The Formula Winter Series (FWS) is returning for its third season after experiencing a boom in viewership and fan engagement last year. This time, multiple female drivers are looking forward to showcasing their skills in F4 machinery. The Winter Series offers them valuable racing experience at FIA-grade European racing venues, including test days, qualifying sessions, and races.
The GEDLICH Winter Series consists of five different racing categories, including GT machinery and LMP3 cars, as well as the F4 single seaters for FWS. It is designed to be fair and competitive, with points awarded based on the amount of competition within each class. This ensures that the drivers who succeed in the most challenging battles are rewarded most. Werner Aichinger has once again been elected as the race director of the Winter Series. As one of the most experienced figures in German motorsport, Aichinger is known for his association with Michael Schumacher as well as for directing national and international race series over the past decades. His appointment guarantees a high standard of race management and prestige, having been involved in the series since its conceptual design.
Campos Racing is focusing on developing female talent, bringing Alisha Palmowski, Rafaela Ferreira and Chloe Chambers to the grid. Palmowski and Ferreira will kick off this weekend at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, with Chambers joining Palmowski later at Valencia. For Motorland Aragon, the line-up will change again, with Chambers continuing from the previous weekend and Ferreira completing the duo.
Palmowski’s first career success came in the Daniel Ricciardo Karting Series in the UK, followed by her participation in the 2022 and 2023 Ginetta Junior Championship. She transitioned to single seaters in 2024, competing in the GB4 Championship and finishing as the series vice-champion. Most recently, she participated as an F1 Academy wildcard entry for Qatar GP, where she impressively finished fifth against a field of more experienced drivers.
Ferreira, a 17-year-old Brazilian driver, made her car racing debut in the 2023 F4 Brazilian Championship, where she secured a podium finish. She followed up by three race victories in 2024, finishing fourth in the standings. Her experience with the same chassis, powertrain, and Pirelli tyres used in the Formula Winters Series might bring her advantage.
Chambers, the oldest of the trio at 20 years old, has the most extensive single seater experience. She competed in various F4 series in 2021, participated in the 2022 W-Series, won a race in Formula Regional Oceania in 2023 while simultaneously competing in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, and joined F1 Academy for the 2024 season, where she secured a race win at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
All three drivers will soon return to racing, with the F1 Academy season just around the corner. Representing Campos, Palmowski will race in Red Bull Racing colours, Ferreira in Racing Bulls attire, and Chambers in Red Bull Ford branding.
CRAM is introducing another promising talent, Aiva Anagnostiadis, who will compete this weekend in the season-opening race at Portimão. She previously raced in karting both in Australia and internationally and gained her first single seater experience during the 2024 Indian F4 season where, she achieved a top five finish at Madras.
Jenzer Motorsport has included Alba Hurup Larsen in their line-up. At only 16 years old, she won the 2023 FIA Girls On Track Rising Stars initiative before competing in the 2024 Indian F4 season. In 2025, she will make her debut in the F1 Academy, racing with Tommy Hilfiger branding during high-profile F1 weekends.
Another exciting female driver to watch for is Nina Gademan, representing Hitech. In 2024, she competed against Hitech while driving for Fortec Motorsports in British F4. She also made an appearance as an F1 Academy wildcard for one race weekend at Zandvoort. Prema selected her as a driver from Netherlands, making her debut a home race. Gademan already has a secured seat for the full 2025 season in F1 Academy as an Alpine driver.
You can tune in to watch The Formula Winter Series live for free on the Winter Series YouTube channel, starting with the first venue of Portimão this weekend.