourth. He wrapped up his Formula 2 season in strong fashion, securing a lights-to-flag win in the Abu Dhabi Sprint Race.
The Red Bull junior also had the opportunity to take part in three FP1 sessions this season – Silverstone, Mexico and Abu Dhabi. He impressed behind the wheel of the RB21 in Mexico, finishing as the fastest of the nine rookies in the session in sixth place.
His 2026 plans were confirmed after the Qatar Grand Prix, with Racing Bulls announcing that he will step up to Formula 1 with the team next year, graduating after just a single season in Formula 2.
Luke Browning
Well in the fight for top honours in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, Luke Browning’s year was defined by consistency. After a first half of the season that saw him take seven podiums, he was able to add to the list of achievements once he returned from the summer break, taking pole position and his maiden F2 victory in Monza.
Bar a second-place finish in the Baku Sprint Race, Browning struggled in the final rounds of the year. But on reflection, the Brit said he’s proud of how competitive he was in his rookie season in the championship.
The Williams Racing Development driver also got multiple Formula 1 FP1 outings during the year at Bahrain, Mexico and Abu Dhabi.
After completing his first F2 season, the Brit confirmed that he would be moving on from the championship. While his next steps are not confirmed, he will be taking part in the Super Formula test at Suzuka.
Cian Shields
After joining AIX Racing for the final 2 events of the 2024 season, Cian Shields rejoined the team in 2025 for his first full season in the championship.
His rookie campaign has had its challenges, with his best result coming at the Imola Feature Race, where he finished 11th. The Scottish driver also got his first taste of an official F1 session, taking over the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso during FP1 in Abu Dhabi.
He’s gained valuable experience, which he will be able to build upon as he returns for a second season in 2026 with AIX Racing.
John Bennett
John Bennett also embarked on his first full campaign in Formula 2 in 2025 with Van Amersfoort Racing, stepping up after joining the grid at the tail end of the 2024 season.
Though the season proved to be a tough learning curve, Bennett managed to break through and score his first F2 point with a tenth-place finish in Monza after navigating a chaotic Feature Race.
Beyond the F1 paddock
There have also been some standout performances from young British drivers outside of the F1 world.
Thomas Bearman
Younger brother to F1 driver Ollie, Thomas completed his first full season in single-seaters in 2025. Racing with Hitech, he contested the Formula Winter Series and British F4, while also making an appearance in Euro 4.
His standout result came in Race 3 at Oulton Park, where he claimed his maiden victory. Over the season, he added three more podium finishes, securing eighth overall in the championship.
Thomas also took part in the F4 World Cup at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, qualifying an impressive fourth. A DNF in the qualifying race forced him to start the main event from 17th, but he charged through the field to finish sixth.
Isaac Phelps
In his first year in single-seater racing, Isaac Phelps made an impressive impact in the GB4 Championship, securing four race wins, two additional podium finishes, and ultimately claiming third place in the overall standings.
He stepped up to GB3 for the final round of the season in Monza, where he recorded a best finish of 11th.
Kit Belofsky
At just 15 years old, Kit Belofsky has already begun to make his mark in motorsport. Serving as a sim racing brand ambassador for Williams Racing, he successfully transitioned from virtual racing to real-world competition this year, making his single-seater debut in the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, where he impressively won his first-ever race and secured the 2025 championship.
Rachel Robertson
As the second British driver to step into the TAG Heuer car in place of injured Aiva Anagnostiadis, Rachel joined the F1 Academy grid for the final round in Las Vegas. After qualifying 14th, she was promoted to fourth on her debut in the series after a Safety Car-filled Race 1. Rachel also competed in the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship, securing four top ten finishes, including a best result of fourth.
