Joining the F1 Academy grid as the Las Vegas GP Wild Card, Payton Westcott made an immediate impact by scoring points on debut. As the final Wild Card Driver of the 2025 season, she had limited time to adapt, yet she maximised her weekend with pace, composure, and clear potential.
The American secured a points finish in Race 1 despite a difficult Qualifying session. Although Race 2 ended prematurely with an unfortunate DNF, her speed and racecraft stood out across the weekend. Her performance placed her alongside Esmee Kosterman as the only Wild Cards to score points during their respective appearances this season.
Westcott’s impressive Las Vegas debut
Coming into the F1 Academy Las Vegas GP, Payton Westcott had her work cut out for her. The only practice session ended early due to a red flag, leaving the 16-year-old with minimal running before heading straight into Qualifying. Starting 17th, she refused to let the disrupted preparation affect her confidence.
Once racing began, Westcott immediately turned her weekend around. A series of clean and decisive overtakes propelled her up the order, ultimately securing a superb P6 finish. Speaking after Race 1 she reflected on the importance of maintaining discipline behind the wheel.
“Race 1 was definitely a very good race for me. I just had to keep it clean and keep it on track. I made a few moves and went up quite a bit, so I’m very proud of that.”
However, Race 2 was not as fortunate for Westcott. Despite demonstrating strong pace once again, she was forced to retire after a collision in the opening laps. Showing maturity beyond her years, Westcott analysed the incident calmly.
“I was moving up quite a bit – I was up four positions and making a pass for five on Lap 3. So I had good, steady pace. I was just unlucky, there was nothing I could have really done. I’m ok with it.”
The learning experience as a WCD
Rather than dwell on the disappointment, Westcott viewed her debut as a vital learning experience. She acknowledged that both the progress and the setbacks would contribute to her development as a driver:
“I’ve definitely learned a lot. It was my first time ever in the F1 ACADEMY car in the rain. So that was very helpful to get the experience.
“Also, how the weekend progressed. I’m used to just doing multiple Practice sessions instead of the one, and then Qualifying. Adapting to that will be helpful and it gave me a lot of experience.”
