17 year-old Ava Dobson will join the 2026 F1 Academy grid with American Express, driving a Hitech-operated car. The American previously appeared in the series as the Round 3 wildcard entry in Miami during the 2025 season, where she finished 13th in Race 1.
Set to compete with the series’ official partner, the 2026 season will mark Dobson’s first campaign in F1 Academy, with the American becoming the fourth wildcard driver to secure a full-time seat this year.
Etching her name into the European racing scene
In 2023, the American first made her single-seater debut in the Formula 4 United States Championship, where she contested in 12 races. That same year, she went on to gain further experience in single-seaters with appearances in both the USF Juniors and USF2000 Championships.
Making the move over to Europe, Dobson contested in two rounds of the 2024 GB4 Championship before she returned to the grid in 2025 for a full-time campaign. During the season, she claimed her maiden podium at Donington Park and ended the season as the highest-scoring female driver. Ultimately, Dobson finished 19th in the Drivers’ Standings with 120 points.
American Express joined the series in 2024 as an official partner. In 2025, it backed 20 year-old Canadian driver Nicole Harvda for the season, who ultimately finished 20th in the Drivers’ Standings with one point to her name. However, ahead of Dobson’s F1 Academy campaign, the American expressed her excitement about competing in the series with the iconic brand.
The 17 year-old said: “I am really excited to be going with F1 ACADEMY this year with American Express, I’m truly super honoured to be chosen to race in the series and having an amazing partnership with American Express. I can’t wait to continue to build off of that throughout the whole year and work really hard with the team, and with American Express to be the best we can be.”
