“We’re Behind You”: SA Roots for 16-Year-Old Girl Racing Toward Formula 1 History

Mzansi is firmly in her corner. Gianna Pascoal, a 16-year-old South African F4 driver, posted an Instagram video on 14 May 2026, breaking down the six-level road standing between her and a Formula 1 seat. She wants to be the first South African woman ever to get there.

Pascoal, who posts under @giannapascoal_official, is already competing against the fastest young drivers in the country. She is at level one of six, and she is not shy about how long the climb ahead really is.

One level at a time

The path she mapped out is brutal. After the South African F4 comes the F1 Academy, the all-female F1 support series. Then, Formula 3 Regional, followed by the full FIA Formula 3 championship on actual F1 race weekends. Level five is Formula 2, where every single driver wants the same seat.

She was honest about the pace of it all. The gap to the top will not close in one season, and she knows it. That kind of honesty is exactly what got South Africans talking. Fans flooded her comments with support, telling her the whole country is behind her. Pascoal ended her video with a message that hit home. If she races through all six levels, the achievement will belong to all of Mzansi too.

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Watch the video here:

More about Formula One

• In another article, Gayton McKenzie discussed the possibility of South Africa hosting a Formula One race in 2026, amidst the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.
• South Africa's hopes of bringing back the Formula One Grand Prix have been hit with a major setback.
• South Africa's hopes of hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Kyalami racing circuit have been dashed.

Source: Briefly News