Four years away from racing, Raddatz finds new opportunities in Japan

Twenty-two-year-old Paige Raddatz from Sydney is living her lifelong dream of racing formula cars, currently competing in Japan's Kyojo Cup. Her journey to the famed Fuji Speedway has been marked by dedication, a significant break from the sport, and renewed inspiration.

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I have an older brother and he was already racing karts, dad always raced cars growing up. As a family we were always around it, and watching my brother, I always wanted to do it. As soon as it was my seventh birthday, that's when you're allowed to start, that was my birthday present. I just never really stopped since that.

Raddatz began karting shortly after her seventh birthday, following in the footsteps of her older brother and father. She competed across Australia for years until the increasing demands of school and work made the intense commitment of racing unsustainable. Stepping away from the track for four years, Raddatz described this period as "the worst four years of my life," highlighting the deep impact the absence of racing had on her.

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Because of the commitment that racing is, you can't really do both, especially if you are working outside of the sport. It just became very hard. Karting kind of just got pushed to the side. I always wanted to be around it, but sometimes you don't get an option with things like that. Those four years I had off, honestly, were the worst four years of my life.

Her passion was reignited by the emergence of women's racing series, such as the F1 Academy. Witnessing the growing promotion and opportunities for women in motorsport motivated Raddatz to return behind the wheel. "Seeing the promotion for women has grown so much; you can see there is actually an opportunity and there is a pathway, where before, as a young girl I never really thought that I'd be able to do something like I am now," she stated.

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I think that's where the whole car idea came from. Looking at that made it more possible. Seeing the promotion for women has grown so much; you can see there is actually an opportunity and there is a pathway, where before, as a young girl I never really thought that I'd be able to do something like I am now. But seeing other women and other girls do it, it is very motivating, and you think 'if they can do it, why can't I?'

After a successful tryout, Raddatz was signed by the Fujisan Shizuoka Racing team for the Kyojo Cup. She now competes against other talented drivers, including former F1 Academy competitor Joanne Ciconte. Raddatz expresses deep gratitude for her current role as a full-time driver, a position she never takes for granted after her time away from the sport.

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I don't take any of my racing for granted and I always remind myself to be grateful.