Aston Martin Junior Mathilda Paatz claimed her maiden F1 Academy podium during the Opening Race of the 2026 F1 Academy Canadian GP, one year on from making her debut at the same circuit.
The German driver improved from P14 in Free Practice to an impressive P5 in Qualifying in Montreal. Starting from the third row in the Opening Race, she gained one spot off the line after Emma Felbermayr stalled on the grid. After she closed down the gap to the top three, she took advantage of an incident between Payton Westcott and Megan Bruce to climb into P3.
For the remainder of the race, Paatz defended her position well as she held off a train of cars behind to ultimately secure her first F1 Academy podium.
“It’s super special”: Paatz on her P3 result
Speaking after the F1 Academy Opening Race at the 2026 Canadian GP, Paatz explained that the podium felt even more memorable following a difficult opening round in Shanghai. There, she finished both races outside the points in P14 and P11 respectively.
“It’s super special,” she shared. “I’m super proud. After struggling in Shanghai, having such a comeback is really awesome. I’ve been working really hard with Aston Martin Aramco, with the PREMA team and getting all the support, not only from the teams, but also from home with my friends and my mum. It just feels very special to share that moment after having struggled so much.”
Further reflecting on the race, she added, “I wouldn’t say it was a calm race, quite stressful to be fair. We were all so close coming for P2, but I think we kept a cool head and maintained our position, which was pretty good.”
Eager for more
Looking ahead to the next two races, Paatz will start the Reverse Grid Race on the second row in P4. Aiming to continue her momentum, this starting position sets her up well to challenge for another podium finish and score more points.
“Starting from P4 is definitely not bad,” she noted. “If we can get off with a good launch as we did now, I think there’s definitely a chance to fight for a podium again and maybe a bit higher than P3.”
