Mathilda Paatz has so far endured an impressive but inconsistent start to her rookie 2026 F1 Academy campaign.
After competing in the French F4 Championship and F4 CEZ Championship, Paatz received the opportunity to make her F1 Academy debut during the 2025 Montreal round as a Wild Card. While a tough Qualifying, two DNFs, and a best finish of P11 made for a difficult start, PREMA Racing saw potential and gave her a full-time seat for 2026.
A missed opportunity in Shanghai
Paatz faced a challenging opening round in Shanghai, despite showing strong pace in Free Practice with a P6 finish. After qualifying P16, the Aston Martin-backed driver struggled to make significant progress in the Reverse Grid Race, where early contact with Wild Card entrant Shi Wei left her with front wing damage. Forced to pit for a new front wing, Paatz ultimately crossed the line in P14.
She recovered to P11 in Sunday’s Feature Race, making several crucial on-track moves before fighting Ava Dobson for the final points-paying position. Unable to break into the top ten, Paatz left Shanghai without a point despite the pace shown in Free Practice. Meanwhile, on the other side of the garage, Paatz’s rookie teammates, Natalia Granada and Payton Westcott, earned PREMA Racing 26 points, leaving Paatz with ground to make up.
Breakthroughs at the 2026 F1 Academy Montreal Round
After a long break, Paatz enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at the 2026 F1 Academy Montreal Round, one year on from making her series debut at the same circuit.
Taking on a unique weekend format due to the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian GP, Montreal hosted an additional Opening Race, with the grid set by drivers’ second-fastest laps. Despite the added layer of difficulty, Paatz showed strong Qualifying pace, going fifth-fastest on both her fastest and second-best laps, setting her up well for the three races.
The German driver went on to reveal her front-runner pace in the Opening Race, claiming a well-earned maiden podium with a P3 result after taking advantage of an incident between Megan Bruce and Westcott. She carried her momentum into the second race of the weekend, originally crossing the chequered flag in P2 before inheriting the win from Rafaela Ferreira, who was handed a five-second time penalty.
Despite finishing P5 in the Feature Race, Paatz left Montreal with Aston Martin’s first F1 Academy win, an impressive 35 points, and clear evidence of her potential.
A step back in Silverstone
Silverstone marked a frustrating follow-up to her memorable Montreal weekend. After finishing P14 in Free Practice, the 18-year-old qualified P16, leaving her with a challenging starting position for both races.
She struggled to move further up the grid during the Reverse Grid Race, finishing P16 before a slightly stronger Feature Race saw her gain four positions to claim P12. Finishing outside the points, Paatz entered the summer break sitting P7 in the Drivers’ Standings with 35 points.
Eyes consistency in the second half of the season
Looking ahead to the final three rounds of the 2026 F1 Academy season, Paatz’s biggest priority will be building consistency. Her podium and win in Montreal demonstrated that she has the pace and racecraft to fight at the front, while her results in Shanghai and Silverstone highlighted the difficulties she faces when starting further down the grid.
Improving her Qualifying performances will be particularly important in achieving this, as Paatz capitalized on her P5 starting position in Montreal to secure points-scoring finishes across all three races. If she can consistently qualify near the front of the grid, Paatz will have a stronger opportunity to fight for podiums in Zandvoort, Austin, and Las Vegas.
