Francisca “Kika” Queiroz reached the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica summer break with a 20-point lead in the Ladies Cup, holding an impressive and clear second place in the Silver Class and sitting on 216 points in the overall standings, just one point behind the drivers in second place. Numbers that confirm an outstanding first half of the season.
The first half of Francisca “Kika” Queiroz’s season can be summed up by these three indicators, but the numbers tell an even more interesting story when analysed in detail: they paint the picture of a driver who began the season aiming to fight for the Ladies Cup, but who, race after race, has also established herself among the leading contenders in the overall PSCI standings. “I’m very satisfied with the first half of the season. We managed to be consistent, improve from race to race and reach the summer break leading the Ladies Cup. There is still a lot of the championship ahead of us, but it is a good indication that all the team’s hard work and preparation are delivering results.”
Valencia confirmed a new dimension
If consistency allowed her to build the championship lead, Valencia demonstrated just how competitive the young Portuguese driver can be. The third round, held at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, became Francisca Queiroz’s best weekend of 2026. Across four races, “Kika” claimed three Ladies Cup victories and two overall podiums, going head-to-head with some of the fastest drivers in the championship and demonstrating that her presence among the frontrunners can no longer be regarded as a surprise. “Valencia was undoubtedly a very special weekend. The three Ladies Cup victories and two overall podiums gave me a lot of confidence and showed that we have the pace to fight at the front. More than a turning point, it was confirmation that we are on the right path.”
Her choice of favourite circuit from the first half of the season therefore comes naturally: “Valencia. Beyond the results, it is a very technical circuit and great fun to drive. It was where I felt the strongest connection with the car throughout the entire weekend.”
Ladies Cup: leading does not mean being able to relax
The 20-point advantage gives Francisca Queiroz a significant lead in the Ladies Cup, but it is far from allowing her to manage the championship comfortably. Ahead of her are two rivals who have played a decisive role in turning the female competition into one of the most interesting sporting stories of the 2026 PSCI season: Chloe Grant and Flame Airikkala. And “Kika” has no hesitation in recognising the quality of her rivals: “It is a very demanding competition and that only makes me grow as a driver. Both Chloe and Flame are very fast drivers and they force me to be at my best all the time. When the competition is strong, you ultimately improve even more.”
We asked her to define the Ladies Cup in just three words: “Competition. Evolution. Overcoming challenges.” Three concepts that describe the Portuguese driver’s own season equally well.
LOB Motorsport: the confidence to keep evolving
There is also a fundamental element behind the progress she has shown on track: the continuity of her relationship with LOB Motorsport. Renewing the partnership between driver and team has allowed them to continue a project in which mutual understanding, trust and ambition continue to grow: “It means a lot to me. There is a great deal of trust between myself and the team, and that is fundamental. I feel that LOB Motorsport believes in my potential and gives me all the conditions I need to continue developing as a driver.”
The results appear to confirm that progress. Leading the Ladies Cup would already represent an excellent first half of the season in itself. But doing so while simultaneously holding second place in the Silver Class and remaining just one point away from second place overall adds another dimension to Francisca Queiroz’s campaign. The title is the goal. But the ambition does not end there Despite the advantage she has built, Francisca refuses to look too far ahead.
There is still a long second half of the season to come and the objective is to maintain exactly what has put her in this position: consistency. “The main objective is to maintain consistency, keep scoring points and fight to win the Ladies Cup. If opportunities arise to fight for overall podiums again, I obviously want to take them.”
It is a particularly revealing statement. The Ladies Cup title remains the main objective, but the two overall podiums in Valencia have opened up another perspective. Francisca now knows that, under the right circumstances, she can fight with the best drivers in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica. And when we asked what it will take to turn her current lead into a title at the end of the season, her answer was unequivocal: “To win the Ladies Cup in 2026, you have to be consistent in every race, never stop improving and keep believing until the very last lap.”
“Talent has no gender”
Away from the car, Francisca finds that music, spending time with the team and enjoying quieter moments between sessions help her relieve the pressure of a race weekend. But it is when she looks towards those who dream of one day following the same path that one of the strongest messages of the conversation emerges: “Never let anyone tell you that you are not capable. Motorsport requires a lot of hard work, dedication and persistence, but talent has no gender. If you believe in your dream and work every day to achieve it, anything is possible.”
At the halfway point of the season, Francisca “Kika” Queiroz holds a commanding lead in the Ladies Cup. She is second in the Silver Class. She is just one point away from second place overall. And after her two podium finishes in Valencia, one thing seems increasingly clear: she is no longer simply fighting to be the best female driver in the PSCI. She is fighting to be one of the best drivers on the grid.