Mathilda Paatz to join French F4 in 2024 with ADAC Junior Team

FIA Girls On Track finalist Mathilda Paatz will join the French F4 in 2024 with the ADAC Junior Team, making her single seater debut. Paatz is the first female driver to be supported by the ADAC and DMSB programme, aimed to build the foundations for the new German motorsport hopes.

In 2024 ADAC is going to continue their development program to support the drivers of tomorrow, as the ADAC Formula 4 Junior Team will again enter in Formula 4 France next year. In cooperation with the FFSA Academy, the selected German drivers will start in the growing French Formula 4 series in an international field, contesting a total of 21 races over the course of seven race weekends.

One of the drivers selected for the 2024 season will be German rising star Mathilda Paatz, who will represent the ADAC Junior Team as first ever female driver - as well as the first female in French F4 since Angelina Favario in 2021.

Paatz is a rising star in international karting competitions, having stepped up to the OK Senior category at FIA European and World championship level this year. Racing under the banner of Fernando Alonso's junior team, Mathilda has also contested the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Previously, she impressed with the third place in the ADAC Kart Masters and represented Germany at the FIA Motorsport Games.

She was then selected as one of the Senior finalists for this year's edition of the Girls On Track - Rising Stars programme - returning after taking part in the Junior selections in 2022.

After on track tests in the F4 car at Franciacorta eralier in September, Mathilda emerged as one of the four finalists that will be in contention for spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy.

After a few more tests in F4, Paatz will therefore now make her racing debut, in what will be her first year of car racing. She will be aiming to adapt and learn the tracks as well as the Mygale chassis, which are powered by a 180-hp, 1.3-litre turbo engine from Renault. The series - unlike most F4 national championships - is run centrally by FFSA and provides the drivers with equal opportunities and transparent costs. Formula 1 supplier Pirelli is tyre partner of the junior series.

“At the moment I'm looking forward to my first year in a Formula 4 car", Paatz commented. "I don’t put any pressure on myself and try to gain as much experience as possible in the first season.”

The calendar for the 2024 season of FFSA F4 will be published in due course.