Autumn Fisher selected as wild card for F1 Academy Montreal round
- RACERS
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Autumn Fisher will make her F1 Academy debut at the upcoming Montreal round after being announced as the Wild Card entry for Round 2 of the 2026 season, representing F1 Academy's partner Standard Chartered.
Canadian racer Autumn Fisher will make her F1 Academy debut at the upcoming Montreal round after being announced as the Wild Card entry for Round 2 of the 2026 season, representing F1 Academy Official Wealth Management Partner and Official Corporate & Investment Banking Partner Standard Chartered.
The 18-year-old Canadian will compete at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in the #77 car, sporting a bespoke Standard Chartered livery and race suit for her first appearance on the F1 Academy grid during the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Standard Chartered’s involvement forms part of the bank’s wider commitment to supporting female talent; through its backing of Fisher’s Wild Card entry, the global banking group aims to inspire diverse female communities and help develop pathways for women and girls to participate and succeed in the sport.
Fisher earned the opportunity following an encouraging performance at last year’s inaugural F1 Academy rookie test in Navarra, where she impressed with both her pace and progression.
She then started off her campaign in the 2026 French Formula 4 Championship at Nogaro, where she scored a personal best of 24th, and then entered the second round of British F4 at Brands Hatch, claiming a top 20 on only her second F4 weekend.
Her Montreal appearance will therefore mark an important step in her young career as she steps onto the international stage in front of a home crowd.
The Wild Card initiative, introduced for the 2024 season, was designed to strengthen the talent pool by giving emerging drivers experience in a competitive F1 Academy race weekend environment. The programme has already become an important part of the series’ ladder, with eight former Wild Card drivers now holding full-time seats on the 2026 grid.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the F1 Academy grid in Montreal,” Fisher expressed her excitement ahead of her debut weekend on home soil. “This is a huge moment for me, and I’m grateful to F1 Academy and Standard Chartered for the opportunity. I can’t wait to get on track and make the most of the weekend.”
F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff welcomed the announcement and highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for young female racers: “We were proud to welcome Standard Chartered to F1 Academy earlier this year, and their support of our Wild Card entry in Montreal shows that commitment in action,” said Wolff.
“Creating opportunities that expand the pathway is at the heart of what we are building, and partnerships like this help turn ambition into access. The Wild Card initiative exists to give emerging talent the platform to step up, and we look forward to seeing Autumn make the most of her debut weekend on the F1 Academy stage.”
“We’re incredibly proud to support Autumn as the Standard Chartered Wild Card for Montreal, leveraging our global brand to champion female talent in motorsport through F1 Academy,” Standard Chartered Chief Strategy & Talent Officer Tanuj Kapilashrami emphasized. “When we invest in women and girls through sport, we’re reshaping what leadership, performance and possibility look like for the next generation. Now is her time!”
The Montreal event will provide Fisher with her first competitive outing in the all-female championship and another opportunity for F1 Academy to showcase emerging female talent on the Formula 1 support bill.