The F1 Academy season kicks off at the Chinese Grand Prix
When the 2024 F1 Academy season began, Mercedes driver Doriane Pin was considered the favorite to take top honors. Pin’s extensive motorsport experience with the Iron Dames in the World Endurance Championship, and a championship in the Ferrari Challenge, put her at the top of the list of contenders heading into the schedule.
Pin certainly got out to a hot start, capturing pole position for both races at the F1 Academy season-opener at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and leading every lap in both races to claim victory.
However, she was demoted to ninth in the second race after a penalty was handed down for taking the checkered flag twice at racing speed, after a miscommunication with her team.
While Pin picked up two more wins over the schedule, at the Dutch Grand Prix and at the Qatar Grand Prix, she ended up finishing second to Alpine driver Abbi Pulling.
Pulling has moved on and will be driving in the GB3 Championship this season, but Pin is set to return to the grid this season for her second F1 Academy campaign. Will this be her year?
Some other drivers might have something to say about that.
Other F1 Academy title contenders to know
Beyond Pin, four returning drivers from last season finished in the top ten of the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship and might stake their own claim to a title this year.
Pin’s F1 Academy teammate from last season Maya Weug finished just behind her in the standings, and Weug’s third-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship propelled Prema Racing to the F1 Academy Teams’ title.
However, Weug might have made more noise in the F1 Academy Drivers’ race had she not endured a difficult start to the season. The Ferrari driver scored just two podiums over the first six races, and she was completely shut out at the Spanish Grand Prix, the third race of the 2024 F1 Academy season when she retired in Race 1 and finished 13th in Race 2.
From there, however, she completely turned her season around. She finished on the podium in five consecutive races — spanning from the first race at the Dutch Grand Prix to the one race that was held at the Qatar Grand Prix, and she captured her first win of the season in the season finale at Yas Marina.
She is racing for MP Motorsport this season, still under the Ferrari banner, and is hoping to build off that run of success to close out the 2024 campaign.
Beyond Pulling, Pin, and Weug only one other driver scored a win during the 2024 F1 Academy season.
That would be Haas driver Chloe Chambers, who broke through with the team’s first win at any level when she captured the second race at the Spanish Grand Prix:
CHAMBERS BRINGS IT HOME FOR HAAS!
Chloe Chambers claims @HaasF1Team‘s first ever win after a massive effort in Race 2! #F1Academy #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/Nh7N3O2Fyb
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) June 23, 2024
Chambers finished sixth in the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship last year, adding three more podiums to her resume to go with her win in Barcelona. She is back for her second F1 Academy season this year racing again for Campos Racing, taking on a leadership role as the only returning driver in their lineup. She has also become a member of the Red Bull Racing Academy.
Next up is Lia Block, who finished eighth in the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship last season, which was her first campaign in open-wheel racing. Block, who drives for ART Grand Prix and is supported by Williams, finished in the points in seven races a season ago. She enjoyed a tremendous weekend in Singapore during the Singapore Grand Prix, as she finished fourth in both races.
SB Nation spoke with Block ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, who went into depth about her racing background and first season in open-wheel racing.
Finally, there is Tina Hausmann, who is back for her second season in the F1 Academy, still with Prema Racing and supported by Aston Martin. The Swiss driver got off to a strong start in Saudi Arabia, finishing sixth in the first race of the season. After a tough trip to Miami that saw her retire from both races at the Miami Grand Prix, Hausmann bounced back with a pair of points finishes at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Hausmann scored points in seven races last season and finished tenth in the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship.
F1 Academy rookies joining the grid
With ensuring opportunities for as many drivers as a stated goal for the F1 Academy, there is in place a two-year limit on how many seasons a driver can participate. That means several rookies are taking to the grid on a full-time basis this season. With Hitech joining as a full-time team this year, there are 17 full-time drivers, along with one wild-card slot.
The new drivers include:
- Nicole Havrda, Hitech TGR
- Alva Anagnostiadis, Hitech TGR
- Nina Gademan, Prema Racing/Alpine
- Emma Felbermayr, Rodin Motorsport/Sauber
- Ella Lloyd, Rodin Motorsport/McLaren
- Chloe Chong, Rodin Motorsport
- Courtney Crone, ART Grand Prix/Haas
- Alba Larsen, MP Motorsport
- Joanne Ciconte, MP Motorsport
- Rafaela Ferreira, Campos Racing/Racing Bulls
- Alisha Palmowski, Campos Racing/Red Bull Racing
In addition, the first Wild Card driver for the season-opening race is Shi Wei, who will drive for Hitech TGR. Shi will be the first Chinese driver to feature in an F1 Academy grid, doing so in her home country.
F1 Academy’s first stop in China
With the 2025 F1 Academy season kicking off at the Chinese Grand Prix, it marks the third different season opener for the series. The inaugural F1 Academy season in 2023 began at Red Bull Ring, as a support race for the P9 Challenge and not the Austrian Grand Prix.
The 2024 F1 Academy season saw all seven races support the F1 calendar, and the year began at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
As with 2024, all seven races on the 2025 F1 Academy schedule will be supporting races on the F1 calendar.
This week also marks the first stop in China for the F1 Academy.
As noted above Shi Wei will become the first Chinese driver to feature in an F1 Academy race. “It’s an incredible honour to receive the Wild Card for F1 Academy, giving me the opportunity to compete and learn alongside top drivers on a larger stage, making a dream that once seemed out of reach come true,” said Shi when her Wild Card entry was announced.
“Hopefully, I can inspire the young generation and raise greater attention to motorsport and the development of the automotive industry.”
