Dutch Grand Prix: New driver announced ahead of F1 race weekend

Esmee Kosterman poses for a photo trackside in a racing suit — Photo: © Instagram/@esmee_kosterman

Dutch Grand Prix

New driver announced ahead of Dutch Grand Prix weekend

A new F1 Academy driver will make their debut at Zandvoort

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 23 August 2025 10:56 Updated: 11:45

A new driver will make their debut at Zandvoort during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend following an official announcement from F1.

As F1 returns from the summer break, so does all-female racing series F1 Academy for Round 5 of the 2025 season.

In a recent announcement, Dutch racing driver Esmee Kosterman has been named as the wild card entry for Zandvoort, where she will race in front of her home crowd with TeamViewer.

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Their livery will feature over 200 women on the car, with a wide range of role models on show in a bid to inspire the growing female audience who tune in to F1 race weekends.

Kosterman’s own motorsport career began in 2021, racing in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup Benelux where she became the first woman to win in the series in 2023.

The 20-year-old made her move to single seaters last year, scoring points on her Indian F4 debut and moved up to British F4 for select races in 2025, including the non-championship round at the British Grand Prix in July.

To find out when Kosterman will be taking to the track in front of the passionate Dutch fans next weekend, check out the full F1 Academy race timetable below, with track times included.

F1 Academy Zandvoort timetable

Day	Time	Session
Friday, August 29	10:10 - 10:50	Free Practice 1
Friday, August 29	17:30 - 18:10	Free Practice 2
Saturday, August 30	10:25 - 10:55	Qualifying
Saturday, August 30	17:05 - 17:35	Race 1
Sunday, August 31	10:40 - 11:10	Race 2
Times displayed are track times

The Orange Army will be out in full next weekend for the Dutch GP

How does the F1 Academy wild card entry work?

Wild card entries were introduced for the 2024 F1 Academy season, where a driver is given a seat for a specific weekend, with the aim of strengthening the talent pool in targeted regions where the series races.

A wild card entry is eligible to score points in both the drivers’ and the team standings, with their car operated by Hitech GP in 2025.

This year there have already been four wild card entries: Shi Wei (Shanghai), Farah Al Yousef (Jeddah), Ava Dobson (Miami) and Mathilda Paatz (Montreal).

The chance to race as a wild entry can lead to a drive in the F1 Academy, with current drivers Ella Lloyd, Courtney Crone, Alisha Palmowski and Kosterman's fellow Dutch racer Nina Gademan all progressing into full-time seats after their appearance as wild card entries.

Doriane Pin currently leads the standings heading into the next round at Zandvoort, winning three races this season as Chloe Chambers emerges as her nearest competitor in second.

Meet your Zandvoort Wild Card: Esmee Kosterman. 🤝

The 20-year-old Dutch driver will take on her home race at Circuit Zandvoort with the support of TeamViewer. 🇳🇱

In celebration of TeamViewer’s Visibility Drives Change campaign, which encourages women to see themselves as the… pic.twitter.com/1WCKH3kcBq
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) August 20, 2025

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 Dutch Grand Prix F1 Academy