This year's Formula Winter Series season ends on the podium for Mathilda Paatz: at the finale on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, the 16-year-old from Cologne not only achieved her best result of the season with 14th place overall, but also took victory in the women's classification and thus a place on the podium. During the four Formula Winter Series race weekends, Paatz gained valuable experience for the coming season, in which she will compete in the Central European Formula 4 Championship.
The finale on the Formula 1 circuit in Barcelona was a challenge for the young talents. Changeable weather, constant rain and numerous red flags made qualifying difficult and created unpredictable conditions. The start of the first race on Saturday was also unfortunate for Paatz: after a collision, she dropped to the back of the field. However, the young racer proved her fighting spirit and fought her way up to 18th place over the course of the 30-minute race.
Things went much better in the second race on Sunday. Paatz got off to a good start and was able to make up a few positions in the first few laps. While the competition stumbled on the wet track, the 16-year-old kept a cool head and drove a faultless race. Paatz crossed the finish line as the best woman in 14th place overall - which not only meant her best result of the season, but was also rewarded with a podium finish. ‘That was a good race,’ said a delighted Paatz. ‘Everything finally went according to plan and I was able to realise my potential despite the difficult conditions.’
Bad luck in the third and final race
In the third and final race, a damaged front wing prevented another top result. Due to the necessary repair stop, he was only able to finish 26th overall. Nevertheless, Paatz gained valuable experience in the twelve races of the Formula Winter Series 2025, even if not everything always went according to plan. At the third race weekend in Aragón, Spain, a wrong tyre strategy, setup problems and a collision on a wet track caused setbacks. With several top 20 finishes and a second place in the women's classification in Valencia, the talented rider from Cologne was nevertheless able to achieve some respectable successes.
Mathilda Paatz will now take a short breather before preparing for the coming season. This year, the 16-year-old from Cologne will be competing in the Central European Formula 4 Championship, which starts on 13 April at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Further stops include the Salzburgring, the Autodrom Most, the Slovakia Ring and the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic.
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