Written by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Meghana Sree
Ella Lloyd is an 18-year-old emerging talent from Pontypridd, Wales, she is set to embark on her first full season in single-seaters.
Lloyd excelled in Ginetta juniors, achieving points-paying position in over 60% of races in her debut season. Her high performance garnered the attention of Xentek Motorsports which gave Lloyd the opportunity to test out a GT5 car. In her first outing at Donington, Lloyd achieved top six qualification positions, consecutively finishing in the top ten three times, and her best result being a fifth overall.
Moving into her sophomore season of car racing, Lloyd moved up to Ginetta GT championship where she continued her success with Xentek Motorsports claiming ten race victories and eight further podiums. Following her two successful seasons, Lloyd will be heading into her first year of British F4 with JHR Motorsports.
Speaking to DIVEBOMB, Lloyd discussed her transition from car racing to single-seaters expressing F1 Academy as big influence in her decision:
“After my first year [in car racing] I wasn't quite ready to move onto single seaters, I definitely needed another year, I did GT5 which I think was a good step. I went from road tyres to slick tyres and had a bit more power so that was definitely a good bit of progression.
“With F1 Academy being a good opportunity for females, I thought that single seaters would be the route to go down, it’s a big opportunity for females out there.”
Outside of racing, Lloyd excelled in other sports including show jumping and skiing. She is a decorated show jumper winning the prestigious 148 Bronze League with her house back in 2019. That same year she won a gold medal at the Welsh Skiing Championship.
Prior to the call-up to British F4, Lloyd had her first taste of single-seaters at the start of the year. She competed in Formula Winter with Rodin Motorsports for the final two rounds in Aragon and Barcelona, respectively. Lloyd came in with little to no experience, however, throughout the two rounds she participated in, she caught the eyes of many with her incredible pace.
Her first qualifying session saw her start from the back of the grid after losing her times. She then had a tough task with nearly 40 other cars starting in front of her.
This didn’t hinder Lloyd though. Throughout Race 1, she started moving up the pecking order and crossed the line in 21st - earning herself the lady’s trophy after finishing as the top female.
The second qualifying was just as difficult for Lloyd who had mechanical issues and started from 38th. Similar to the first race, Lloyd cruised past those in front of her with ease and gained 16 positions before crossing in 22nd - earning herself the lady’s trophy again. However, after post-race penalties were applied she moved up to 20th, entering her first top-20 finishing position in the series.
Reflecting on her Formula Winter experience, Lloyd expressed her pride in her debut performance stating:
“I did the Formula Winter series ahead of the full series of British F4, it was good learning - although I only did two rounds, it was a good learning experience before going into British F4.
“We didn’t have the best qualifying, we had a mechanical issue, and for the race we didn’t have much to lose. It kept going forward and I kept my head down and gained places, I had a podium and couldn’t really ask for more.”
Ahead of her 2024 campaign, Lloyd participated in pre-season testing at Knockhill circuit in, where she displayed impressive pace and valuable experience after clocking in 95 laps around the circuit:
“My knowledge in the car got so much better. Time behind the wheel is so crucial behind these cars as you have so many people doing more testing. We’ve done the full official F4 test, I kept improving, I’ve been in the top ten so hopefully I can keep improving for the first round.”
Looking ahead to her debut at Donington, Lloyd felt confident going into the weekend and highlighted she isn’t putting too much pressure on herself, considering it’s her first season:
“I feel confident heading into it; it's my first year in single-seaters. A lot of drivers are in their second year, all they've done is a full season of racing before even coming into British F4. We are in a good position to start the year and keep improving.”
Lloyd’s first weekend in the series went incredibly well, with finishes of eighth and seventh, respectively. She showed strong pace and confidence as she navigated the 2.1-mile-long circuit. Looking ahead to the future, Lloyd concluded her conversation with DIVEBOMB by discussing her aspirations and her ultimate goal:
“F1 is my goal, but I want to keep moving up the formulas and take any opportunity I can.”
Ella Lloyd is an impressive talent and it’s going to be exciting to see what her future holds.
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