Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography
GB4 race-winner Megan Gilkes has been announced as Rodin Carlin’s third driver for the new F1 Academy series.
It marks a return to all-women single-seater racing for Gilkes, who won W Series’ reversed-grid non-championship race during its inaugural year of action in 2019. F1 Academy will use second-generation Tatuus Formula 4 cars.
The Canadian finished runner-up in the Toyo Tires F1600 championship in 2020, and was 10th in the BRSCC National Formula Ford 1600 championship in 2021 with Kevin Mills Racing, also scoring pole for her heat at the Walter Hayes Trophy.
She remained in National FF1600 at the start of 2022 with B-M Racing, but then made a full-time switch to the F4-spec GB4 series after winning on her first weekend there. She added a second win later in the year and came sixth in the points.
Gilkes also currently works for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team as a trackside support engineer as part of her placement year out of university.
“I’m thrilled to announce that I will be driving this season for Rodin Carlin in the inaugural F1 Academy series,” said Gilkes.
“I can’t wait to take my learnings from racing in GB4 last season into this exciting new international venture backed by F1. The opportunity to join a truly world class team with a fantastic winning record across multiple junior formulae is amazing, and I can’t wait to get started.
“I want to thank Rodin Carlin and my sponsors for making this possible, and I will be proudly carrying the Maple Leaf to recognize the support I’ve received from Canada. Between now and the first event, when I’m not engineering at work with Aston Martin F1, I will be doing everything I can to make this coming season my most successful so far.”
Carlin’s line-up also includes Gilkes’ 2022 GB4 rival Jessica Edgar and Alpine Academy member Abbi Pulling.
“Megan is a fantastic signing to the team, said Carlin’s team principal Stephanie Carlin. “She is a proven racer on track with race wins to her name and also brings an off-track element that I think will really help the team from a set-up and engineering perspective.
“She is a true professional and together with Abbi and Jess we have a great combination of strengths and talent within the team that really creates the full package.”