This year I’ll be racing in the British Kart Championship and Super 4 in KZ2. I’ve already had my first race and absolutely loved being back in a kart—it’s fast, intense, and proper racing. I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and seeing how we get on.
At the same time, I’m working hard behind the scenes to explore options in car racing and speak with potential new partners. While I’m not on the car grid at the moment, I’m staying focused, sharp, and ready for any opportunities that might come up.
Hopefully I’ll still get the chance to do some car testing throughout the year to keep building and preparing for the future.
Thank you so much to everyone who continues to support me… it means everything.
Strong performances and championship points for Jess Edgar as F1 Academy campaign concludes.
Jess Edgar concluded her F1 Academy season in December, competing on consecutive weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with strong runs inside the top 10 at both venues.
After a break of over two months since her last outing at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit, the 19-year-old undertook a productive test session to prepare for the final four races of 2024.
Driving her American Express-liveried car, Jess showed immediate pace at Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit, where she raced alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship. Just 0.3 seconds off the fastest time in Free Practice 1, she wasn’t quite able to replicate that form in qualifying, starting 10th for the opening race.
Jess gained a position with a strong start, and she executed a well-judged move to take eighth on the opening tour. On the final lap, she completed a skillful overtaking manoeuvre around the outside of turn one, finishing in seventh place and securing valuable championship points. Unfortunately, the second race on Sunday was cancelled due to barrier damage from another series’ event.
The cancelled race was added to the final weekend at Yas Marina Circuit, where Jess again displayed promising speed in practice but encountered challenges in qualifying, leaving her with ground to make up. The opening contest proved difficult, while in race two she skilfully avoided incidents ahead but suffered contact from another driver on the penultimate lap, resulting in damage and a forced retirement.
In the season’s final race, Jess made a strong start, moving into 10th place. She joined a fierce battle for the podium positions and gained places following contact among rivals ahead, but although she crossed the line in an impressive fifth place, a post-race penalty for gaining an advantage by exceeding track limits relegated her to 12th in the final standings.
Although the year didn’t unfold as Jess had hoped, it provided invaluable opportunities to expand her knowledge, refine her racecraft, and gain experience at circuits worldwide. This included her debut appearance in the F4 British Championship during the summer and joining the DS PENSKE Formula E Team for the first-ever all-women test session in November. She will now take some well-earned time off with her family before beginning preparations for 2025.
Championship: 13 (28 points)
Jess commented: “In Qatar, I had strong performances in FP1 and FP2, finishing just three tenths off the fastest time, which was a positive step forward. Qualifying was more challenging, unfortunately, as I couldn’t put a clean lap together, but in the race, I did everything I could, finishing P7 and scoring more championship points. It was disappointing that race two was cancelled, but I was pleased with how the weekend went overall.
“Abu Dhabi was a tougher weekend, as I struggled to find the pace from practice onwards, despite having a good test there a few weeks earlier. With the additional race, we needed to deliver three fast laps in qualifying, but I ended up P15, P15, and P12, which made the races difficult starting from the back. I lacked pace in race one, and in race two I was taken out, resulting in a DNF. However, race three went much better, and I finished P5 on track. Unfortunately, a penalty dropped me to P12 in the final classification.
“This year has been a challenging one, but I’ve learned so much, not only from competing in F1 Academy but also through my experience in British F4, which was a valuable opportunity. I’ll keep working hard over the winter, both in the gym and on the simulator, to ensure I’m as prepared as possible for any opportunities that come my way.”
Jess Edgar is set to make her debut in FIA Formula E World Championship machinery on November 7th, joining the DS PENSKE Formula E Team for the first-ever all-women test session.
A new initiative by Formula E, the first-of-its-kind test in the all-electric championship gives elite women racing drivers the chance to drive the GEN3 Evo race car, which is new for Season 11 (2024/25).
No stranger to international racing, Jess is currently competing in F1 Academy, where she claimed pole position, scored her maiden victory, and set the fastest lap at Circuit of the Americas during the US Grand Prix weekend in 2023, while she narrowly missed out on a podium in Saudi Arabia early this year.
The 19-year-old will tackle something very different to her usual machinery in the brand-new DS E-TENSE FE25, which is capable of 0-60 mph in just 1.82s, while for the first time, the GEN3 Evo introduces All-Wheel Drive, providing improved acceleration and control.
The test will take place at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste, near Valencia, Spain, a track that has hosted Formula E pre-season testing since 2017 and two ePrix in the 2021 season. While at the event, Jess will also participate in various media engagements, including press conferences, briefings, and interviews, aimed at raising her profile, along with that of the other drivers, within the wider sports industry.
The DS PENSKE Formula E Team will be on-site from Monday, November 4th, with Jess hitting the track during the exclusive afternoon session on Thursday, November 7th. The session will be open to the public, free of charge.
Jess Commented: “I am grateful for the fantastic opportunity from DS PENSKE Formula E Team to participate in the Valencia pre-season test in the exclusive session all-women session. It is super exciting to think that I will be able to drive a Formula E car and that it will be the DS E-TENSE FE25 GEN3 Evo makes it even more special. I will give it my all!”
Jess Edgar battles through frustrating F1 Academy weekend in Singapore.
Jess Edgar returned to F1 Academy action at the weekend (September 20-22), as she raced in the heat and humidity of Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Ultimately, it would be a frustrating visit to the country – located just north of the equator – for the 19-year-old, after a spin in the single 30-minute free practice session cost valuable time on track.
Under the lights during qualifying Jess improved throughout, finding time and moving up the order, but frustratingly ran out of time to climb further up the grid, finishing 13th quickest but a mere 0.038s from 11th.
Jess had a good start to the opening race in her American Express backed machine, but not feeling comfortable with the handling, wasn’t able to make forward progress, instead showing her skill to ensure she held onto 13th position, where she took the flag.
It was a similar story in race two where Jess started well but struggled with understeer, despite hard work by her Rodin Motorsport mechanics to improve the car. As the contest progressed under the heat of the afternoon sun, she fell back and crossed the line 15th.
Refusing to give up, Jess and Rodin Motorsport will work hard before back-to-back races to close the 2024 F1 Academy season, starting at Lusail in Qatar over the weekend of November 29 – December 1.
Championship: 10 (22 points)
Jess Commented: “It was a tough weekend and really frustrating. I pushed on my second lap in practice and spun, making contact with the barrier, which broke my rear wing and meant I could only complete one fast lap. That put me on the back foot for qualifying, where I was going faster and faster each lap, but I didn’t quite have enough time to show my true pace.”
“In the races I just couldn’t find a balance with the car that I felt comfortable with, and we thought there might be a mechanical reason for that, so the team worked super hard that night to fix. Unfortunately, I still had understeer in race two, so I fell back. We will be working hard over the next couple of weeks to find a solution for Qatar.”
