Lisa Billard has been announced as the Wild Card entry for Round 6 of the F1 ACADEMY season in Singapore, representing the series’ Official Partner, Gatorade.
The French racer recently participated in the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test, finishing with the second-fastest overall time. Billard will race around the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the #60 F1 ACADEMY car, featuring a custom Gatorade livery to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary.
Through the partnership, which runs until 2030, Gatorade is bringing world-class sports science and hydration expertise to F1 ACADEMY to help fuel the next generation of female drivers.
With this latest announcement, the sports drinks brand continues to deepen its support for rising talent in the all-female series, having already supported Wild Card entry Mathilda Paatz at Round 4 of the F1 ACADEMY season in Montreal.
The partnership also offers important scientific and physical benefits to the drivers, most recently including sweat testing to drivers during Official Testing, providing personalised insights into their hydration needs to support their ongoing development.
First introduced for the 2024 season, the Wild Card initiative was introduced to help strengthen the talent pool. The initiative has already proved successful in strengthening the talent pipeline, with four of the 2024 Wild Card drivers currently holding full-time F1 ACADEMY seats including the 2024 Singapore Wild Card, Ella Lloyd.
Karin Fink, Head of Commercial Operations, F1 ACADEMY, said: “It’s fantastic to see our youngest ever F1 ACADEMY Wild Card driver benefiting from our partnership with Gatorade in Singapore.
“Our collaboration continues to set new standards in the sport, bringing their sports science expertise directly to the next generation of emerging female talent, and offering invaluable tools and knowledge that will benefit the drivers throughout their careers.”
Parinya Kitjatananpan, GM Asia & ANZ Beverages, PepsiCo, added: “At Gatorade, we’re proud to celebrate our 60th anniversary by fueling the future of motorsport with F1 ACADEMY. Lisa Billard’s debut as the youngest-ever Wild Card driver reflects exactly why we’re here – to provide world-class sports science, hydration, and support to the next generation of female athletes.
“Together with F1 ACADEMY, we’re committed to giving rising talent like Lisa the tools they need to perform at their best, today and for years to come.”
