Dutch driver set to race as a wild card entry at this weekend's Zandvoort F1 Academy round

Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman will race as a wild card entry at F1 Academy's Dutch round this weekend, representing the TeamViewer outfit at Circuit Zandvoort.

Kosterman hails from Wijk bij Duurstede in the Netherlands. The 20-year-old Dutch driver stepped up into car racing in 2021, competing in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup Benelux. Two years later, she became the first woman to win in the series before going on to finish second in the Junior Cup and third in the overall Standings.

Kosterman continued to broaden her racecraft in the Dutch Supercar Challenge, BMW M2 Cup and the Lamera Cup. After scoring points on her Indian F4 debut last year, this season has seen her race in British F4 with appearances at Silverstone, Snetterton and Zandvoort.

The Dutch driver will race with a special livery on his debut. "In celebration of TeamViewer’s Visibility Drives Change campaign, which encourages women to see themselves as the leaders of tomorrow, the faces of women inspiring change will feature on Kosterman’s #86 F1 ACADEMY car.

"The livery will feature over 200 women on the car. These role models have inspired women across a range of industries, in workplaces, in paddocks and in their personal lives," read the statement.

Commenting on Kosterman's debut weekend, F1 Academy's Head of Commercial Operations, Karin Fink stated: “Our sport has the power to inspire change, and we are incredibly proud to be championing women both on and off track.

"We know that creating female role models in motorsport is already helping to improve participation at the junior level of racing, and working with TeamViewer, we are excited to take this further and inspire the next generation of women in STEM. Together our mission is to empower the next generation of female leaders and send a clear message: your presence matters, you are driving change.”

On behalf of TeamViewer, Faith Wheller noted: “It is our ambition to drive meaningful change both on and off the track. The opportunity to support Esmee in her F1 ACADEMY debut while driving a car featuring role models is the next step in achieving this.

"Our research found that not being able to see someone like you in a senior role made it harder to see a career in your chosen field. This is why it was so important to showcase so many role models on the car.

"Working with the F1 ACADEMY to see this come to life has been a highlight of the partnership so far. We look forward to supporting Esmee in person at her home race.”