COFTA: Everything you need to know about the F1 Academy’s global karting program

Featured Image: COFTA

Round two of the Champions of the Future Academy Program (COFTA) gets underway in Valencia this weekend. Principally, COFTA is a global karting championship launched by the F1 Academy in collaboration with acclaimed international karting series Champions of the Future. The groundbreaking concept aims to increase female participation in motorsport by removing barriers to entry and promoting equal opportunities.

Crucially, COFTA is split into three mixed-gender categories, Minis (ages 8-11), Juniors (ages 11-14) and Seniors (ages 14+). These categories compete in six double-header race weekends, with at least one race set to take place outside of Europe every season. Each event strives to reveal the future talents of motorsport in a fair environment.

Emphatically, COFTA says: “In the ever-evolving world of motorsport, the pursuit of more diverse racing opportunities and the discovery of promising talent are vital for the sport’s growth and sustainability.

“Recognising this need, RGMMC has taken a bold step by creating an academy program. This innovation not only opens doors for aspiring drivers but also expands karting to new markets, making the sport more accessible to enthusiasts worldwide.”

Where will COFTA race in 2025?

What does a COFTA race weekend look like?

Embed from Getty Images

What does the F1 Academy have to do with COFTA?

The F1 Academy supports the top three female karters in each category, offering them guidance, a branded kart and suit, and financial support for race entries. It says talent identification will be a key focus to help create a pipeline of identified talent amongst young girls. A chassis lottery system will decrease the financial requirements for competitors, and ensures that they are competing in equal equipment.

Chiefly, the F1 Academy does this with the intention of maximising female drivers’ individual potential, and allowing them to showcase their abilities and enhance visibility for the long-term growth of the sport. 

Accordingly, Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 Academy, said: “With so much momentum building around F1 Academy, we must continue to strengthen the pipeline of talent coming into our sport.” She continued, “We will also provide the best in the senior category with an F1 Academy test, giving them a chance to prove themselves to our teams. “

Correspondingly, James Geidel, President of COFT, added: “COTFA will provide the base of the pyramid with a more affordable and level playing field, that aims to expand the driver pool and highlight the drivers’ talent over technical aspects. F1 Academy Discover Your Drive will provide the ladder needed for the most talented participants to take the next steps into single-seater racing.”

Get to know the COFTA drivers

The nine promising F1 Academy supported COFTA drivers will all be in action this weekend in Valencia.

Mini category — 8 to 11 years old

Alba Cueva

Alba fell in love with racing when she was only four years old, and at the age of six, she was already karting. From 2021 to 2024, she achieved impressive results in different championships around Spain. She won the Asturias Karting Championship three times. Her achievements led her to be selected for the 2025 F1 Academy Discover Your Drive programme.  

Atiqa Mir

Atiqa just started her second professional season in karting. The 10-year-old was the first female driver to win an RMC International Trophy race at Le Mans. During 2024, she finished more than 60 races in three different championships. For 2025, the driver was selected to be part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. 

Ava Lawrence

Ava started racing when she was six years old, and now it’s already her second year as part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. In March, she also joined the ‘Supported by the Iron Dames’ program to develop her driving skills. The 10-year-old already has a couple of podiums and championships in her rising career. She was the first female to win the MENA Cup Champion and the Dubai O Plate Winner in her class. 

Juniors — 11 to 14 years old

Angelina Simons

Angelina is part of the Iron Dames, and it’s her second season as part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. She started karting at seven years old, and when she was nine years old, she finished in second place in the Canary Islands regional championship. Only three years later, she became Junior Vice Champion of Spain at the age of 12. 

Vanessa Silkunaite

Vanessa was the 2023 Girls On Track Rising Stars Winner. She started competing in 2019, at eight years old, and finished first in the Lithuanian Championship. The young driver achieved different impressive results in European championships and other series, because of that, she got selected to be part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. 

Victoria Farfus

The 13-year-old driver had an impressive career start, finishing third in her first championship, already at an international level. She is part of the Iron Dames team and got selected for the 2025 line-up F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. 

Seniors — 14 to 17 years old

Chiara Battig

The Swiss driver started karting when she was eight years old. Now, the 14-year-old is a three-time OK Junior Swiss Karting Champion. Because of her powerful performances in the national championships, she graduated to race in the international series and got selected to be part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. She was part of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars development program. 

Ella Häkkinen

The 12-year-old driver has the race instinct in her blood as the daughter of two-time F1 world champion Mika Häkkinen. Last year, she got her first major international win during the COFTA weekend event in Italy. She remains part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program for the 2025 season.

Klara Kowalczyk 

It’s Klara’s first season as part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive program. The 13-year-old driver was the highest-ranked female driver in the Karting Sprint Junior category at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games. She started her professional career right before she turned six years old. During the 2023 season, she was selected for the FIA Karting Academy Trophy. Last year, she was part of the European and World Karting Championships. The driver was consistently ranked as the top female driver in the Junior category.