F4 Saudi makes history with female-majority grid at Jeddah season finale
- RACERS
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The 2025 F4 Saudi Arabian Championship finale made history with the first-ever female-majority grid in a mixed-gender single-seater series; Rachel Robertson made the most progress over the year and battled for the overall podium in the final race, securing her first Female Trophy win, as Nina Gademan, returning to the series after the opener, clinched a Female Trophy win and the class title.
The season finale of the 2025 F4 Saudi Arabian Championship marked a historic milestone for female participation in single-seater racing. After already setting records earlier in the year with almost 50% female representation, the championship broke new ground at Jeddah, where for the first time in history a mixed-gender single-seater series featured more female than male entries. Eight female drivers in fact took the start, accounting for 57.1% of the grid at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Among them, Nina Gademan returned after her podiums in the opening round in Bahrain. Payton Westcott joined the field just one week after claiming her first single-seater victory in Dubai’s Formula Trophy opener. The entry list also included Farah Al Yousef, Ava Dobson, Chiara Bättig, Megan Bruce, Rachel Robertson, and Female Trophy leader Esmee Kosterman.
Friday’s early-afternoon opening practice saw Gademan set the first benchmark, but it was Rachel Robertson, fresh off her F1 Academy debut and a top-five finish in Las Vegas, who led the female entries with a 2:08.982, placing fifth overall. Dobson impressed with a 2:09.146 to place seventh, ahead of Gademan in eighth by just 0.027s. Bättig was ninth, Kosterman tenth, Bruce eleventh, Westcott twelfth, and Al Yousef fourteenth with one of her strongest sessions to date.
In Qualifying 1, held under dramatic red skies at sunset, early times from Al Yousef, Bättig, Robertson and Gademan set the pace. When the session intensified, Ary Bansal and Kit Belofsky moved to the top; Kosterman improved late to a 2:07.885 for sixth, with Robertson seventh (2:08.001) and Bättig eighth, only a second off pole. Dobson placed ninth (2:08.277), Gademan tenth, Westcott twelfth, Bruce thirteenth, and Al Yousef fourteenth.
Nightfall set the stage for the opening race beneath the Jeddah lights: polesitter Bansal and front-row starter Belofsky held formation as the lights went out. Al Yousef unfortunately stalled, while Robertson suffered an issue, dropping from seventh to the back before rejoining one lap down.
Gademan made a superb start, charging to seventh by the end of lap one and immediately challenging Kosterman for the lead of the Female Trophy. Bättig followed closely behind, with Dobson ninth and Bruce climbing to tenth ahead of Westcott. Further back, Westcott eventually cleared Faris Organji on lap three.
Gademan and Kosterman continued their close duel, pulling away from the pack. Dobson overtook Bättig for eighth as Bruce closed the gap to the pair. Westcott then dipped under the 2:10 barrier in pursuit of Bruce, while Dobson and Bättig matched each other in the 2:09.1s.
Ahead, Belofsky and Bansal traded the lead, with Feghali, Kamel and Ramaekers battling for the podium. On lap seven, both Gademan and Kosterman caught this group to join the podium train. A lap-10 attack from Kosterman forced Gademan into defensive driving at the final hairpin in a tight three-car scrap with Kamel.
Belofsky eventually claimed victory and secured the F4 Saudi title, with Bansal second and Feghali third. Nina Gademan finished sixth, returning to the top of the Female Trophy, just 0.2s ahead of Esmee Kosterman. Ava Dobson finished eighth, ahead of Chiara Bättig and Megan Bruce, with Payton Westcott P11 and Farah Al Yousef P13. Rachel Robertson was the only DNF after further technical issues.
Saturday’s second practice opened the final day; Bättig led mid-session with a 2:08.861, with Gademan again inside the top five. Late improvements from Belofsky and Bansal dropped her to fourth, before Robertson delivered another excellent lap to go fourth fastest with a 2:08.730. Bättig therefore finished fifth, Kosterman eighth, Gademan ninth, and Dobson tenth. Westcott and Bruce followed in P11 and P12, while Al Yousef again ran just four seconds off the leaders in P14.
The final qualifying produced more drama. Gademan initially placed third before being displaced by Robertson. Bättig meanwhile climbed to third with a 2:08.621 before Kosterman posted a 2:08.460. Westcott and Bruce both moved into the top ten. It would be Robertson then to deliver a superb lap in 2:08.139 to secure fifth. Bättig qualified sixth, Kosterman seventh, Dobson eighth, with Gademan tenth, Westcott eleventh, Bruce twelfth, and Al Yousef fourteenth.
Post-session penalties elevated Robertson to P3 on the grid, in her highest starting position yet, with Bättig in P5.
At lights out, Rachel Robertson made a strong launch but then settled into fourth behind the recovering Belofsky. Bättig held fifth, as a contact at Turn 1 left Feghali with damage and brought out the safety car. Kosterman had moved up to sixth, Dobson held eighth, Bruce climbed to ninth, while Gademan was boxed in and fell to tenth. Westcott followed, and Al Yousef gained places to run eleventh.
The lap-two restart proved chaotic: Robertson held fourth, but Kosterman braked deep into Turn 1 and collided with Bättig, leaving both with damage. Kosterman continued without a front wing but dropped to the back. Moments later, Gademan pitted with technical issues, in a dramatic development for the Female Trophy contenders, both now outside the points.
Dobson climbed to sixth with a strong restart; Bruce held seventh, Westcott eighth, and Al Yousef -delivering one of her best performances - moved into ninth when Organji spun at the final corner. Robertson was now under pressure but defended superbly against Ramaekers, with Dobson also joining the fight. When Dobson attempted to attack Ramaekers, Robertson - with now some breathing space - closed in on Abdullah Kamel for third, forming a four-car battle for the podium.
Starting the final lap, Robertson attacked Kamel but left just enough space for Ramaekers, who slipped through. She nevertheless fought back later in the lap and, in a three-car photo finish at the line, Robertson reclaimed fourth, securing her first Female Trophy win of the season in a stellar performance for the Scottish driver who missed the podium for 0.067s of a second.
Ava Dobson finished sixth, Megan Bruce seventh, Payton Westcott eighth, and Farah Al Yousef ninth, earning her first F4 points. Esmee Kosterman, running without a front wing all race, still salvaged P10. The point brought her level with Gademan in the Female Trophy standings, but the latter won the title on countback thanks to her overall podiums earlier in the season. Bättig and Gademan were classified non-finishers.
The 2025 F4 Saudi Arabian Championship offered invaluable track time and historic progress for female drivers; the season finale set a new global benchmark for gender representation in single-seater racing.
Robertson and Bättig, both making their F4 debuts in the series, gained crucial experience ahead of their future programs. Kosterman, already confirmed for F1 Academy with LEGO Racing, showed consistently strong pace in her duels with compatriot Gademan, who is also likely to return to F1 Academy in 2026. Dobson collected two Female Trophy wins, while Westcott and Bruce delivered promising performances. Al Yousef, returning after nearly a year out of the cockpit, made remarkable strides, steadily closing the gap each session.
F4 Saudi has proven itself a valuable and cost-effective winter series, offering competitive racing and meaningful development opportunities, especially for rising female talent.