Léna Bühler joins ART Grand Prix as first F1 Academy driver

Léna Bühler has become the first driver announced to be racing in F1 Academy, with the Swiss racer joining ART Grand Prix for the series’ inaugural season.

The 25-year-old first began competing in BMX at an international level, before making the switch over to karting in 2016. Four years later, Bühler made her single-seater debut, claiming six top 10 finishes in the Spanish Formula 4 Championship.

She then became the first female driver to race in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2021 recording a best result of 20th but was forced to end her second campaign early last year. Ahead of her F1 Academy debut, Bühler drove in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, with a highest finish of P16.

“It's with great pleasure that I will be able to discover the first F1 Academy championship and even more so with ART Grand Prix, a team with a fantastic record,” said Bühler.

“It will be a great challenge for me and for the team as we learn more about this new single-seater. I am looking forward to coming to grips with it. This will only be my 4th year in a motorsport and I still have a lot to learn, but I am ready to give 100% both mentally and physically to honour the trust ART Grand Prix has in me, together with that of my partners without whom this adventure would not be possible”.

ART Team Principal Sébastien Philippe added: “We are happy to welcome Léna to our team. She will be one of the first 15 drivers to write her name in the history books of the F1 Academy. This corresponds perfectly to the philosophy of ART Grand Prix, which is to help young drivers climb the ladder of the junior formulas which lead to the highest level of motorsport. The team will do everything sportingly, humanly and technically possible to take up this new historic challenge with Léna.”