Shifting Into History
Rising Star Jure Portelli
Jude Portelli’s impressive sporting career began with simple laps around a small go-kart track near Whitsunday Coast Airport.
Now, the Airlie Beach teenager has followed her dream all the way to Japan and into the history books.
At just 17, Jure Portelli has become both the first Australian and the first female to graduate from Honda Racing School, proving that its talent that determines how far a driver can go.
"I don't think about it being the first Australian and the first girl," she said.
“No matter where you come from - or your gender, or anything like that - if you can get there, then that shows a lot."
Jure moved from Melbourne to Airlie Beach in 2012, but her motorsport journey did not begin until a decade later, when her father bought a second-hand go-kart from Facebook Marketplace.
"I did the first race and I was like, 'Wow, this is heaps of fun,'" she said.
“I don't remember where I placed or how I actually went in the race, but I just remember really enjoying it.
"Then we just kind of continued to enter the local go-kart meets, and eventually I started to get competitive and started winning."
After establishing herself in go-kart competition, she made the leap into a formula car through the Ferrari Driver Academy’s Rising Stars program in 2023.
It was a major step up, but one that confirmed she was on the right track.
“After that program my family and I (specifically me) decided I want to make this into a career,” Jure said.
Formula V rounds in Victoria gave Jure her next taste of competition, but an even bigger test waited overseas.
In 2025, she travelled to Japan and lined up at the iconic Fuji Speedway. In her first Vita race, she finished on the podium.
Yet early success did not guarantee regular time behind the wheel.
Unable to race as often as she wanted, Jure turned her attention to everything she could control, pushing through physical conditioning, mental preparation and countless hours in the simulator to ready herself for when she would get track time.
As her ambitions grew, Jure realised the next step in her career would take her beyond Australia's borders. Drawn by the opportunities and rich motorsport culture overseas, she began looking for a pathway to take her to the next level.
Her dedication earned her a place at Japan's prestigious Honda Racing School, where she advanced through multiple selection stages at Suzuka to become one of eight drivers chosen from 30.
The achievement didn’t come without its challenges, as Jure had to move away from home and her family for 6 months.
While a daunting experience, it was one she labeled as necessary.
"It was a very foreign experience... not a lot of people get the opportunity to do that, especially so young," she said.
"But I was more than happy to do that to be able to be a part of the Honda Racing School.”
During the course, Jure trained alongside professional drivers, combining intensive track sessions, physical training and data analysis while being assessed both on and off the circuit.
"You never really know what they're looking out for," she said.
"They're always critiquing you on everything, not just your driving, but how you behave off track: your manners, how well you can communicate with the engineers and the instructors, time management...”
With one historic milestone behind her, Jure is looking forward to her next step to becoming a formula 1 driver.
"I'm always just working towards the next opportunity," she said.
