Lydia Walmsley has secured a last-minute deal with Clean Racing to compete in the 2026 Porsche Sprint GB Challenge series. The 24-year-old from Kesgrave, Suffolk, described the opportunity as a 'miracle' after previously struggling to find funding.
Lydia Walmsley began racing in go-karts at the age of seven [Getty Images]
Racing driver Lydia Walmsley says it is a "miracle" that she will be on the grid this year after an 11th hour deal with a new team.
Last month, the 24-year-old from Kesgrave, Suffolk, was unsure whether she would be able to race in 2026 because she had not secured the funding to do so.
But she has joined Cambridge-based Clean Racing and will again drive in the Porsche Sprint GB Challenge series in which she won four races last year.
"I cannot believe it, I feel so privileged that it's all come together albeit quite last minute," Walmsley told BBC Radio Suffolk.
"We're not really as prepared as we we would hope to be but given the circumstances, it's a miracle that it's happening. There's a lot of drivers that are struggling and it has been a hard slog to get there."
The new season begins at Donington Park on 18-19 April and the opening race weekend will see Walmsley step up into the RS Pro category, even though she has only had one practice session in her new car.
"I'm hoping another test day before the season starts will put me in a good place but I have no expectations because this has all been very last minute and everyone appreciates that and understands that," she said.
"My expectation for the weekend is just to learn as much as possible and wherever that puts me, it puts me. I won't be disappointed at all because it's a huge win to be there on the grid anyway.
"I've got some great team-mates, a couple of them raced last year so they've got a lot of experience in the car and they're all very quick, so it'll be nice to have some really good data to compare with. Hopefully that will accelerate the learning as quickly as possible."
In 2024, she became the first female driver to achieve a podium finish in the JCW Mini Challenge championship.
Last year saw her make a big step up to a 3.8-litre Porsche, racing in the Clubsport Pro category, and she will again be tackling a faster car in the RS Pro races.
"I think it will be a great year for my development, they seem to really know what they are doing. It's a new car for me so there's a lot to learn in that respect.
"It's fantastic to join another family-run team and I'm hoping they'll make the transition as easy as possible. So far so good," she added.
Porsche Sprint GB Challenge series 2026
Lydia Walmsley has joined Cambridge-based Clean Racing for the 2026 season.
Lydia Walmsley won four races in the Porsche Sprint GB Challenge last year.
Lydia Walmsley was unsure about racing in 2026 because she had not secured the necessary funding.
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