“Don’t wait for permission”: 16-year-old Lisa Billard on re-writing racing history
The F1 ACADEMY star is changing motorsport for future generations of women
When Lisa Billard first climbed into a kart at seven years old, she didn’t know any female racing drivers. Motorsport didn’t look like it was for girls. But the moment she sat in the seat, her future was set.
“At first it was something to do with my dad for fun, but I just knew,” she tells The Female Lead via video call at home in France. “That was the place I needed to be for the rest of my life.”
Growing up in Normandy, France, karting began as a hobby to spend time with her dad who loved motorsport. It wasn’t a career plan at that age. But Lisa soon became hooked and her passion and determination took hold.
By the age of eight, Lisa wanted to be a professional racing driver.
Making history aged 12
Motorsport is expensive, complex, and still predominately male. By 12, Lisa had joined the French Junior Karting Championship, becoming the first female driver ever to compete in it. She finished third overall, represented France at the World Championship, and placed second in Italy.
Then, in 2022, she made history again: the first girl to win a race in the championship.
“Everyone was shocked,” she says. “I didn’t even realise I’d won. I didn’t raise my arms, I was still focused on the race. When I got out, people were congratulating me and that’s when it hit.”
Lisa smiles when remembering the day. “I’m proud of 12-year-old me. She didn’t realise that was the moment that should make her future dream to become a professional driver come true.”
The following year, five girls entered the same championship.
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“That made me really proud,” Lisa says. “For two years I was the only girl. Now it’s starting to feel more normal.” The word normal matters. For Lisa, progress is about reaching a point where gender no longer needs to be part of the conversation.
“A driver is a driver,” she says. “When we put the helmet on, we all have the same goal, to be the best.”
The cost of chasing her dream
Behind every win is the reality of funding her passion. Motorsport careers don’t move forward without sponsors, and Lisa is open about how hard that’s been.
“Very quickly we had to look for sponsors to keep going. It was very expensive and I just wanted to become a professional driver. The hardest obstacle is money,” she says. “Every winter, you don’t know if you’ll have the budget to continue. It’s stressful for me, for my parents, for everyone who believes in me. My parents have made a lot of sacrifices for me.”
That uncertainty has shaped her mindset as much as any training programme.
“It taught me to never give up. To take every opportunity and push myself to the limit every time I get the chance to drive.”
At 14, Lisa left home to attend a specialist sports academy, balancing racing with education through school lessons and online learning. She lives away from her family during the week, travelling home by train at weekends.
“It sounds like a sacrifice to leave home at 14,” she says, “but honestly, it doesn’t feel like one. It’s a choice. I love what I do.”
Her parents’ support has been unwavering, and so has that of her younger sister, Juliette, a 10-year-old gymnastics champion. “She’s my biggest fan,” Lisa says. “I’m very grateful.”
Becoming a role model
When Lisa was younger, there were few women to look up to in motorsport. One of her earliest inspirations was a male driver who came from the same karting track and coach in France, proving that it was possible to reach Formula One without vast financial backing.
Later, women like Susie Wolff and Katherine Legge (the first woman to win a Formula 3 race) showed her what sustained excellence at the highest level could look like.
Their advice has stayed with her: ‘If you want something, don’t wait for permission.’
Lisa doesn’t spend energy worrying about what male competitors think - “I don’t really pay attention to what boys think because I focus on my goals” - and instead works on preparation, physical training, and mental resilience, knowing that racing demands peak athleticism, regardless of gender.
“Yes, women sometimes have to work harder physically,” she says. “But we are just as capable.”
Fuel for the future
Lisa became the Women’s Champion at the 2025 French F4 Championship at Le Mans, and the first female to win a race in the French Junior Karting Championship, earning her a Wild Card entry for Round 6 of the F1 ACADEMY season in Singapore.
In 2026, Lisa became the youngest female athlete ever to join the Gatorade roster aged 16, a milestone that still feels surreal.
“It’s a dream come true,” she says. “Sport is my life. To be recognised like that, and to be able to inspire other girls, it’s incredible.”
Gatorade’s elite athlete roster includes WNBA stars Cailtin Clark and A’ja Wilson, tennis champion Serena Willams and Olympic hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. “I’ve been lucky to meet A’ja Wilson on video call, which was very cool. She gave me some advice, like trust yourself in your training, be confident and stay determined,” Lisa says.
At Gatorade’s training camp in Florida in January this year - her first visit to the United States - Lisa took part in advanced sports science testing, strength and conditioning sessions, and nutrition and hydration education.
“For the first time, I had serious advice about recovery,” she says. “In racing, you can lose up to four kilograms in a race. Single-seater racing pushes your body to the limit. Learning how to fuel and recover properly makes such a difference. I’m so excited to take on my first season of F1 ACADEMY with the support of Gatorade behind me.”
When asked if she considers herself a feminist, Lisa’s answer is simple and grounded.
“I want women to have the same rights as men,” she says. “And to be able to dream bigger, and have the same chance to realise their dreams. Things are changing but we still have work to do.”
And for the next generation of female racing drivers - and girls dreaming of being in spaces where they don’t yet see themselves reflected - her message is clear: “If you feel it inside you, don’t wait. Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait to be perfectly ready, you never will be. Just try. And never give up until you achieve your dream.”
This season, Lisa will race across the world, from Shanghai to Montreal, Silverstone to Las Vegas, chasing podiums and reshaping what the future of motorsport looks like.
Absolutley inspiring to see someone turn childhood pasison into systemic change. What really stands out is how Lisa breaking barriers at 12 opened doors for five more girls just a year later. Sometimes the biggest impact comes not from wating for systems to change but from showing what's possible within them.