F1 Academy News: Haas Team signs Kaylee Countryman to Race in 2026
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team announced that American racer Kaylee Countryman (pictured) will represent the Kannapolis headquartered squad in next season’s F1 Academy, competing with ART Grand Prix.
The 15-year-old, from Chandler, Arizona – who turns 16 in January 2026, will become one of the youngest drivers to participate in the F1 Academy when the series returns on March 13-15 in Shanghai, China. The calendar, featuring 14 races across seven rounds, will also visit Silverstone for the first time on July 3-5 before concluding at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 19-21.
Countryman began racing on her 12th birthday, at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association (PKRA) in Glendale, Arizona, starting in the LO206 J2 class, using a four-stroke Briggs & Stratton-powered kart. In that first year, she collected multiple podiums at her home track, earned a second-place finish at a national karting event in California, and competed at the Grand Nationals in Indiana. In 2023, Countryman progressed from a four-stroke to a far more demanding two-stroke platform – joining the J3 Competition and earning a coveted position as a factory driver for CompKart.
Countryman joined Exclusive Autosport for the 2025 USF Junior Season, being one of three females out of a field of 22 drivers. In the second half of 2025, she was invited to Spain to take part in the F1 Academy Navarra Collective Test ahead of the 2026 season, immediately making her mark on the world stage.
“I’m so thrilled that I’ve been given this opportunity to represent Haas F1 Team and ART Grand Prix in the F1 Academy for 2026,” enthused Kaylee Countryman. “I look forward to taking another step in my career and learning to work in such a professional environment. I’m particularly excited about the various circuits we’ll be visiting around the world and being part of all that F1 Academy represents. I enjoyed a productive test with ART Grand Prix and I’m keen to build on that foundation as we go racing in 2026.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Kaylee Countryman into the team to represent us in F1 Academy from next season,” stated Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. “Her personality and passion for this sport are contagious, and we want to ensure she has everything she needs to flourish in F1 Academy, whether that be access to our resources and personnel, or simply advice and guidance. I believe together, we’ll achieve great some exciting things on-track. I’m delighted Kaylee’s joined us, and we look forward to seeing her development as a driver in F1 Academy.”
In addition to competing in F1 Academy, Countryman will dovetail her 2026 on-track activities with a drive in the North American-based USF2000 Championship – once again racing for Exclusive Autosport.