Yana Kapoor: The Engineer-Racer Targeting F1 Academy
Yana Kapoor is an elite karting champion and aspiring mechanical engineer who has been signed by World Speed Motorsports (WSM) for a full Formula 4 campaign in the 2026 Formula Pro USA Championships.
Academics: Yana enters the 2026 season as a freshman at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Materials and Mechanical Engineering.
Dual Focus: Her engineering background allows her to understand and analyze vehicle dynamics on a granular level, a trait she sharpened during her karting career.
Family Connection: Yana’s older brother previously ran in F4 with WSM, achieving three wins and eight podiums with World Speed.
Karting Experience
Early Start: Began racing at age eight at Michiana Raceway Park, inspired by drivers like Danica Patrick.
Key Achievements: Her resume includes two consecutive KA 100cc Junior Championships and multiple ROK Karting pole positions and podiums despite running limited schedules in 2024 and 2025.
International Experience: She gained global exposure by competing in the Champions of the Future Academy Program, racing in Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
F1 Academy Inspiration: Following her international season, she attended the F1 Academy’s “Discover Your Drive” workshop in Abu Dhabi, where she met F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff, solidifying her drive to compete in the F1 Academy.
Formula Car Experience
Yana Kapoor’s path to F1 Academy readiness is highly accelerated, built on a foundation of intensive open-wheel training. Having already completed multiple days in Formula Renaults with F1 alum Allen Berg at Laguna Seca, she has also spent several days in a Formula 4 with F1 alum Jenson Button’s Radford school. Her current focus is on accumulating significant race mileage, including over 25 days of training and competition in 21 races as part of the Lucas Oil Racing School Championship Series with IndyCar alum RC Enerson. This is strategically complemented by a full season of testing in the F1 Academy-relevant X4 Pro and the entire 2026 Formula Pro USA F4 Championship (12 points races and 2 special events) with World Speed Motorsports.
