S’pore teenage race driver Kareen Kaur determined to get to F1 Academy after rookie test experience

Kareen Kaur, 16, was among 18 drivers chosen for the 2026 F1 Academy Rookie Test in September.

PHOTO: PARC FERME/F1 ACADEMY

Published Oct 11, 2026, 04:21 PM

Updated Oct 11, 2026, 09:28 PM

Kareen Kaur, 16, became the first Singaporean to join the F1 Academy Rookie Test in Spain, a talent programme for young female drivers.

She gained valuable experience in team briefings, media duties and driving an F1 Academy car, and says the test has strengthened her dream of reaching the series.

Her family is working hard to support her racing career, with loans and sponsor searches, and hopes to provide her with with more race opportunities in Europe next year.

SINGAPORE – Over the past few years, Kareen Kaur has closely followed the F1 Academy while forging her own path in motor racing, dreaming of competing on that very stage one day.

In September, she took a step towards that goal after becoming the first Singaporean to take part in the F1 Academy Rookie Test, a talent-scouting and development programme set up to identify, assess and prepare young drivers for potential future seats in the all-female junior single-seater championship.

The 16-year-old was among 18 drivers from around the world chosen for the Rookie Test, which took place at Circuito de Navarra in Spain from Sept 9 to 11.

Though it was only a few days, it was an invaluable experience for the teenager, who gained insight into what it takes to be a driver on the series.

The CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) student said: “I’m really grateful that I got selected because only 18 girls worldwide get selected for it.

“Being selected is something to show me how far I’ve come, my journey and that I’m trying to prove myself that I can be at the top.”

Launched in 2023, the F1 Academy is a female-only, junior-level single-seater racing championship aimed at helping young drivers progress through the pyramid, including Formula 3, F2 and then F1.

The Rookie Test was introduced in 2025 to give aspiring drivers a platform to showcase their skills and possibly earn a spot on the series.

In Spain, Kareen was attached to a team to experience the race environment first-hand, attending driver briefings and engineering sessions, giving her a close-up look at the demands of competing at the elite level.

As part of the programme, she also took part in media briefings and activities aimed at preparing drivers for the off-track responsibilities they will have in a professional racing career.

The highlight for Kareen came during the on-track test, as she got to drive an F1 Academy car.

Being in an all-female field was particularly significant for Kareen, who regularly competes against boys in Asia.

“I was really happy because I’d never seen 18 girls in one shot. When I got there, I saw all 18 of us, and I was really happy to see more females in this motor sport category, and they’re also fast,” said Kareen, who is Singapore’s first female F4 driver and races for Evans GP.

“It was pretty exciting because F1 Academy ... It was always my dream to be inside, so when I saw the cars up close and was able to drive, it was a great experience for me – it was a different feeling, just so much more exciting. I wish I had two to three more days to drive it instead of one day.”

There, she got to meet and learn from some of her favourite drivers from the series, such as Alba Larsen, Natalia Granada and Mathilda Paatz.

While she was unable to perform at her best due to some technical issues, the experience has only fuelled Kareen to keep pursuing this dream.

She said: “I can still keep on going because they (F1 Academy) told me I can keep on going.

“I don’t think it’s a step back for me, it’s just a way for me to keep improving and to be a better driver and to keep on progressing. It’s motivated me to keep on working harder and never give up.”

It has not been an easy journey, with Kareen having to balance racing with her studies.

When she travels for races, she often studies on the move, and during non-race weekends, her days are packed with classes.

But seeing her dedication and how this pursuit has moulded her character has prompted her parents to support her ambitions, even if it means taking multiple loans to do so.

Her father Kuldeep noted that he sends about 15 to 20 e-mails a day to prospective sponsors and is grateful to cybersecurity software company Admin by Request and home-grown fashion label Charles & Keith for their support in Kareen’s journey.

Such backing is crucial, especially as the family plans to give Kareen more opportunities to race in Europe in 2027 and are exploring options to facilitate that.

The 46-year-old managing director said: “Without these pillars of support, Kareen wouldn’t be where she is now...

“If you’re living in Europe, there are multiple race tracks there, and for us, the nearest is Sepang in Malaysia, and that is only one type of track.

“Drivers need different types of tracks, different turns, conditions to be better and faster, so we are looking forward for any sponsors who can help Kareen out.”

Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing.

Singapore Grand Prix

16 岁的卡琳·考尔 (Kareen Kaur) 是 9 月份入选 2026 年 F1 学院新秀测试的 18 名车手之一。

图片：PARC FERME/F1学院

发布于 2026 年 10 月 11 日下午 4:21

更新于2026年10月11日晚上9:28

16 岁的卡琳·考尔成为首位参加西班牙 F1 学院新秀测试的新加坡人，该测试是一项针对年轻女车手的精英培养计划。

她在车队简报、媒体采访和驾驶F1学院赛车方面积累了宝贵的经验，她说这次测试更加坚定了她进入F1系列赛的梦想。

她的家人正在努力支持她的赛车事业，通过贷款和寻找赞助商等方式，希望明年能为她提供更多在欧洲参赛的机会。

新加坡——过去几年，卡琳·考尔 (Kareen Kaur) 一直密切关注着 F1 学院，同时也在赛车领域开辟着自己的道路，梦想着有一天能够站在那个舞台上比赛。

9 月，她朝着这个目标迈出了一步，成为第一个参加 F1 学院新秀测试的新加坡人。F1 学院新秀测试是一项人才选拔和发展计划，旨在发现、评估和培养年轻车手，为他们未来在全女子初级单座赛车锦标赛中获得席位做好准备。

这位 16 岁的少年是来自世界各地的 18 位入选新秀测试的车手之一，该测试于 9 月 9 日至 11 日在西班牙纳瓦拉赛道举行。

虽然只有短短几天，但对于这位青少年来说，这是一次宝贵的经历，让他深入了解了成为该系列赛车手需要具备的条件。

这位来自圣婴女校（大巴窑）中学的学生说：“我真的很感激自己被选中，因为全世界只有 18 名女生能被选中。”

“入选是对我自己的一种肯定，它向我展示了我一路走来的历程，也表明我正在努力证明自己能够达到顶峰。”

F1学院于2023年启动，是一项仅限女性参加的初级单座赛车锦标赛，旨在帮助年轻车手逐步晋升，包括F3、F2，然后是F1。

新秀测试于 2025 年推出，旨在为有抱负的车手提供一个展示技能并有可能赢得系列赛席位的平台。

在西班牙，卡琳被安排到一个车队，亲身体验比赛环境，参加车手简报会和工程会议，近距离了解在高水平赛事中竞争的要求。

作为该计划的一部分，她还参加了媒体简报会和旨在帮助车手为职业赛车生涯中将要承担的赛道外责任做好准备的活动。

卡琳最兴奋的时刻是在赛道测试中，因为她有机会驾驶F1学院赛车。

对于经常在亚洲与男孩们同场竞技的卡琳来说，身处全女子赛场意义非凡。

“我真的很高兴，因为我从来没见过18个女孩同时出现。当我到达那里时，我看到了我们18个人，我很高兴看到有更多女性参与这项赛车运动，而且她们速度也很快，”卡琳说道，她是新加坡第一位F4女车手，效力于埃文斯GP车队。

“这真的太令人兴奋了，因为F1学院……我一直梦想着能置身其中，所以当我近距离看到赛车并有机会驾驶时，对我来说是一次非常棒的体验——感觉完全不同，更加激动人心。我真希望我能多开两三天，而不是只有一天。”

在那里，她有机会结识并向她最喜欢的几位赛车手学习，例如阿尔芭·拉尔森、娜塔莉亚·格拉纳达和玛蒂尔达·帕茨。

虽然由于一些技术问题，她未能发挥出最佳水平，但这次经历反而激励了卡琳继续追逐她的梦想。

她说：“我还能继续下去，因为他们（F1学院）告诉我我可以继续下去。”

“我不认为这对我来说是退步，这只是我不断进步、成为更优秀车手、持续发展的一种方式。这激励我更加努力，永不放弃。”

对于卡琳来说，这并非一段轻松的旅程，她必须兼顾赛车和学业。

当她外出参加比赛时，她经常边走边学习；在没有比赛的周末，她的每一天都安排得满满当当。

但看到她的奉献精神以及这种追求如何塑造了她的性格，她的父母决定支持她的抱负，即使这意味着要为此背负多笔贷款。

她的父亲库尔迪普表示，他每天向潜在的赞助商发送大约 15 到 20 封电子邮件，并感谢网络安全软件公司 Admin by Request 和本土时尚品牌 Charles & Keith 对卡琳一路走来的支持。

这种支持至关重要，尤其是考虑到该家庭计划在 2027 年为卡琳提供更多在欧洲参赛的机会，并且正在探索各种途径来实现这一目标。

这位46岁的总经理说：“如果没有这些支柱的支持，卡琳就不会有今天的成就……”

“如果你住在欧洲，那里有很多赛道，而对我们来说，最近的赛道是马来西亚的雪邦赛道，但那只是其中一种类型的赛道。

“车手需要不同类型的赛道、不同的弯道和不同的比赛条件才能发挥得更好、更快，所以我们期待任何能够帮助卡琳的赞助商。”

金伯利·郭于 2019 年加入《海峡时报》担任体育记者，此后报道了包括高尔夫和帆船在内的各种体育项目。

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