Sheffield teen Maisy Creed becomes first female PF International X30 Junior champion and eyes F1 Academy

Maisy Creed, 16, from Sheffield, has become the first female winner of the PF International X30 Junior Champion title, taking the crown in November 2025. The prestigious karting title has previously been won by drivers who went on to Formula 1, including Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Lando Norris, and Creed says she wants to follow a similar path by earning a place in the F1 Academy.

"I'm there with all the guys, the only female driver there, and it just feels really special. I've done something nobody else has done - and that feels special," she said. Later this year she plans to use facilities at Silverstone to develop her car driving skills and gather the performance data she hopes will impress the F1 Academy; if successful, she said that could lead to an academy place in 2027.

Creed began racing with indoor karting at the age of eight, later than many who go on to outdoor karting, and her father, Adam, said he was proud and aware of the challenges in a "massively male-dominated sport." She described facing sexism in the sport: "There's a few girls that I'm quite close with, and we all experience it.

Key Topics

Sports, United States, Karting, F1 Academy, Women In Sport, Sheffield, Youth Sport