Mathilda Paatz made a strong statement at the opening round of the Formula Winter Series in Estoril, Portugal: in the third and final race, the 17-year-old from Cologne, competing for her own team mathilda racing and running the livery of partner Vaico, fought her way from 27th on the grid to the podium. Third overall was the result of a spot-on decision in the tyre gamble as well as a flawless performance featuring numerous impressive overtaking moves on a wet track. With this result, Paatz underlined her ambitions for the 2026 season right from the outset, a year in which she will also compete for Aston Martin in the F1 Academy as part of the Formula 1 support programme.
The first race weekend of the new season had started anything but promisingly. Arriving with a brand-new car, the team faced significant problems during preparations: after seven laps of the shakedown in Navarra, the entire electronics system of the Formula 4 car failed. The mechanics were forced into extensive repair work and an almost complete rebuild. Special thanks go to Tatuus and Autotecnica, who supported the effort with parts and know-how and helped get the car ready to run again on the first day in Estoril. To make matters worse, Paatz was unable to complete a single test lap on Thursday due to illness.
The situation was further compounded by the fact that the free practice sessions on Friday and qualifying on Saturday were marked by heavy rain and several red flags. As a result, the starting grid was partly determined on the basis of the collective test on Thursday, in which Paatz had not participated. The 17-year-old therefore started from the back of the field and used the first two races primarily to check systems, collect data and experience, and fine-tune her Formula 4 car, which in its striking Vaico design was one of the eye-catchers on this year’s Formula Winter Series grid.
Mathilda Paatz makes a strong comeback in the rain
In the third and final race, everything finally came together. After a start on a dry track, light drizzle set in. During a safety-car period, several drivers opted to switch to wet tyres, with Paatz also coming into the pits. The mathilda racing crew executed a perfect pit stop, allowing the Cologne native to move up into the top 20. After the restart, Paatz continued her charge, working her way forward with a determined yet controlled driving style up to eighth place. In the closing laps, the Aston Martin junior gained further ground on the wet track and, thanks to a flawless performance, fought her way up to third place and onto the overall podium.
“That was a fantastic team effort,” Paatz enthused. “After the difficult start with technical problems and my illness, we were still able to give the race weekend a happy ending. I’m incredibly grateful and absolutely delighted that I was able to prove my potential in the rain and that together we made the right decision. It’s a great finish and a great result after such a tough start to the weekend.”
However, there is little time for Mathilda Paatz to catch her breath. In just a few days, the Cologne driver will travel to Prema, her race team in the F1 Academy, to prepare intensively for the upcoming season as part of the Formula 1 support programme. After a brief stop in Portimão, where the next races of the Formula Winter Series are scheduled, Paatz will head straight on to Shanghai for the first test sessions of the new season.
