At just 16, Lisa Billard is already reshaping the future of motorsport. But long before she joined the F1 ACADEMY™, she was planning her career at full speed. “I started to think about a professional career when I was eight and started competition,” she told Jane Wakely, PepsiCo executive vice president, chief consumer and marketing officer and chief growth officer for International Foods.
Why Gatorade’s F1 ACADEMY™ driver Lisa Billard is one to watch
Lisa Billard, a 16-year-old F1 ACADEMY™ driver, is rising fast in global motorsport with Gatorade supporting her performance, preparation, and hydration.
The French racer built an impressive résumé before she was a teenager. Lisa became World Champion at the 2025 French F4 Championship at Le Mans, made history as the first female to win a race in the French Junior Karting Championship, and stepped onto the global stage as the youngest-ever Wild Card driver for Round 6 of the F1 ACADEMY season in Singapore last year. It’s no surprise she’s seen as one of motorsport’s most promising rising talents.
At the elite level, performance is measured in milliseconds, and what happens off the track matters just as much as what happens on it. As Lisa’s career accelerates, hydration, preparation, and recovery have become essential parts of her race-day routine. That’s where Gatorade enters her journey.
Push yourself to the limits, and don’t forget — no risk, no story. That’s my motto.
As an Official Partner of F1 ACADEMY for the 2026 season and beyond, Gatorade is bringing its expertise in sports science and hydration to the grid to support female athletes competing at the highest levels of motorsport. The partnership goes beyond visibility, focusing on delivering personalized insights into the hydration needs of women athletes to help them perform at their best.
Lisa experienced that commitment firsthand. In January 2026, she participated in a three-day performance immersion at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) lab on the IMG Academy campus, preparing her for the upcoming F1 ACADEMY season. The experience combined training, education, and hands-on learning, giving Lisa a deeper understanding of how hydration and preparation can impact both physical performance and recovery.
“It was an amazing opportunity for me,” she said. “I went to GSSI to train and be more educated about hydration and nutrition and that’s very good help for me to improve my body or my training before a race.”
When asked what advice she would give her younger self — the eight-year-old who once mapped out her future at full throttle — Lisa doesn’t hesitate. “Don’t stress too much. Enjoy every moment because you have a big chance to be where you are. Push yourself to the limits, and don’t forget — no risk, no story. That’s my motto.”
Video Transcript
JANE WAKELY: As you reflect on your first season, it's honestly a very long distance from where you started.
LISA BILLARD: At the beginning it was just for fun, started in karting at seven years old and I started to think about a professional career when I was eight and started competition.
JANE WAKELY: At eight?
LISA BILLARD: Yeah, eight. And finished P3 at the French Cup at nine years old and P8 at the World Championship at 10.
JANE WAKELY: Wow. So this must be just a dream.
LISA BILLARD: I just went to Singapore for my first race in F1 Academy with Gatorade. Everything was new, everything was big compared to where I started. It was very impressive and magical for me.
JANE WAKELY: If you're a F1 Academy driver, you have to be an elite athlete. What preparation have you done to be so good at this sport?
LISA BILLARD: I do about 12 hours of sport per week. Reflex, coordination, strength training, and endurance.
JANE WAKELY: What about hydration? You joined us at the Gatorade Sport Science Institute. Tell us about that experience.
LISA BILLARD: I went to the GSSI to train and to be more educated about hydration and nutrition and that's really very good help for me to improve my body or my training before a race.
JANE WAKELY: If you think back to that seven year old, what advice would you give her looking back?
LISA BILLARD: Don't stress too much. Enjoy every moment because you have a big chance to be where you are and you can do it. Push yourself to the limits and don't forget — no risk no story. That's my motto.