We’re thrilled to launch Beyond the Helmet, our new motorsport podcast diving deep into the people shaping the sport today. Episode One is now live, and who better to open the series than Ella Lloyd, one of the most exciting young voices in single-seaters.
Adapting fast across F1 Academy, F4 and Formula E
Few young drivers have adapted across machinery as quickly as Ella Lloyd. In a single season she moved from British F4 to F1 Academy and even stepped into a Formula E car, each switch sharpening her skill set and race awareness. Her composure is one of her standout qualities: calm, focused, and unfazed by pressure; and it played a key role in her breakthrough F1 Academy win in Jeddah, where everything finally clicked.
“We had the pace, I kept my head down and pushed for the win.”
That early momentum carried all the way to Las Vegas, where she closed the season P4 overall after a year defined by consistency, speed and genuine growth.
Mindset over hype
Ella credits her years in skiing and show jumping for building the precision and feel that now define her racecraft.
“Some techniques definitely transition. The feel in skiing and show jumping helped me a lot.”
At the time of recording, her plans for 2026 were still open. But since then, it’s been confirmed that Ella Lloyd will continue racing with McLaren for her second year in F1 Academy, a move that feels like the perfect continuation of her momentum after finishing fourth in the standings.
Her grounded approach, paired with her pace and adaptability, makes her the ideal first guest for Beyond the Helmet, a series built to highlight the human stories powering modern motorsport.
What Beyond the Helmet is all about
Beyond the Helmet is a space for deeper conversations, exploring mindset, ambition, challenges and the human stories behind every role in motorsport. Drivers, engineers, creators, team members and rising talents all have a place here, with a special focus on amplifying women’s voices across the sport.
Ella Lloyd opens the series. Many more stories are coming.
