Ella Lloyd is Taking the Motorsports World By Storm

Interviewed by Emma Henwood. Written by Holly Presswell

“My goal is always to win and be the fastest. Whether it’s a male or female I’m competing against, it doesn’t really make a difference for me.”

Ella Lloyd is taking the motorsports world by storm. The 20-year-old began racing competitively in 2022 in the Ginette Junior Championship, ending her first season with points in 15 of the 25 races. However, motorsports wasn’t always the plan for the Welsh driver. 

Ella was making her name as a showjumper and skier, winning gold at the 2019 Welsh Skiing Championships. Nonetheless, these two sports helped shape the career Ella has today, “I think coming from show jumping and ski racing helped me a lot to transition.”  She goes on to explain, “It helped me a lot in the earlier stages of my career, as I had a bit more knowledge and understanding of the feelings of things.” 

Being able to understand the feel of your car in motorsports is crucial, allowing the driver to know the limits of grip and balance, and letting them push for maximum speed without crashing. The years of “having the feel of your horse underneath you and you’ve got to react to them” and “the feel of the snowy surface if it’s a little icy or has a dusting of fresh snow that creates a powder on the top” have transferred into understanding “the feel of what the car’s doing and the tyre gripping to the tarmac.”

When asked if it is easier on a horse or a car, Ella replied, “It depends because a horse has a mind of its own.” After a little deliberation, she remarks, “No, I think riding is easier, to be honest.”

While Ella is busy on track, she still makes time for childhood sports, “When I come back [home], I ride my horse, Elvira, it’s my hobby away from racing.” Being a race driver involves constant travel, and away from competition, Ella tells us, “I enjoy riding and spending time with Elvira” to recharge. 

At the beginning of 2024, Ella made her single-seater debut in the Formula Winter Series, taking home the Female Driver Trophy multiple times. Her success led to a seat in British F4 with JHR Developments, where she finished 11th, with 13 points and four podiums. But her success doesn’t stop there. 

Whilst competing in the F1 Academy in Singapore as a wildcard, she caught the eye of the McLaren Driver Development Programme after finishing in the points in both races. In October 2024, Ella was officially announced as a McLaren Development Driver, going on to make her debut on the F1 Academy Grid in the 2025 season.  

However, breaking through the ranks doesn’t come without challenges and pressures. “Going into F1 Academy, there was a lot of media, and I wasn’t used to it.” Ella explains that at the start, “I was quite shy”, but quickly had to adapt to being in the limelight.  

Being approached on the streets for pictures and autographs quickly became the norm for the young Welsh driver, “At the start I was a bit like ugh, but now I’m kind of used to it.”  She goes on to explain, “They’re watching me and enjoying my journey, they want the best for me, and it’s amazing to see so many younger fans and inspiring them to start karting as well.” 

As a young woman in the sport, Ella is a minority. Just 10% of motorsports is represented by women and girls; it’s a heavily male-dominated sport. Founded in 2023, the F1 Academy is an all-female driver racing series to help develop young female talent for higher-level motorsports. 

“I think being in F1 Academy is doing an amazing job to inspire the younger generation. But also me competing in F4, where, you know, the majority is male, I think, really inspires the younger generation. I don’t just get younger females coming up to me, I get younger boys as well.” 

Ella goes on to tell us that driving in F4 comes with a different set of attitudes, “I think obviously when you're on track, they [male drivers] might show a bit more aggression. They may say they don't, but they definitely do.” But Ella doesn’t let it affect her, “I think I give it back at the end of the day and get my elbows out when I'm on track to show that I'm here to race and, you know, to beat everyone.” 

“I want to be as aggressive as I can on track and to be as fast as I can and to win and to beat everyone, not just the boys.” Ella explains, “My goal is always to win and to be the fastest. So whether it's a male or female, it doesn't really make a difference for me, just because being a bit more aggressive on track is actually helping me and making me better.”

"It's been amazing to obviously join the McLaren DDP [Driver Development Programme] and be a part of the programme.” Joining the team in 2024, the DDP features established racing drivers as well as emerging grassroots talent, helping them climb up the ladder, offering bespoke development, including simulator sessions, mental coaching, nutrition counselling, and media training.

McLaren has helped Ella over the last year and a half. “We've got the fitness side, the media they've helped with, and then also they've got a new sim coming in the next few weeks.” On race weekends, Ella is joined by Warren Hughes, a veteran driver, “It's nice to have a driver's perspective where they've been in that position, and they kind of understand the driving side”. 

Despite being at the top of her game, Ella hasn’t forgotten her roots. “It's amazing to have the flag on my suit and on my helmet representing Wales. We're not a very big country, so to be able to be on a worldwide stage and represent Wales means everything.” 

Just before we were due to say goodbye to Ella, we asked her what advice she would give to young girls who may not see motorsport or sport more broadly as for them? 

She replied, “I think you've got to push to obviously pursue that, but also kind of take any opportunity that comes your way because they may not come around again. And I think like myself, I've needed to train and work hard to obviously be the best at what I'm doing. So I think kind of just work hard and keep pushing.”

Ella is an inspiration for every young motorsports driver, not just in Wales, but worldwide. There have only ever been five women who have started a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the history of motorsports.

Could Ella be the first woman since 1992 to see lights out at an F1 grand prix?