McLaren Junior Driver Ella Stevens endured a demanding yet encouraging start to her 2026 F1 Academy campaign at the Chinese GP, narrowly missing out on a top-10 finish while continuing to build on her experience in single-seater racing. Having competed in the Formula Winter Series during the off-season, the 19 year-old entered the season opener with limited experience. Despite this, the British driver showed promising pace throughout the weekend. She impressed in Qualifying and finished P11, placing her just 0.005s behind teammate Ella Lloyd.
Stevens reflects on challenging F1 Academy debut at the 2026 Chinese GP
Starting just outside the points-paying positions, Stevens delivered a consistent performance across both races. She held onto P11 in Race 1 before slipping back one position in Race 2 to finish 12th. While the results reflected a solid and controlled weekend, Stevens admitted that she was hoping for more and believes there is greater potential to unlock.
Reflecting on her first F1 Academy weekend, Stevens said she felt “thrown in the deep end”, having driven in dry conditions for the first time that weekend.
“I was definitely thrown in the deep end having only done one race before in the wet, so this was my first dry race ever.”
The transition from mixed conditions in Portimão to a fully dry race weekend in Shanghai added another layer of difficulty for the rookie driver.
She continued: “It was quite tricky and it’s hard because I know that I’m capable of doing a lot better than I did. I guess everyone has to start somewhere and it’s just important that I take forward from this weekend, work on it and hopefully improve.”
While the results may not have fully matched her expectations, Stevens’ pace and consistency across both races highlighted a strong foundation to build on as the season progresses after the 2026 Chinese GP.
Stevens aims to build experience ahead of Montreal
Looking ahead, Stevens identified limited track time as one of the key challenges she must continue adapting to. The F1 Academy weekend format offers minimal preparation, placing added pressure on drivers to deliver immediately in Qualifying.
“I think a big challenge is just the track time,” she explained.“You only get one Practice and then it’s straight into Qualifying – it’s pretty hard to do that. Coming from karting, I’m really not used to that.”
The adjustment from karting, where drivers often benefit from more track time, has proven to be a significant factor in her early development.
However, the cancellation of the scheduled round in Jeddah gives Stevens more time to prepare. The championship will resume in Montreal. This extended break offers a valuable opportunity as Stevens aims to refine her approach and build more confidence in the car.
“I just have a lot to work on ready for the next race, especially with two months now,” she added. “It’s going to be tricky. I think just mainly working on the sim and making sure I work really well with the team so I have the best preparation for it.”
Although her debut weekend did not yield points, Stevens leaves the 2026 Chinese GP with valuable experience and clear areas for improvement. With extra preparation time ahead of the next round, she will be aiming to translate her evident pace into stronger results as her rookie F1 Academy season continues.
