INTRODUCING JESSICA EDGAR: The American Express driver on horse riding, Austin triumphs and why she loves life with Rodin Motorsport

Giving 100% all the way until the end of her sophomore F1 ACADEMY campaign, Jessica Edgar has got her sights set on finishing this season the same way she ended 2023 — on the top step of the podium.

We caught up with the American Express driver to chat about why she swapped one type of horsepower for another, how there’s never a dull moment in the Rodin Motorsport garage and the one food she can’t go without on a race weekend.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RACING FOR?

“I started in karting when I was four years old. It was through my family, my grandma and grandad both used to race. Their dad’s both bought the kart track near me to build into a kart track a long, long time ago. My grandma and grandad both did karting and then my dad, my uncle, me, my cousin and now my little brother does as well, so we’re all well into it and very competitive.”

WHAT WERE YOUR BEST AND WORST SUBJECTS AT SCHOOL?

“My favourite was actually biology because I loved the teacher, she was my favourite teacher. My worst, I would probably say music.”

WHAT’S THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

“Austin last year was my highlight. That was my first car race that I’d won and to do it alongside F1 and in F1 ACADEMY, it was really cool. It was as if it wasn’t real, I couldn’t believe that I’d won. I had no words, I couldn’t believe that it had happened.”

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER HAD?

“Just to give 100%, try your best and if it doesn’t work out, you’ve done all you can and then, you’ll have no regrets.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RACING STYLE?

“I’m quite smooth, calm and not aggressive enough at times. I think it’s still the same, in karting I was I always very smooth and now I am too. In both karting and in cars, I definitely need to be a bit more aggressive.”

DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOMENT YOU FIRST WANTED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL RACER?

“When I first started karting, I did it more as a hobby. Then when I was 12 or 13, I started doing the British Championships and I decided I wanted to do this professionally. Then, it was like a dream — realistically I’m never going to move out of karting back then. In 2022, I moved out of karting. It was to do W Series and then F1 ACADEMY started.

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“Now, I’m racing all over the world. It’s crazy really to think that as an eight-year-old kid, it was a dream. I thought realistically, I’m never going to drive a racing car, it would just always be karting. You’re always wanting more as well and you have to take a step back and realise it was once a dream.”

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE CIRCUIT AND WHY?

“Here in Zandvoort, it’s my favourite circuit. Last year when we came here, it was the first track that I got to grips with. In Barcelona and Valencia, I was awful and then we came here and I was fifth, fifth and then I crashed. It was the best weekend so far of the year, so I think it’s a track that I’ve always gotten on with and I like it.”

WHAT’S YOUR RACING NUMBER THIS YEAR AND WHY DID YOU PICK IT?

“My racing number this year is #17. I picked it because I’ve always raced with #17 from the start in karting and all my family use #17 as well. I think it was the number maybe my grandad started with and then we all just kept it.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT IN F1 ACADEMY?

“I think every time this team gets together is fun. When we go to the sim, it’s just so funny, we’re always laughing.”

DESCRIBE YOUR PRE-RACE RITUAL AND DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS?

“I would say I am quite superstitious with passing the salt and things like that. I have a porridge pot every morning before I race, it’s a maple syrup one. Then when I get in the car, I put my right glove on before my left glove and my left belt across before my right one. Even if I do bad, I will still keep doing it and I just have to do that because if I changed it and it didn’t go to plan, I’d be like ‘well that’s why that happened’."

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IF YOU HAD TO GO ON A ROAD TRIP WITH THREE DRIVERS FROM THE 2024 GRID, WHO WOULD YOU PICK AND WHY?

“Lola (Lovinfosse) because she’s so funny. Abbi (Pulling), I’ve been teammates with her for two years now and a third. (Asks Lovinfosse who she’d pick) You’d drive and Doriane (Pin) is very funny, I like Doriane. Lola’s got good music as well.”

IF YOU WEREN’T A RACING DRIVER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

“I would probably do horse riding. I started horse riding before karting and I had to give that up to start racing. I don’t know really why I switched, I guess because it’s in my family. It’s always been about racing from being a baby going to the kart tracks. I had a horse and I used to ride it a bit, but I was probably more into racing with going to watch it with my family.”

WHAT IS YOUR AMBITION FOR THE REST OF THE 2024 SEASON?

“To start winning some races, being on the podium and doing the best I can!”