Alice Buckley will get the opportunity to showcase her skills overseas with the international FIA Girls On Track - Rising Star program to take place next month – two years after first being announced.
 
Buckley was originally selected to participate in the newly created program back in 2020, however COVID-19 and international border restrictions prevented her making her way across.
 
Now that the world has reached some form of normality, Buckley is relishing the chance to finally compete in the program that will see her up against other 12 to 16-year-old females from around the globe.
 
Held at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, Buckley and the rest of the participants will compete a number of tests in both a kart and Formula 4 car, with the top four drivers to be invited to attend a one-week course at the Ferrari Driver Academy later this year.
 
From there, the top driver may be selected to join the Academy and offered a seat in a FIA Formula 4 Championship season in 2023.
 
Although Buckley was originally disappointed about not going to the program in 2020, she has spent the last couple of years getting more experience behind the wheel.


Having continued her rise up the karting ranks which resulted in her progressing into seniors this year and the 15-year-old has been impressive against older more experienced drivers - her natural pace seeing her qualify and finish in the top half of the field in her two races.
 
However she hasn’t just been karting in the past two years, the teenager has also spent time racing a Hyundai Excel, as well as getting invaluable experience testing a Formula 4 car.
 
Click here to follow Alice’s journey.
 
Scheduled to leave Australia early next month for France, Buckley was excited to finally get the opportunity to take part in the FIA Girls On Track - Rising Star program.
 
“It’s been very busy with all the training I have been doing to prepare for France for the program,” Buckley said.
 
“I have been spending a lot of time in the gym focusing on reactions and doing a lot of racing in karting and Excels and more recently, the F4 testing at Queensland Raceway with Valenti Rosso.
 
“I think being unable to go at the time was disappointing, but having more time to improve my race craft has been a great learning experience – especially with the time spent in an Excel and Formula 4 car.
 
“I feel racing in the Excel X3 Series was vital as I learnt my race craft, how people think and how to pass, which will be really beneficial for my time in France.

 
“Then there was the Formula 4 testing – the car was much faster than anything I had ever driven. It was an amazing experience and I got up to speed pretty quickly, which was exciting.
 
“If I had made it two years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything in an F4 car, but now I feel like I am better placed for this. I have the benefit of being older and having more seat time to prepare.”
 
In addition to her preparation for the international scouting program, Buckley also attended a recent FIA Girls on Track session on home soil, with the initiative having been held at Norwell Motorplex.
 
 “It was so exciting and I learnt a lot of things about women in motorsport and the many roles they play,” Buckley added.
 
“It was a great day. Got to go around in the karts, do interviews and even media training, which is another thing to help me next month.
 
“It was a great opportunity to have women and pathways that wouldn’t be usually available and gives us something to aspire to.”