Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography
American racer Ava Dobson will make her F1 Academy debut with Hitech GP as the wildcard entry this weekend in Miami.
The 16-year-old is competing in the UK this year with Arden in GB4, which uses GB3’s previous-generation car detuned to F4 specification. She currently sits 18th in the standings after two rounds, with 10th place her best result.
Dobson made her single-seater debut in 2023, contesting partial programmes in US F4, USF Juniors and USF2000. She continued in USF Juniors in 2024 but her season was cut short by a huge crash at Barber Motorsports Park, and she returned to racing later in the year in GB4.
For 2025, the wildcard driver at each event is being run by Hitech – F1 Academy’s newest team. Last year, Prema fielded an additional car at selected rounds for wildcard entries.
While British Formula 4 will be without Rodin Motorsport’s Ella Lloyd and Chris Dittmann Racing’s Alba Hurup Larsen at Silverstone this weekend due their clashing F1 Academy commitments in Miami, the series has gained another driver for round two.
CDR has signed Polish karting graduate Piotr Orzechowski, who will be making his car racing debut at Silverstone.
Orzechowski came third in last year’s Senior ROK Cup in his homeland, earning a place in the Polish Motor Association’s national squad, and also competed in Italy in the same category. He has spent the winter getting to grips with an F4 car, and took part in pre-season testing with CDR.
“I am really happy to step into the single seaters and to join British F4 with Chris Dittmann Racing as they are a great team with a great history,” said Orzenchowski.
“The car is nice to drive, so I have been getting the laps in during testing and building my confidence ahead of racing at Silverstone. The team has been really helpful and giving me good tips, so I am sure if I keep listening to them, I will be fine.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Piotr to Chris Dittmann Racing,” added CDR’s team principal Chris Dittmann. “From our first test sessions it was clear he brings exceptional talent and determination.
“Our experienced engineers and strategists will work closely with him to refine his skills and extract the maximum performance from the car. We believe Piotr has all the attributes to challenge at the front this season, and we look forward to a campaign of growth and podium success.”