French F4: Lisa Billard just outside top 10, Jade Jacquet takes Female trophy in Race 3
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In the second round of the 2025 French F4 season at the Dijon-Prenois, Lisa Billard emerged as the top female competitor in two out of the three races over the weekend, topping her personal best of the season with an eleventh-place finish in Race 1, while Jade Jacquet claimed female trophy honors in Race 3, securing her fourth top-20 of the season.
In the second round of the 2025 French F4 season at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, Iron Dames-supported driver Lisa Billard once again emerged as the top female competitor in two out of the three races over the weekend, topping her personal best of the season with an eleventh-place finish in Race 1.
Meanwhile, Jade Jacquet claimed female trophy honors in Race 3, securing her fourth top-20 of the season.
Featuring six female drivers in 2025, French F4 is one of the mixed-gender F4 championships with the highest number of women on the grid this year—and many have showcased encouraging pace over the first two rounds.
Alongside Billard, who enters her first full-time season after a part-time campaign last year, racecar rookie Annabelle Brian also impressed in Nogaro with a personal best of P11, and led the female classification in two of the three races at the season opener.
Angelina Proenca finished P13 in Race 3 and claimed two top-20s at Nogaro, just like Jade Jacquet, who secured a personal best of P12 in the final race. Heloise Goldberg and Sofia Zanfari, both making the step up from karting, also battled for top-20 positions, with Zanfari unfortunate not to finish higher in Race 2. All six female drivers aimed to build on that experience at Dijon-Prenois, a fast and technical circuit hosting the second round of the 2025 FFSA season.
Drivers had five collective test sessions on Thursday to familiarize themselves with the track. Lisa Billard immediately showed potential to run close to the top ten, with Angelina Proenca also making an impression by placing P9 in one of the sessions.
Qualifying followed on Friday, and Billard shone again with a P12 that gave the Iron Dame another chance to fight for her first points of the season. Annabelle Brian was P25 with a 1:18.095, as she couldn't quite maximize her speed. She preceded Proenca (P26), Zanfari (P27), Jacquet (P28), and Goldberg (P30).
RACE 1
It was dry and sunny on Saturday morning at Dijon, with the grid for Race 1 set by the fastest laps from qualifying. Proenca had the best start among the girls, while Billard lost a few positions off the line. Early positions were Billard P15, Proenca P25, Jacquet up to P26, Brian down to P28, Zanfari P29, and Goldberg P30.
Soon after, Zanfari passed Brian at Turn 1 for P28. When Pierre Devos went off ahead of them, all moved up one place. Brian, however, fought back and re-passed Zanfari on Lap 3. Meanwhile, Billard overtook Giaccardi for P14 and began recovering. Jacquet fell behind Carvalho.
Billard continued her charge, moving into P12 after Dorison went off, and also passed Consani.
Unfortunately for Proenca, she was caught in a multi-car incident with Carvalho, Shen, and Milojkovic. Jacquet advanced to P21, Brian to P22, ahead of Zanfari and Goldberg—who had kept it clean and moved up several positions, as the safety car was deployed.
At the restart on Lap 9, Billard immediately attacked, putting pressure on Leurs. Bad luck then struck Zanfari, who was involved in an incident at Turn 1 that brought out another safety car. At the second neutralization, Billard was in P12, with Jacquet, Brian, and Goldberg in P21, P22, and P23 respectively.
The race resumed at the start of Lap 13. Billard capitalized immediately and moved up to P11 after Herrouin went off from P9. With Roques also encountering an issue, Jacquet picked up positions and broke into the top 20. One lap later, Brian passed Jacquet for P19, setting personal best laps.
Goldberg was on the defense and lost a place to the recovering Devos and dropped to P23.
An incident for Pasquier at Turn 7 allowed Brian and Jacquet to gain another position, but the race remained green. Up front, Billard pressured Sato and showed the pace for a top ten finish.
Munoz won from Roussel and Maassen. Lisa Billard finished just three tenths short of her first point, crossing the line in P11 and taking the female trophy win.
Annabelle Brian finished P18, ahead of Jacquet in P19 and Heloise Goldberg in P21, who recovered nine places from the start.
Race 2
For the second race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, the grid lined up with Billard in P12, Brian P25, Proenca P26, Zanfari P27, Jacquet P28, and Goldberg P30.
The field got away cleanly. Billard tried to make moves but dropped to P16. Brian jumped to P20, Proenca held P25, Jacquet passed Zanfari to gain P27, and Goldberg overtook Martinello to take P29 on the opening lap.
Sato, who started from pole, fell to P6 and battled Bouzar. On the second lap, the safety car was deployed due to a three-car clash involving Proenca, Shen, and Carvalho. Billard had meanwhile settled into P16. Annabelle Brian made a big move on Lap 2 and climbed into P20. Goldberg ran P24, ahead of Jacquet in P25 and Zanfari in P27.
At the restart with 15 minutes to go, Brian immediately gained a position to P19. Goldberg moved into P23, with Zanfari overtaking Riccobono for P26. Goldberg had been going strong but retired on Lap 8 with a technical issue.
Annabelle Brian continued battling in the top 20 but fell behind Senecloze and Devos, dropping to P21. Meanwhile, Billard stayed clean and advanced to P15. She continued recovering and, running 1:17s, passed two more cars for P13 while chasing down Consani. At the same time, Brian re-entered the top 20.
Jade Jacquet improved her times with a 1:18.3 and began closing on Devos. She then passed both Devos and Leurs, moving up to P22 and running just behind Brian in P21.
Lisa Billard finished in P13 and secured the second female trophy win of the weekend, ahead of Annabelle Brian, who despite a strong start, ended P21 and just missed out on another top-20. Jacquet, initially 21st, finished a nevertheless solid P24 after a track limits penalty, just ahead of Sofia Zanfari in P25.
Race 3
On Sunday morning, Billard lined up in P13, Brian in P23, Proenca P24, Zanfari P25, Jacquet P26, and Goldberg P28. It was another sunny start as the 30-car field launched into fierce battles throughout the pack.
Billard lost one position at the start, while Proenca and Jacquet gained to P23 and P24. Brian fell to P27, ahead of Zanfari, who also lost places, and Goldberg rounded out the field.
Brian began recovering and overtook Jacquet on Lap 2 to reach P25, one place behind Proenca who held P24. Billard, further ahead, was demoted to P15 by Thomas Senecloze.
Sofia Zanfari battled with Pasquier, staying with the pack; Jacquet, showing improved pace, closed in on the cars ahead, while Proenca and Brian fought for position.
Proenca then went off and her car rolled in the gravel, bringing out the safety car. She retired from the race with her third DNF of the weekend but was fortunately unhurt.
The race resumed with 18 minutes to go: Billard aimed to hold onto her top-15 position but had several faster cars behind. Jacquet managed to get ahead of Brian, but the Dutch racer recovered quickly and reclaimed P25 within a lap.
Lisa Billard however spun after contact and dropped to the back of the field. By Lap 9, Jacquet now led the female classification, just ahead of Brian, who was determined to reclaim the spot. However, Brian received a 10-second penalty for overtaking before the safety car restart.
Billard, lapping in the 1:18.4s, was over a second quicker than the cars ahead and began closing a 12-second gap to Goldberg. Jacquet overtook Pasquier to move into P23, placing a car between herself and Brian.
Goldberg had caught Zanfari, and the two battled for P27; Billard continued to close in and, with eight minutes to go, was just six seconds behind. In the following laps, Billard caught the pack and passed Zanfari and Goldberg.
Annabelle Brian fought back and overtook both Pasquier and Jacquet on Lap 18—but her run was hampered by a broken front wing from contact during the charge, and the penalty would further cost her.
Jacquet therefore capitalized, moved into P22, then passed Pirri for P21. On the final lap, Guillaume Bouzar spun from the top ten, allowing Jacquet to secure a P18 finish and her first female trophy win of the season. Just like in Nogaro, she claimed two top-20 finishes at Dijon.
Lisa Billard recovered to P23, just ahead of Heloise Goldberg in P25. Sofia Zanfari finished P27. Annabelle Brian, after pitting for a new front wing, crossed the line in P29 in an unfortunate end to a weekend where she had again shown strong pace and was close to another female trophy.
The third round of the season is scheduled for 20–22 June at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
