Grove, Dec. 2 (LatestNewsX) – Williams has brought 16‑year‑old Jade Jacquet on board for the next campaign, making them the latest club to lock in a 2026 F1 ACADEMY seat.
Jacquet entered the French Junior Karting Championship the following year after debuting on the international karting scene in 2023. When she stepped into single‑seat racing at 15, she consistently finished inside the top 20 throughout the 2025 French F4 season, even taking 11th place at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans.
She also won the Female Trophy at Dijon‑Prenois and took part in the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test, posting the seventh‑best time that afternoon.
Next year, Jacquet will become part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy and compete with ART Grand Prix. She’ll work closely with the Grove outfit and benefit from every resource the Academy offers.
“I’m super excited to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy and F1 ACADEMY for the 2026 season,” Jacquet said. “The team has been very welcoming, and I’m looking forward to working with them to learn as much as I can throughout my debut season. Thank you to Atlassian Williams Racing for believing in me, and I can’t wait to get on track.”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director at Atlassian Williams Racing, added: “We are proud to welcome Jade to our team as our Atlassian Williams Racing driver in F1 ACADEMY. Jade has made rapid progress in her motorsport career and has strong potential for the future, already demonstrating her ability to learn and adapt in her transition to single‑seaters.”
“As a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy, we’ll be working closely with her to nurture her development both on and off the track. As a team, we continue to support Formula 1 and F1 ACADEMY’s shared mission to advance female representation in motorsport and look forward to seeing Jade start her 2026 campaign.”
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
