In Pixar's Cars 3, the young racer who becomes Lightning McQueen's trainee is Cruz Ramirez.
Cruz begins as McQueen's high-performance trainer at the Rust-eze Racing Center. She is a skilled, technologically informed yellow race car, but she has not yet achieved her dream of competing as a top racer. Her work with McQueen gradually reveals that she belongs on the track rather than only in a training role.
McQueen initially treats Cruz as a coach assigned to fix his performance. Their relationship changes when he recognizes her ability and helps her confront the belief that she is too small or inexperienced to race competitively. Cruz ultimately becomes the new Rust-eze racer after McQueen chooses a different role.
Cruz is voiced by Cristela Alonzo. Her storyline makes Cars 3 a generational handoff: McQueen remains central, but Cruz represents the franchise's next racing generation.