18-year-old B.C. racecar driver makes waves in formula racing

Formula racing has long been the pinnacle of motorsport and an industry dominated by men.

But a new wave of female racers are pushing boundaries, ready to redefine the sport. 

Nicole Havrda is an 18-year-old professional racecar driver from Comox, B.C, a town of just over 14,000 people, 225 kilometres northwest of Victoria on Vancouver Island. 

In November 2023, she became the first woman to win the Formula Pro USA Western FR Championship, outpacing her all-male competition. Her 2023 season saw her claim three championships on the North American F3 circuit.

Havrda began her career go-karting at age 10, inspired by a trip with her parents to a Formula One Grand Prix in Austria. 

"When I got there, it sounded like [the drivers] were right there next to me. When I stood there, [my ears] just started ringing and I could feel it inside me as well, in my heart," Havrda described.

"I fell in love with it right there."

She quickly made connections in Vancouver's go-karting circuit and got herself a go-kart the moment she returned to Victoria. 

From there, she became a national champion in kart racing at 12 years old; by 14, she was racing in GT cars, two-seater cars with enclosed wheels, for Mercedes Benz — all before she got her learner's licence.

In 2022, Havrda jumped to open-wheel racing and landed on the Formula Three circuit, a third-tier class of formula racing that serves as an important stepping stone for prospective Formula One drivers. 

"F1 is always the goal, it's been the goal since the start," she said.  

It's been over 30 years since Italy's Giovanna Amati entered a car to a Formula One Grand Prix in Brazil — the last female driver to do so. 

One of Havrda's role models and mentors is Lyn St. James, who competed