As F1 Academy enters it’s third season as a regular series - there appears to be a lot of excitement in the build up in the hope this could be the most successful and exciting campaign yet. New drivers, a new team and new circuits are part of the appeal - but what stands out?
The drivers
Only one place to start…17 drivers go into the season aiming to be the next Abbi Pulling or Marta Garcia and become series champion.
The second years:
Chloe Chambers, Doriane Pin, Tina Hausmann, Aurelia Nobels, Lia Block and Maya Weug all return with Pin, Weug and Chambers the more notable mentions with podiums and wins to their names in the series in 2025.
Arguably the strongest of those is Mercedes backed PREMA driver Pin, who was Abbi Pulling’s closest challenger in 2024. Can she got a step more in 2025?
The rookies
Nicole Havrda, Aiva Anagnostiadis, Nina Gademan, Emma Felbermayr, Ella Lloyd, Chloe Chong, Courtney Crone, Alba Larsen, Joanne Ciconte, Rafaela Ferreira and Alisha Palmowski form the new faces portion of the grid with Gademan, Lloyd, Crone and Palmowski already having had outings in the series as wildcards.
Of those names, Palmowski probably stands out most, stepping from the UK-based GB4 Championship as series runner up in 2024 to race in F1 Academy in Campos(and Red Bull Racing colours). A serious talent, but the likes of Lloyd and Gademan also will impress having done so in their wildcard appearances in 2024.
The teams
PREMA, Campos, MP Motorsport, Rodin and ART Grand Prix are joined on the grid by Hitech TGR who supply a two car entry as well as taking over the running of the wildcard entry from PREMA. Hitech are well established in European and world racing, featuring in FIA Formula 2 and 3, GB3, British F4 and now F1 Academy.
The calendar
F1 Academy will this season call at China, Saudi Arabia, Miami, Canada, Holland, Singapore and Las Vegas, all in support of Formula 1. China, Canada, Singapore and Las Vegas are new to the series and are sure to test each of the drivers with the range of differences between them.
And finally…The Wildcard
The wildcard entry gives a fantastic opportunity for drivers to join the grid for a selected race - generally closer to home for the driver. For the opener in China, Shi Wei joins, while Saudi Arabian driver Farah Al-Yousef is expected to race in Jeddah, but who else? Australian driver Imogen Radburn has excited and could be an option while Milla Sjostrand, Kornelia Olkucka and Megan Bruce could also be invited - time will tell!
One thing is for sure - this will be the most open season of F1 Academy yet with so much talent on show.
📸 Image credits: Formula Motorsport Limited, F1 Academy, Hitech TGR.
Comments