PORTRAIT. Jade Jacquet, the young Frenchwoman who makes history in Formula 4 and who dreams of "going as far as possible in a single-seater"

In one race, his name found itself in the spotlight. Saturday September 19, Jade Jacquet made motorsport history by becoming, at the age of 16 (she will celebrate her 17th birthday in December), the first female driver to win a race in the Formula 4 French championship, on the Lédenon circuit (Gard). Starting in pole position according to the reverse grid system (the top 10 in qualifying is reversed for the start of race 2), the young Frenchwoman - who is taking part in the last F4 round of the season at Magny Cours on Saturday October 10 - held off the Belgian Thibaut Ramaekers, second in the general classification, and the Australian Lewis Francis to achieve this historic first.

A great reward for someone who is enjoying her second season in the championship, and who continues to progress. “It feels really good. I didn’t necessarily expect it that weekend, because my season since the start of the year was quite complicated,” she explains to franceinfo: sport. “I didn’t arrive at Lédenon thinking that it was likely that I would win. So to be able to do it was great.”

Late starts and strong impressions

But it is also an important step for someone who started karting only three years ago, at thirteen, where some people get into their first machines at the age of four. Because although his passion for racing runs in the family, it was not immediately considered as a possible career. “My big brother is 12 years older than me, so when I was little, I really liked being like him. He loved cars, motorsport, so I liked that too,” recalls Jade Jacquet, explaining that the family often went to see the cars in Monaco. "Then they made me try karting, but at first it was rental karting once a year. Then it became a little more frequent."

"Around 13, I beat him, and they were like, 'Well, maybe there's something.' "

Jade Jacquet

à franceinfo: sport

The young Jade, who "didn't even know that karting was basically a sport", then tried competitive kart racing, met the man who would become her coach, and launched herself full throttle into the ambitious single-seater pyramid. First two years of karting to begin with, then the discovery of single-seaters in 2025 with a first season of F4 France. She immediately shows predispositions, according to her race engineer at ART Grand Prix, Benjamin Broca Aubry: "Jade is a driver who recently started karting, so she has a lot of untapped potential. It's a kind of raw potential which is very interesting for us to work on."

This year, Jade Jacquet continues a second exercise in F4 France and discovers the F1 Academy, a 100% female championship launched in 2023, after a good 7th place in the rookie tests (reserved for young drivers). Enough to catch the eye of the Williams Racing Driver Academy, which has nurtured several Formula 1 drivers (Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, Franco Colapinto...), and which integrates him into its ranks: "It's just an incredible opportunity in my career, it helps me a lot as a driver, they have lots of super useful support. We do the simulator, I have my performance coach who is with me on all the races, who helps me with what is nutrition, the warm-up, feeling good, no matter what."

F4, F1 Academy and Williams Academy

In F1 Academy, Jade Jacquet discovers in particular the context of a Grand Prix weekend, the championship being timed on the calendar of the premier category, as a curtain raiser like other promotion formulas (F2, F3). “That’s just crazy,” she enthuses. “You ride just before F1. Afterwards, I have the right to go to the Williams box. I see how they work. And obviously, that gives even more motivation.” Enough to soak up the atmosphere and the prerequisites of the highest level.

“On her management of a weekend and on her management of pressure thanks to the F1 Academy, which is a very demanding championship in terms of media, in terms of pressure, she learned a lot. It is something difficult for young drivers and she has done a very hard job on it,” notes Benjamin Broca Aubry.

"C'est une pilote qui a des très bonnes capacités de frein. Elle s'est énormément améliorée sur l'année, sur beaucoup d'autres techniques de pilotage aussi. Mais si on en retenait une, ça serait probablement celle-là."

Benjamin Broca Aubry, race engineer for Jade Jacquet

at franceinfo: sport

Au sein de l’Académie Williams, elle bénéficie également du soutien de Jamie Chadwick, triple championne des W Series, ancêtre de la F1 Academy, et dernière femme en date à s’être installée derrière le volant d’une Formule 1 fin septembre sur le circuit de Portimao. "Elle m'a félicité après ma victoire, je sais que si j'ai une question à lui poser, elle y répondra et ça c'est super cool de l'avoir aussi", savoure Jade Jacquet.

“That’s not necessarily what I’m attached to”

La transition est toute trouvée pour aborder le sujet, rendu incontournable, de la féminisation d’une discipline sur le papier mixte mais dans laquelle les femmes sont finalement très peu présentes au plus haut niveau. When going to the top of the podium, did Jade Jacquet think about the fact that she was the first to do so? "Ce n’est pas forcément à ça que je m'attache", explique-t-elle, avant de développer : "Après, mon nom sera à jamais gravé, personne d’autre ne pourra dire, je suis la première femme à avoir gagné une course en Formule 4, donc ça forcément c'est super."

With this victory in F4 France and its impact, it already serves as an example. "Ça montre à toutes les jeunes filles qui veulent se lancer dans le sport auto qu'elles peuvent y arriver et qu'il n'y a pas de problème justement, que ce n'est pas parce qu'on est une fille qu'on ne peut pas réussir dans le sport auto", estime Benjamin Broca Aubry. Cinquante ans après le dernier départ de Grand Prix pris par une femme (Lella Lombardi en Autriche en août 1976), pour Jade Jacquet, "il y a beaucoup plus d’investissement pour les femmes" aujourd’hui.

"Je pense que là, c'est la bonne période, si on est une fille, pour vouloir se lancer dans le sport auto. Parce qu'il y a plein de programmes pour aider les filles, rien qu'à la FFSA, je sais qu'ils sont très investis là-dedans. Si on regarde la F1 Academy, tous les rookies tests, tout ce qu'ils font pour mettre en avant les femmes, c’est utile", apprécie la Française.

Pour le moment, Jade Jacquet se concentre sur la F1 Academy, où elle veut "inscrire des points et aller faire de bons résultats pour gagner [sa] place l'année prochaine", et continuer d'engranger de l'expérience en F4 . And then? “The goal is to go as far as possible in a single-seater,” she assures. Even behind the wheel of an F1? "C'est très compliqué, même pour les hommes, c'est quasiment inaccessible. Après, si tu as la chance de pouvoir y aller, forcément, ça reste le rêve. Mais sinon, finir pilote professionnel, ça reste l'objectif."