Imogen Radburn was part of the first ever F1 Academy test last weekend in Spain. Image: XPB Images
The 19-year-old was one of 18 drivers selected for the two-day program at Circuito de Navarra, which gave promising young drivers a chance to sample the F1 Academy machinery and work directly with the series’ engineers and mentors.
For Radburn, it represented both her first taste of the all-female championship and an opportunity to showcase herself on an international stage.
“I was the only Aussie there. I was the only one from the southern hemisphere on this side of the world,” Radburn told Speedcafe.
“I was also one of the ones that they’d never met in person before.”
Despite being an unfamiliar face to many in the paddock, she quickly made her presence felt.
Over the course of the test, Radburn completed 70 laps, improving her best time from 1m48.704s in the morning session to 1m48.194s in the afternoon.
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She finished 14th in the morning session and 12th in the afternoon, showing steady progress against a field featuring some of Europe and North America’s brightest prospects
Her invitation came after a long build-up that combined persistence, Formula 4 experience and careful planning.
“It wasn’t just a last-minute, ‘Oh, can you come over?’,” she added.
“It had been a long buildup, and it could have been a wildcard, it could have been the rookie test.
“We weren’t 100 percent sure, but it led down to the rookie test, and it was a really cool opportunity that I made the absolute most out of.”
That preparation included an intensive six-week training program with Ollie Myers from Focus Driver Performance, which Radburn juggled alongside injuries, including surgery and recovery earlier in the year.
“This year’s been a pretty tough year health-wise… but in saying that, it’s been a huge year of resilience and ensuring that I’ve put my absolute best foot forward,” she explained.
Driving the F1 Academy car was also a fresh challenge.
Compared to her Formula 4 machine, Radburn described heavier steering, more physical braking demands and greater consistency required to extract pace.
“Once again, if I didn’t have that opportunity, I would have never driven an F1 Academy car to know the differences between them,” she said.
“Hopefully, moving forward to the last round of Australian F4, I can take some of those learning experiences I made in that car to the other car and be able to adapt, because the driver that can adapt the best between the two cars is obviously going to be the better driver.”
Adding to the experience was guidance from reigning F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling, who acted as her mentor throughout the program.
“It was absolutely unreal to have, yeah, the reigning champ,” Radburn said.
“I think it just added a whole other thing of how serious I was.
“I wasn’t just there to be a number, and I wasn’t just there to fill a seat.
“I was there to make everything I could possibly do the most out of.”
Pulling was impressed by Radburn’s ability to regroup after a difficult first run and improve across the day.
“She just said that was continuous improvement over the whole day,” Radburn recalled.
For the teenager, who started karting only a few years ago and doesn’t come from a motorsport background or major funding, the rookie test was both validation and motivation.
“My career in motorsport has been so quick,” she explained.
“I didn’t have parents that used to race, and I didn’t come from a motorsport background, and I haven’t come from a massive budget either.
“I do it all myself.
“To make it this far in Formula cars is a huge thing… it’s pretty surreal that it’s happened so quickly.”
Radburn admitted she is in a holding pattern as she waits for F1 Academy teams to finalise their 2026 line-ups.
“I think I’ve done everything in my control now to try and get a seat for next year,” Radburn said.
“It’s a tough situation because you’ve done everything you can.
“Now it’s just a waiting game.”