Ella Lloyd made a strong debut in the 2025 F1 Academy season with Rodin Motorsport, gaining valuable experience and achieving impressive results with support from McLaren.
Lloyd‘s racing career began in 2022, when she entered the Ginetta Junior Championship, securing points in 16 of 25 races. A year later, she dominated the Ginetta GT Championship, finishing Vice Champion in the Pro Class before competing in the Formula Winter Series and British F4.
Lloyd’s F1 Academy debut came in 2024, where she raced as a Wild Card in Singapore. There, she claimed P9 in Race 1 and P7 in Race 2, and at the end of the season, was announced as part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme for the 2025 F1 Academy season.
Points and first win
Lloyd began her campaign well during the season opener in Shanghai, where she Qualified 11th and claimed points in both Race 1 and 2 with a P6 and P7, respectively.
In Jeddah, her success continued as she secured her first Race 1 win after Qualifying 11th but starting the race in P2 due to the reverse grid. At lights out, Lloyd had a strong start and grabbed the lead heading into Turn 1. Despite pressure from Maya Weug in the closing laps with a drag race to the line, Lloyd held on to finish just 0.176 seconds ahead of Weug.
Starting from 11th in Race 2, Lloyd had an unfortunate start, stalling on the grid and dropping to P13, before fighting back to finish in the points in P8.
From setbacks to podiums
The Miami GP weekend began with a sunny Qualifying session where Lloyd placed P4. However, a Turn 1 incident during Race 1 left Lloyd in retirement after misjudging the braking point, locking up and colliding with the rear of Rafaela Ferreira’s car. Following the race, Lloyd was handed a three-place grid drop for Race 2, which was carried over into Race 1 of the Canadian GP due to dangerous weather conditions postponing the race.
The Canadian GP saw Lloyd’s most successful and consistent run, where she claimed three consecutive podiums. In Race 1, she bounced back quickly from her Miami GP penalty and turned it into P2. Despite starting 7th, she had jumped to P3 on Lap 2.
Her momentum continued to Race 2 and 3 where she started 5th and 4th, respectively, and made her way up the grid for P2 finishes. Throughout the weekend, she scored a total of 44 points, marking Lloyd’s strongest F1 Academy weekend in 2025.
Back to racing
Following a mid-season break, F1 Academy made its way to Zandvoort, where Lloyd secured a P2 result in Qualifying. In the reverse-grid Race 1, starting from P6, she ran as high as 3rd after gaining positions on the opening lap and during a Safety Car period, but dropped after a close battle with Weug. Race 2 also saw another finish just outside the podium in P4 for the McLaren-backed driver.
Lloyd returned to Singapore, where she made her F1 Academy debut to qualify in 4th before finishing Race 1 in the points with P7. Lloyd persevered to claim another P3 podium during Race 2, following a strong start where she overtook Chloe Chambers. Her results highlight significant improvement compared to her already strong debut a year prior.
Las Vegas test of adaptability
In 2025 F1 Academy visited Las Vegas, with drivers taking on the circuit for the first time. The McLaren driver’s adaptability was tested as she qualified 10th for both races on the low-grip track. Unfortunately, Race 1 resulted in a DNF for Lloyd after she braked late on Lap 6 and missed the corner, leaving her in the barrier and with a lesson learned.
After a difficult start to the weekend, Lloyd recovered to finish P6 in Race 2, gaining four positions and defending well against her competitors.
A second papaya campaign
Despite a tough final race, Lloyd finished 4th in the Drivers’ Standings with 109 points, becoming the best-placed rookie. This accomplishment demonstrates her rapid development and consistency throughout her first campaign, setting the stage for an even more exciting second one.
McLaren has announced that they will continue supporting Ella Lloyd for the 2026 F1 Academy season with Rodin Motorsport through their McLaren Driver Development Programme. Following a strong debut season, Lloyd will look to repeat her 2025 F1 Academy season in 2026, and to compete for the Drivers’ Championship in her final season in the series.
