Katrina Ee on her maiden season in car racing: “It was a lot of ups and downs”
- MARCO ALBERTINI
- Nov 13, 2025
- 8 min read
In her first season in car racing, Malaysia and Hong Kong’s Katrina Ee raced in the Ginetta Junior Championship and also tested F4 machinery before a season-ending crash at Brands Hatch forced her to return to karting. Hear from the 15-year-old rising star as she heads into 2026 with high spirits.
Katrina Ee went into this year having won six karting titles in her early years and most recently finished second in the RMC Asia Festival in Malaysia towards the end of 2024. Having turned 15 in January, the minimum age to drive in single-seaters, the step up to cars would eventually materialize in the spring.
Joining Tim Gray Motorsport to race in the Ginetta Junior Championship, Ee endured a challenging season, scoring points three times, with a best result of 13th at Zandvoort, before her season was cut short due to a crash at the third-to-last round at Brands Hatch.
In race two of that weekend, Max Murray lost control of his car coming out of Sheene Curve and was hit by Ee, left with no room to avoid, on the driver side door. The crash forced both drivers out of the seat for the remaining two rounds, with Murray suffering broken bones and Ee also recovering from injuries as she struggled to walk in the days following the crash.
“When I went to Ginetta Juniors, I didn't really know what to expect because it was a big change, and it was something that came up very last minute, but I ended up doing it,” Ee said. “I knew it was not going to be an easy season but I knew that I had to work hard in the very beginning of the year to get in some testing and see what I can do."
“As it was, I did the season, and it was a lot of ups and downs. I had a good run in Zandvoort, it was a really nice track, and it was the first time that Ginetta has went to Zandvoort for the series, so it was really nice getting to go to Europe."
"Then throughout the UK, it was just more of learning and learning how the car feels and just getting used to the environment. I think throughout the season, I really started to see myself improve in different areas, but then obviously from the crash in Brands Hatch, that's when everything kind of went down."
“I had a really bad crash. I injured my groin, and then I had a scar on my neck. All of that, I think it kind of made me realize that I had to bounce back from it. I couldn't walk for the first few days from my groin because it was quite bad."
"The impact was very high speed, and I remember just feeling so much pain because I guess the impact made the seatbelts tighten my groin really hard in the moment. So that was when I knew that I would be out for just a few weeks.”
Regardless of the crash, Ee was disappointed to not see out the final two rounds, but was grateful to have competed in the first six rounds and to have “learned so much” in her maiden season of car racing.
“It was hard because I obviously wanted to consider myself to finish my first season in cars. It wasn't easy because I only had two more rounds left, which was Croft and Donington Park, and that would be it,” said Ee, who ultimately missed both rounds.
“I obviously didn't think a crash was going to happen at any point, just as bad as it was. I'm super grateful that I didn't break any bones or anything, so I'm really lucky for just getting a little minor injury. I was obviously upset because I didn't get to finish out a full season, but it was a decision made, and I knew that it was for the best."
"Even though I didn't finish it, I learned so much throughout the way. I will bring this up when I go up to the next part of my career, and I will always think about the lessons I learned throughout this season. I think it's not easy doing that, but it was a good season regardless.”
During this season, Ee also had her first taste of Formula 4 machinery, testing the Ligier JS F422 chassis at Zhuhai with Champ Motorsport, along with direct-drive Karting driver Maksim Orlov.
Comparing it to the Ginetta Juniors car, Ee said: “Single-seaters are much more high-speed. You also get a lot of g-force in the car compared to how it is in Ginetta. You don't really feel anything, and there's more grip in the rear end compared to a Ginetta. A Ginetta is very challenging, but it helps you so much to drive."
“I think that's why a lot of people, like Lando Norris, in the past did Ginetta for a little bit before he went to single-seaters, because it helps him to understand the car control. When you get to an F4, everything feels so much more grippier, and it feels something like a go-kart if it makes sense, but it's just faster. I also learned from the F4 car that it's very important to have a lot of strength, like physical strength."
“You need to have a lot of neck strength as well, because it's a very high-demanding car. Going into it, I was really excited because it was my first time in an F4 car, and I really enjoyed doing a few days in Zhuhai."
"I learned a lot with the team, and I just learned a lot out of it about the car and how it feels. I also had a few days in the rain as well, so it was nice to get a bit of both.”
With a potential comeback to Ginetta being out of the cards for the final two rounds, Katrina competed in a handful of Karting races in the Whilton Mill and Trent Valley Karting Championships for Premium Motorsport to get back to grips with driving.
“I think it was just for me to get back into racing again after a crash like that,” Ee said. “When I went through the crash, I knew it was going to be hard for me for the first week or two to rest and not be doing anything, because I had Croft the week after, so it was a bit of a rush. I was thinking I might be able to join the race, but I was obviously not able to. By that means, it did make me more upset. In my head, I was like, I just have to get back stronger and be determined for the next race. Because I didn't finish the season, I ended up going back to karting."
“It was nice because it was something that I've done for so many years, so I knew I was going to be very confident going back into it. I didn't really think of the accident the moment when I went back into karting, which was a good thing. Going back into it, I wouldn't say it was a step back, but it was just getting back into racing the first race or two, and then getting back with my team there. I think it was really nice. I really enjoyed being back, and I think it was a good way to end it off regardless.”
Most recently, Ee raced in the IAME Ladies Cup, held in France at the Le Mans Karting Circuit in October, in which she finished 14th out of 34 girls. Representing Malaysia, her return to international karting competitions wasn’t as smooth as she would have liked, as she suffered from setup issues all weekend, but was nevertheless able to finish 14th out of 34 girls, as the highest-placed Asian in the field.
“That weekend started off really well. I had good pace throughout the testing sessions. I was just a few tenths off, and I knew that I was very competitive,” said Ee about the early stages of the weekend.
“There were many other girls that are pretty good as well that also joined this year. I knew that it was not going to be easy, but I could at least get to the top five or top ten, which was pretty good for how I've not really done much karting races this year. I also have to understand, but I went into it, and I knew that I'm competitive. I know what to do in every situation. I just have to put my mind into it and keep going."
“It wasn't the best qualifying, but I think I could have optimized it and used it a little bit more. It was a P12 out of 34 girls, and the first heat was a P9. The last two heats I suffered, it was just the setup of the kart. I just didn't feel like it was at its best, and I discussed it with the team, but we just kept pushing. It wasn't the best two heats. I could have finished a bit higher. In the super heat, I also still had some problems, which I think that's when my pace started to drop off a little bit."
"It was a night race, and then going into the final, I finished P14 out of 34, which was not really what I wanted, to be honest. I just saw myself not being at the pace that I should have been, and I tried to figure this out with the team. They said that the cable that was leading to the throttle pedal was about to snap, so I was really glad that it was not going to happen in the race. If the race was longer, anything else would have happened. I would have had no throttle."
“Other than that, I just dabbled so much setup problems. The kart didn't feel like what it should have been. I think I would have done so much better if it wasn't how it felt like. Throughout the year, I didn't do too much karting races, so I think this is just another time to reflect. It was my last race this season, but it was a good way to end it off. I'm grateful to represent Malaysia as well.”
With 2025 nearing its end, Katrina remains unsure about her plans for next year, as she hopes to make the full-time step up to single-seaters with her aim to race in F1 Academy in the near future.
“For now, I'm not sure of the plans for 2026,” Ee said. “My first goal is to get into single seaters. That is a plan I really want to do hopefully next year. We have not decided anything yet. I'm really excited to see and bring up what I'll be doing next."
"Another goal of mine is to get into the F1 Academy in the next few years. You never know when are the opportunities and what type of opportunities you'll get. I'm just working hard behind the scenes, doing as much as I can with my team and everyone just to see what I can get."
“I'm just back home in Hong Kong, spending time with my family. Still doing other things like sim training and all that. Back home, even if I'm not racing, it's still a priority. I would love to get into F1 Academy in a few years' time. That would be a really big opportunity for me. I think that's a really good platform for girls, especially my age and older. Just to be able to fight at the top and represent big brands and get sponsors. It's not confirmed, but I'm really excited to show what I have soon.”
