Chloe Chambers will return to racing in the United States in 2026 with RAFA Racing Team after establishing herself as one of the shining stars in the all-female F1 Academy.

The American racer spent the past two seasons as a star in F1 Academy, competing on Formula One World Championship weekends around the world. Chambers became the first U.S. driver to win in the championship and finished the 2025 season third overall, recording three victories, five pole positions, and six fastest laps across her F1 Academy career.

She ended her time in the series in dominant fashion at the season finale in Las Vegas, converting pole position into victory while also setting the fastest lap and leading every lap of the race – a commanding, mic-drop performance to sign off her F1 Academy campaign.

This season, Chambers moves into GT competition in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, joining RAFA Racing Team alongside Ian Porter for a full campaign in the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2.

First impressions in the Lamborghini

Chambers recently completed her first test in the Lamborghini ahead of the opening round of the championship at Sebring International Raceway. While she has experience in sports cars, the Super Trofeo machine provided a different challenge compared with the open-wheel cars that have formed the core of her career.

“I have a decent amount of experience in sports cars, but primarily my experience is in open wheel cars,” Chambers said. “The Super Trofeo is one of the more raw race cars that you can drive, so it makes it even more different from some of the sports cars that I’ve driven as well.”

“So it’s definitely a learning curve, but it was nice to get a couple of days of testing ahead of the race weekend so you can get used to the team, get used to your teammates, and get used to the car. Overall, it was a really positive experience.”

The test also provided the first opportunity for Chambers and Porter to begin working together as teammates.

“It was really nice working with Ian,” Chambers said. “I’ve raced against him before in GT4 in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, so I knew he was a fast driver.”

“We were able to get to know each other a little bit better over the last couple of days, and I think this pairing is going to be really fun.”

Racing philosophy unchanged

Despite stepping from single-seaters into GT competition, Chambers said her mindset remains the same.

“For me, the goal is always to just win,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who I’m on track with or what car it is.”

“I’ve always grown up racing in mixed categories and only in the last couple of years have I raced in an all-female field. Even during my time in F1 Academy, I was still doing one-off rounds here and there in Porsche Sprint Challenge.”

“So I was able to keep myself in mixed categories, and every time I hit the track it’s about maximizing myself. If that means going for the win, that’s what I’ll always try to do.”

Why RAFA Racing Team

Chambers said her earlier exposure to RAFA Racing Team during Porsche competition helped shape her decision to join the program.

“I saw a little bit into the team during my time in Porsche Sprint Challenge a couple of years ago,” she said. “One of the main things that stood out was how many females they had on the team, both in the car and outside of the car.”

“That definitely drew me to the team, but also the way they run their race programs is really professional.”

Chambers added that conversations with her management reinforced the impression.

“I’ve had some conversations with my manager who has gone through both the European ladder and the U.S. ladder,” she said. “He was also really impressed with their programs in sports car racing.”

“For me, that professionalism is really important – having a team that can give you a car and a platform to win races.”

Adjusting to a new partnership

Although Chambers and Porter had raced against one another previously, sharing a car introduces new challenges – including driver changes and adapting the cockpit for two very different driving positions.

“It’s a bit of a challenge because Ian and I have about an eight-inch height difference,” Chambers said.

“But we were able to make it work during the test with the temporary seats that we used. It actually worked better than we expected.”

“Once we get the proper seat inserts made I think it will be even better, so at this point we’re really just working on small adjustments.”

Chambers believes the pairing will work well because both drivers approach racing with the same objective.

“We’re always going to go out and try to win,” she said. “That’s something I like having in a teammate and co-driver – someone who goes out on track every time with the goal to win races and be the fastest.”

“When you have teammates that push each other like that, and you’re able to build on each other, that makes for a really great pairing.”

Thrown straight into the deep end

The opening round of the season will take place at Sebring, one of the toughest circuits in North American racing.

Chambers has limited experience at the Florida venue but said the team’s data and preparation helped accelerate the learning process.

“I don’t have much experience at Sebring actually,” she said. “I did a couple of open-wheel tests there and one endurance race in a Porsche Cayman a few years ago.”

“But the team has a lot of data and references, especially having raced in Super Trofeo there last year, so it didn’t feel like a completely new track.”

The famously bumpy surface and high-commitment corners make Sebring one of the most physically demanding tracks on the calendar.

“Sebring is definitely going to be one of the hardest tracks we go to this year,” Chambers said. “You’re kind of constantly on the limit there.”

“I think American tracks in general, compared to the European tracks I’ve been driving the last couple of years, are much more on the edge each lap, and that’s how you find the lap time.”

“Sebring is kind of an exaggeration of that. It’s a track where you really have to perfect everything.”

Starting the year at such a challenging circuit may ultimately prove beneficial.

“It kind of throws us straight into the deep end,” Chambers said. “Hopefully, that means the rest of the year will feel much easier and much more comfortable once we get going.”