Ava Dobson joins F1 Academy field for Wild Card entry at Miami

American racer Ava Dobson, 16, is set to make her F1 Academy debut at the upcoming Miami GP as the third Wild Card of the season, joining the ranks of Hitech GP with sponsorship from the series' new partner Morgan Stanley.

Photo credits: Jakob Ebrey Photography

American racer Ava Dobson, 16, is set to make her F1 Academy debut at the upcoming Miami GP as the third Wild Card of the season, joining the ranks of Hitech GP with sponsorship from the series' new partner Morgan Stanley.

With the all-female championship confirming its Wild Card program in 2025 at every round with one entry at new squad Hitech, Dobson follows debuts from Shi Wei at Shanghai and Farah Al Yousef at Jeddah, and will make her racing debut at the wheel of the Tatuus T421 car after competing in F4 United States, USF Juniors, USF2000 and GB4 Championship.

The Wisconsin-native is currently contesting her first full season in European single-seater competitions, racing with Arden Motorsport in the 2025 GB4 Championship. After select outings in 2024, the 16-year-old has committed to a full campaign, building on her early experience in the United States.

Dobson transitioned into open-wheel racing in 2023, shortly after turning 15, also with support from the Parella Motorsports Holdings Powering Diversity Scholarship. That year, she made her debut in the F4 US series and also contested a handful of USF2000 races, achieving a best finish of 11th. However, her 2024 season was disrupted when a heavy crash at Barber Motorsports Park forced her to put a halt to her racing plans and focus on recovery.

Later in 2024, Dobson made her return to competition by crossing the Atlantic to join the GB4 Championship. Teaming up with Arden Motorsport and VRD Racing, she entered the Silverstone and Donington Park rounds, impressing with a ninth-place finish on her series debut at Silverstone. Having also taken part in pre-season testing in the UK, she has now embarked on her first full European season in 2025.

One of five female drivers on the 2025 GB4 grid, Dobson is competing for the MSV prize fund, which offers a €50,000 scholarship towards a potential F1 Academy seat for the top-ranked woman. She opened her season strongly at Donington Park, securing a top-ten finish with tenth place in Race 2, and once again led the female contingent at the Silverstone round, claiming a best result of 13th in Race 3 after a strong charge through the field. So far, Dobson has collected 34 points in the championship.

Ava will race at Miami International Autodrome for the first time, and will do so in the colours of F1 Academy's new financial service partner Morgan Stanley, who joins the series roster of high profile partners. She becomes the sixth driver with GB4 experience to race in F1 Academy, and succeeds Courtney Crone as the Miami Wild Card - with the Californian then securing a full-time seat in 2025.

She will be the fourth US-American driver on the grid.

The third round in Miami is scheduled for 3-4 May as support event to the F1 Grand Prix.