Sauber Motorsport has retained Lena Buhler to represent them in 2024 F1 Academy season with ART, alongside her FRECA running.

Sauber Academy’s Léna Bühler is set to make a further step forward in the motorsport ladder in 2024, as she prepares to debut in the Formula Regional European Championship. The Swiss driver, who was the 2023 F1 Academy runner-up, will continue racing for ART Grand Prix, proudly supported by Sauber Academy.

The first female driver to be inducted in Sauber’s driver development programme, Léna enjoyed a remarkable stint in the first-ever F1 Academy season. Quickly showing her speed and potential as she climbed up the standings, Léna finished as runner-up to the title behind Marta García, setting the record for most podiums in a season with 13 overall – including two race wins.

Having proved herself in the all-female series, with the learnings and the experience gathered so far, Léna now prepares to make a further step in her motorsport career. Racing on some of the most prestigious venues all around Europe, in a larger, extremely competitive grid, Formula Regional will present a new challenge for the talented Swiss – one she will surely be able to take. Flying the flag for the Sauber Academy, Léna will be making her Formula Regional debut in Hockenheim, in May.

Beat Zehnder, Sauber Academy Director: “We are proud to see Léna making a step forward in her career, which is a confirmation of the importance of driver development programmes, and we are delighted to continue working with her this season. Léna’s F1 Academy stint was impressive, with a record 13 podium appearances, and we are looking forward to seeing what she can achieve this year.

“Formula Regional will be an interesting new challenge, and we know she has the talent and the expertise to keep on achieving great things, proudly representing Sauber Academy’s programme all around Europe.”

Léna Bühler, driver: “Formula Regional was the natural next step after F1 Academy, and I am delighted and proud to make this progression. I want to thank Sauber Academy, my team and of course my sponsors for believing in me and for all their support last season – I cannot wait to get started again, and to achieve even greater results together. Over these past few months, I trained hard preparing for my debut, and I am highly motivated – it won’t be an easy task, but I am ready for the challenge.”

[Note: The story is as per press release]