F1 Academy announces Las Vegas wild card entry ahead of seas...

F1 Academy has confirmed that 16-year-old American driver Payton Westcott will join the grid for the season finale in Las Vegas as the Wild Card entry.

Supported by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (Visit Las Vegas), Westcott will sport a Las Vegas-themed race suit and livery.

"I’m so proud to be racing as the F1 Academy Wild Card driver in Las Vegas, especially as an American driver," Westcott explained. "It’s incredibly special to be part of this moment on home turf. I’m hugely grateful to F1 Academy and Visit Las Vegas for this opportunity. To be racing on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, under the lights, is a dream come true."

The 16-year-old has worked through the ranks, starting with karting in 2022. This year, Westcott has raced in the Formula Winter Series with Van Amersfoort Racing, achieving one class win and four top-three finishes in class, as well as taking on the Italian F4 series with the same team, in which she secured seven class wins and 21 top-three finishes in class.

She was also chosen for the Champions of the Future Academy Program with Discover Your Drive and took part in the F1 Academy rookie test.

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"Finishing our third season in Las Vegas will be an unforgettable moment for F1 Academy," Susie Wolff, F1 Academy managing director, added. "With Visit Las Vegas supporting the Wild Card entry, we will celebrate the iconic spirit of the sports and entertainment capital of the world while giving a young American driver who has risen through the F1 Academy pipeline, the chance to race with us on what is now regarded as one of the most exciting race weekends in F1.

"We cannot wait to end the season and crown our third F1 Academy champion under the dazzling lights of the Las Vegas Strip."

Kate Wik, chief marketing officer of Visit Las Vegas, also noted: "We’re honored to support Payton Westcott as the Las Vegas-sponsored Wild Card driver for the F1 Academy season finale and to have this milestone moment unfold in Las Vegas.

"The energy and ambition of F1 Academy mirror the spirit of our city: bold, innovative, and unstoppable. Las Vegas has truly become the ultimate stage for global sporting excellence, and we’re proud to help champion the next generation of talent."