Sheffield Karting champion Maisy Creed, 16, aims for F1 top spot

A teenager from Sheffield has said she aims to become a top F1 driver in the footsteps of the sport’s biggest names after being crowned a champion in the sport of karting.

Maisy Creed, 16, took the prestigious PF International X30 Junior Champion title in November, becoming the first ever female driver to do so.

The title was previously won by future stars such as Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Lando Norris, and Maisy said she was determined to win a place in the renowned F1 Academy so she could follow a similar path.

“I’m there with all the guys, the only female driver there, and it just feels really special. I’ve done something nobody else has done – and that feels special,” she said.

Maisy said that later this year she would use facilities at Silverstone, the legendary home of the British Grand Prix and MotoGP events, to develop her driving skills in cars.

The aim was to impress the F1 Academy with her performance data and, if she succeeded, it could see her achieving her academy goal in 2027, she explained.

Maisy began her racing adventures with indoor karting at the age of eight, later than most drivers who rise in the outdoors version of the sport.

Her dad, Adam, said he was very proud of his daughter’s achievements so far – and knew she could succeed in her goals despite the fact it was “a massively male-dominated sport”.

“For girls to come into that sport and excel, it’s unbelievably difficult,” Mr Creed said.

Maisy agreed and said there was unfortunately still a lot of sexism faced by females in the sport.

“There’s a few girls that I’m quite close with, and we all experience it,” she said.

“It’s just really annoying to deal with because I don’t understand why they [males] find it so unbelievable, and they really just don’t want to be beaten by me.”

Maisy said she realised she was “fairly unusual”.

“I’m one of a tiny handful of girls on the whole planet that can actually compete at the top level against the boys and actually be at the front,” she said.

However, Maisy added that she believed she was on track for further success in 2026 and beyond.

“I have the passion and desire to reach for the very top of this amazing sport that I love,” she smiled.

“I can’t wait to experience the journey over the next five years.”