Ava Hanssen returns to the Ligier Junior Formula podium at Road America

Ava Hanssen enjoyed a highly competitive weekend in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship at Road America, showing genuine race-winning pace across both contested races and fighting intensely for the lead in multiple wheel-to-wheel battles, eventually securing her second podium in the series.

Photo credits: Gavin Baker

Ava Hanssen enjoyed a highly competitive weekend in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship at Road America, battling consistently at the front and securing her second podium finish of the 2026 season.

The 15-year-old American racer showed genuine race-winning pace across both contested races of the second round, fighting intensely for the lead in multiple wheel-to-wheel battles and emerging as one of the top drivers of the weekend despite narrowly missing out on victory.

Hanssen entered her sophomore campaign in the US-based Ligier Junior Formula Championship looking to build on a very promising rookie season in 2025, where she had secured three top-five finishes, including a personal-best fourth place at Virginia International Raceway, on her way to tenth in the drivers’ standings.

Returning in 2026 with her family-run Ava Hanssen Racing operation, Hanssen continued to compete against larger teams while once again driving the first-generation Ligier F4 chassis, as the series also features newer second-generation cars competing in a separate classification.

The American teenager had already made a major step forward at the season opener at NOLA Motorsport Park, where she secured her maiden podium finish with a third place, and she arrived at Road America aiming to continue that momentum at one of the championship’s fastest and most technical circuits.

From the outset of the weekend, Hanssen demonstrated exceptional pace. In the sole free practice session, she topped the timesheets among the Gen-1 entries with a 2:21.241 lap, finishing almost four tenths clear of Beckham Jacir.

Jacir however responded in qualifying, setting a 2:21.316 to edge Hanssen by roughly two tenths for pole position among the Gen-1 cars. Jack Speth meanwhile secured overall pole in the quicker Gen-2 machine, though both Gen-2 entries of Speth and Michael Fatutta would ultimately start from pit lane. Hanssen therefore lined up alongside Jacir on the front row of the Gen-1 field.

Photo credits: Gavin Baker

At the start of Race 1, Hanssen produced a brilliant launch and immediately swept into the lead at Turn 1. Jacir however stayed close and challenged again on the following straight, reclaiming the position while Hanssen settled into second.

Behind them, a fierce battle for third developed between Bainotti and Speth, with the Gen-2 car of Speth rapidly climbing through the field after starting from pit lane. Speth passed Bainotti before immediately attacking Hanssen for second place on lap two, eventually taking the overall lead by the end of the lap.

Hanssen nevertheless remained in contention for the win among the Gen-1 entries and soon shifted her focus back onto Jacir. She repeatedly attacked under braking into Turn 1, making several excellent overtakes for the class lead, only for Jacir to reclaim the position again along the straights where Hanssen lacked some straight-line speed.

The pair engaged in an intense duel throughout lap three. Hanssen repeatedly out-braked Jacir into Turn 1 and defended aggressively to retain the lead despite Jacir’s speed advantage on the straights. She also recorded one of the fastest laps on track with a 2:22.8.

Jacir again managed to edge ahead after the long back straight, but Hanssen refused to give up and fought back side-by-side down the main straight before reclaiming the lead once more into Turn 1.

Meanwhile, overall leader Speth was suddenly forced into the pits with issues, while Alexander Savage crashed into the barriers, bringing out a caution period. Ella White was meanwhile running seventh overall and was promoted to sixth after Speth lost a lap. Hanssen led the race under caution.

When racing resumed at the end of lap seven with 11 minutes remaining, Hanssen initially controlled the restart and accelerated away from the field; however, Jacir immediately attacked around the outside and Hanssen unfortunately spun from the lead, dropping all the way to seventh overall and forcing her into a recovery drive from the back of the Gen-1 field.

Ella White meanwhile moved into fifth overall and fourth among the Gen-1 cars.

Speth recovered rapidly again and retook the overall lead, while Hanssen found herself sixth among the Gen-1 entries and chasing Tyler Wade, who was three seconds ahead. White also improved her pace with a personal-best 2:25 lap.

Hanssen responded, posting a 2:22.4 to set the fastest Gen-1 lap on that tour before improving further to a 2:21.616, the fastest overall Gen-1 lap of the race. In a single lap she gained four seconds on Wade before overtaking him for sixth overall and fifth among the Gen-1 cars. She then turned her attention to White, who was three seconds further ahead.

However, Fatutta spun on the final lap, triggering another caution that froze the order. Hanssen ultimately took the chequered flag in fifth in Gen-1 class, while Ella White finished fourth just ahead.

Photo credits: Gavin Baker

Race 2 offered Hanssen another major opportunity as she lined up from pole position determined to make up for the disappointment of Saturday’s opening race.

This time, she executed the standing start perfectly and cleanly retained the lead into Turn 1. Behind her, Bainotti and AJ Abdullah fought fiercely for second while Hanssen immediately attempted to build a gap.

Further down the field, heavy contact for Ella White near Turn 3 quickly brought out the safety car, with Hanssen comfortably leading the race.

The race resumed at the end of lap two with 22 minutes remaining, and Hanssen delivered an even stronger restart. This time she was not threatened into Turn 1 and immediately began opening a margin over AJ Abdullah and Jacir, who were battling for second place behind her.

Hanssen responded brilliantly after the previous day’s misfortune, posting a 2:25 lap and gaining over a second as she began pulling away at the front.

Soon however, the faster Gen-2 car of Jack Speth arrived behind her after another recovery drive through the field. Speth eventually found a way through on lap five, though not before Hanssen put up a fight that brought her class rivals closer.

The American teenager nevertheless continued to lead the Gen-1 classification by almost two seconds over Jacir. She maintained excellent pace with laps in the 2:23.7 range before improving again to 2:22.7, running only tenths away from the Gen-2 pace.

Behind her, Bainotti and Jacir continued to battle, though both began closing again as Hanssen lost time while fighting with Speth, who remained directly ahead rather than driving away. Hanssen attempted to stay in the Gen-2 car’s slipstream, but this traffic ultimately allowed Jacir to capitalize and overtake for the Gen-1 lead. Bainotti also followed through, dropping Hanssen to third among the Gen-1 entries.

Regrouping immediately, Hanssen began attacking Bainotti with impressive pace. Bainotti defended aggressively on lap nine while Hanssen set a 2:20.5, her best lap of the race to that point.

Carrying superior momentum out of the final corner, Hanssen then produced a superb overtake around the outside of Turn 1 to reclaim third overall and second among the Gen-1 cars. Even while battling, she improved again with a 2:20.1 lap.

With one final lap remaining, Hanssen still had her sights firmly set on victory: she launched an attack around the outside at Turn 3 on Jacir, but the move opened the door for Bainotti to seize the lead.

Hanssen nevertheless stayed fully committed and remained tucked directly into the slipstream of the leaders in an extraordinary sprint to the finish line. In an incredibly close ending, Jacir ultimately crossed the line just 0.021 seconds ahead, while Hanssen finished only 0.147 seconds behind to take third among the Gen-1 cars, thus securing her second podium finish in the series.

The third and final race of the weekend was scheduled to take place later Sunday afternoon on a wet circuit after heavy rain arrived at Road America. However, repeated delays caused by lightning in the area and standing water on track eventually forced organizers to cancel the race entirely.

The cancellation proved unfortunate for Hanssen, who had clearly demonstrated enough pace throughout the weekend to challenge again for both podiums and race victories.

Nevertheless, the Road America round marked another highly positive step forward for the young American racer, who consistently fought at the front and showcased some of the strongest pace among the Gen-1 entries.

Hanssen now sits third in the championship standings with 64 points as she heads into the next round at Mid-Ohio on 13–14 June.