TGR Haas F1 Team driver Kaylee Countryman secured her maiden F1 Academy podium with a second-place finish in Montreal, marking a significant breakthrough for the American after a difficult opening round in Shanghai. Countryman, who races with ART Grand Prix in the all-female feeder series, credited a shift in her mental approach for the turnaround.
“I think both Shanghai and Montreal were very different in terms of performance,” Countryman told the Haas F1 Team. “In Shanghai, we were towards the back of the pack, whereas in Montreal we were battling further up, going on to secure second place. I think the biggest change was the mental approach I had to the weekend and the way in which the team and I were working together.”
Countryman, who is balancing her F1 Academy campaign with a partial season in USF2000 in the United States, said the contrast between the two events taught her the importance of confidence and positivity. She acknowledged feeling more nervous in Shanghai compared to Montreal, where she was able to channel excitement rather than anxiety.
“I’ve learned that the way you approach something and how you think about it is very important,” she said. “Having confidence in yourself and knowing how much your mind plays into situations is definitely something I’ve learned. I worked with a sports psychologist and I noticed some changes, however the big push I needed was seeing it in myself.”
The dual-series schedule has kept Countryman busy, with her USF2000 program providing additional seat time despite the mechanical and procedural differences between the two championships. She noted that USF2000 uses rolling starts rather than the standing starts employed in F1 Academy, limiting the crossover benefit in that specific area. Still, she views the arrangement as a net positive.
“Time in the seat is always going to help me, so even though USF2000 and F1 Academy are different, I’m able to get as much experience as I possibly can,” Countryman said. “I do think that it’s good to have the opportunity to drive in the two series though, as it teaches adaptability.”
Between rounds, Countryman and her ART Grand Prix engineer have been refining their working relationship through simulator sessions and data analysis. All F1 Academy ART Grand Prix drivers spend a day on the simulator ahead of each event, and Countryman has supplemented that with additional sim work in the UK using an F1 Academy car model. She recorded a top-ten finish at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit in her most recent USF2000 outing.
Looking ahead to the next F1 Academy round at Silverstone, Countryman said she wants to replicate the mindset that produced her Montreal result while extracting the final margin of performance she believes remains untapped.
“I knew in Montreal there was something I was missing. I felt like my pace was at 98 percent,” she said. “I know there’s more in the car and more in myself, so I just need to find a way to extract that little bit extra. I’ve got experience around Silverstone after the mid-season test there, and the car felt good. We just need to extract that final bit — and hopefully that brings another strong result like Montreal.”