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mercedes names Payton Westcott for F1 Academy campaign with PREMA
The Mercedes driver development programme has appointed Payton Westcott to represent the team in the F1 Academy for the 2026 season. The American teenager will race with the established PREMA Racing squad. He will also continue competing in Italian F4 to maximise seat time and learning opportunities.
Mercedes said the dual programme reflects a deliberate strategy. The manufacturer combines targeted academy exposure with sustained single-seater competition. The aim is to accelerate a young driver’s technical development and racecraft.
Can this blend of pathways shorten the learning curve for a teenage driver? Mercedes believes that pairing a high-profile junior series with year-round national competition sharpens racecraft while preserving technical continuity.
As a former chef I learned that attention to timing and repetition builds mastery. The palate never lies, and the same applies on track: repeated laps reveal subtle truths about setup and tyre behaviour. Behind every lap there’s data, and behind every data point there’s a practical lesson for a developing driver.
Westcott’s programme with PREMA will put him in a team with a strong junior pedigree. That choice offers technical support and race preparation that complements the hands-on experience of Italian F4. Observers will watch how the two programmes interact to shape his second half of the season.
The palate never lies: the same attention to detail that refines a recipe can sharpen a driver’s instincts on track. Westcott brings a rapid-learning profile forged in karting and early formula campaigns. Her résumé lists strong results in national kart championships and steady progress through winter and regional single-seater series. Mercedes has described the appointment as a long-term investment. She will receive team resources, trackside coaching and mentorship from experienced figures within the organisation as she adapts to the intensified demands of a full F1 Academy season.
from karting to single-seaters: westcott’s path
Her karting record shows quick adaptation to changing conditions and racecraft under pressure. Those traits translated into consistent finishes in shorter regional series. As a chef I learned that layering technique builds depth; similarly, incremental step-ups in category have broadened her technical base.
Technically, winter single-seater cups offered concentrated seat time and data-driven learning. Engineers used telemetry to refine braking points, throttle application and setup sensitivity. That environment prepared her for the higher demands of a full championship programme.
Mercedes will task its coaches with integrating physical conditioning, simulator work and race strategy coaching. Behind every driver there is a network of performance specialists. The team intends to pace her workload and target development milestones across the season.
The team intends to pace her workload and target development milestones across the season. Payton’s ascent began in karting at 12, where she posted top finishes in national series and a podium in the Challenge of the Americas. Those results provided the springboard into single-seaters, with programmes in winter and continental formulas that broadened her technical experience.
The palate never lies: precision and timing matter equally in the kitchen and on track. Payton translated racecraft developed in close-quarters karting into measured race management in cars. On the winter circuit she secured a Female Trophy win and became the first woman to triumph in the UAE Trophy Series, milestones that signalled readiness for higher competition.
Behind every step is a learning curve. Lap analysis and setup feedback sharpened her pace, while race simulations improved tyre and fuel management. As a chef I learned that curiosity in technique accelerates mastery; the same principle applies to a driver refining braking points and aero balance.
wild-card debut and momentum
Her wild-card appearances offered a controlled environment to test racecraft against regular entrants. These outings yielded competitive lap times and race finishes that reinforced development targets. Engineers used telemetry from those events to calibrate suspension and aero settings for the season ahead.
Technical progress paired with consistent results has created upward momentum. Teams monitoring her trajectory have noted improved qualifying pace and race consistency. The combination of formative karting, winter successes and targeted testing frames Payton as a driver on a clear developmental path within professional single-seater racing.
Her exposure to the F1 Academy began with a wild-card entry at the season finale in Las Vegas, where she finished sixth on debut against more experienced rivals.
That performance, together with consistent showings in regional formula series, persuaded Mercedes to offer a full-season role. The team described her as a driver who combines speed with adaptability. They cited those traits as essential for navigating a tightly contested junior single-seater championship.
the development plan: dual programme and mentorship
The programme pairs a full campaign in the junior series with a structured mentorship track inside the factory. Practical seat time will sit alongside simulator work, data analysis and targeted test days. Engineers will set measurable milestones and review progress at regular intervals.
Physical conditioning and racecraft sessions will complement technical training. The aim is to accelerate learning while limiting burnout during a packed season. Support extends to strategy coaching and media preparation to ready her for higher-profile roles.
The palate never lies, Elena Marchetti writes: the finer details reveal how performance is built. Behind each on-track lap there is careful calibration of feedback, telemetry and setup choices. The programme emphasises incremental gains within a clear timeline.
Mercedes expects the combined pathway to clarify readiness for further promotion. Observers will watch test performances and mid-season metrics as the next indicators of progress.
team support and realistic expectations
Mercedes will manage Payton’s programme centrally while coordinating with her Italian F4 team. This arrangement ensures consistent technical messaging and targeted coaching across both series.
The dual-track plan aims to increase on-track minutes and expose her to different car behaviours. Engineers expect varied setups and tyre management challenges to accelerate her learning curve.
Mercedes describes the initiative as an integrated development programme that balances competitive exposure with staged skill acquisition. The manufacturer emphasises measurable milestones rather than rapid promotion to higher categories.
As a practical safeguard, Mercedes has set performance reviews at regular intervals. Team engineers will assess telemetry, racecraft metrics and qualitative feedback from engineers and race engineers.
The approach also formalises mentoring and simulator work. Dedicated debriefs will link Italian F4 race incidents to adjustment strategies in the F1 Academy car.
The palate never lies, the writer notes: varied seat time sharpens feel as surely as repetition refines technique. Behind every session there is a pedagogical intent to translate sensory learning into repeatable lap gains.
Observers will continue to track mid-season indicators and test performances as primary evidence of progress. Mercedes says the package is designed to produce sustained improvement rather than immediate headline results.
Mercedes says the package is designed to produce sustained improvement rather than immediate headline results. The team framed its approach around measured targets and structured feedback. Gwen Lagrue, the driver development advisor, described Payton as a rookie whose progress will be benchmarked against realistic objectives rather than instant championship expectations. She said the programme emphasises incremental learning through targeted technical coaching, race-weekend preparation and mental performance support.
peer mentorship and knowledge transfer
Within Mercedes’ structure, reigning F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin will serve as a development driver and mentor to Westcott. Pin will share insights from her title-winning season and provide trackside guidance during selected rounds. Mentorship from a recent champion aims to accelerate the learning curve by transmitting practical racecraft tips, setup nuances and championship-minded preparation techniques.
As a former chef I often think in sensory terms. The palate never lies, and the metaphor applies to car setup: small adjustments reveal clear effects. Behind every lap there is a process of tasting, refining and repeating. That hands-on exchange of detail — telemetry notes, feel-based feedback and weekend rituals — is central to Mercedes’ plan to convert experience into consistent lap-time gains.
how the program will shape her 2026 campaign
The palate never lies, and in motorsport that translates into a driver’s instinct translated into lap time. Payton described the move as a chance to work within a structured environment of engineering rigour and race-craft coaching. She said the plan prioritises learning new circuits, building consistency and expanding her race weekend limits.
Mercedes’ resources combined with PREMA‘s operational expertise create a training environment emphasising measured progress. Additional Italian F4 seat time is intended to provide concentrated mileage and comparative telemetry. The programme frames each weekend as a laboratory for data, feel-based feedback and team routines designed to convert experience into consistent time gains.
For Westcott, the 2026 season is presented as a critical development year. Every event is structured to supply technical feedback and competitive context while allowing the team to manage risk and expectations. Behind every season-long plan there is a clear objective: accelerate a promising career through disciplined preparation and targeted race exposure.