Author: Susan Kimurwa

Chloe Chambers secured P1 in the rainy FP2 session at the F1 Academy Dutch GP. With the driver placed second in the championship standings, it makes for an exciting fight this weekend. F1 Academy kicks off again for its final stretch at the Dutch GP. The Zandvoort circuit will arguably be the most demanding on the calendar with its 14 banking corners. However, the drivers resume the season having performed testing sessions at the circuit, which will make for tight competition. In the first Free Practice session, rookie Alisha Palmowski topped the timesheets to have a strong start to the…

As the 2026 season approaches, bringing with it new regulations, world-renowned aerodynamicist Adrian Newey is ‘full focus’ on the development of Aston Martin’s AMR26. Newey, an aerodynamicist and engineer in the sport for over 40 years, was acquired by Aston Martin in September 2024 after a dominant two-decade run at Red Bull. The Briton is known to be the most successful individual in the history of the sport, having won 200 races, 12 Constructors and 13 Drivers’ titles. Defecting from Red Bull to Aston Martin in March 2025 following his appointment as Managing Technical Partner, he has been developing the…

As the F1 Academy season picks up again in Zandvoort, we review the triumphs, losses and chaos that ensued at last year’s 2024 Dutch GP. Similar to 2025, the 2024 F1 academy season saw the grid regroup at the Zandvoort circuit after the summer break. At that point in the season, Abbi Pulling had 66 points, leading the Championship standings. Behind her, Doriane Pin and Chloe Chambers were tied at 81 points, which made for a high-stakes return to the season. Pulling, who had enjoyed a dominant streak in the first half of the season, was looking to extend her…

As the summer break winds down and the F1 Academy title fight resumes, Weug reflects on the season’s challenges and what it will take to get back on top of the Driver’s standings. Maya Weug was one of the favourites going into the 2025 F1 Academy season. Last year, the Scuderia Ferrari Academy driver was a strong contender, taking seven podiums in seven rounds, before closing out her season with a race win in Abu Dhabi. Returning for her second and final year in the series, the Dutch driver aimed to come back stronger and challenge for the title. So…

It has been a season of ups and downs for Sebastián Montoya, but the rookie remains positive about his season so far and the races to come.

Alba Larsen is one of six new rookies to join the 2025 F1 Academy season. Driving for MP Motorsport and supported by Tommy Hilfiger, Larsen came into the series with consistent and commendable performances. The Danish driver joined the motorsport world relatively late, but her results were by no means affected. In her first full competitive year, she finished P3 in the 2022 Zealand Championship. In the following year, she won four out of five rounds in junior karting in the Zealand Championship, and took first place in the series. This season, Larsen has joined the F1 Academy grid, alongside…

As the summer break winds down, we review some of the new rookies’ best performances of the season. The 2025 F1 season brought a new atmosphere to the sport. With existing drivers re-shuffling around the grid, and some of the biggest driver moving to new teams. But this season, the sport also welcomed a new class of rookies to the grid. As a rookie navigating a new sport, new team and new attention, it is challenging to have exceptional results right out of the gate. But this year’s class of rookies have had a stellar string of performances throughout the…

As we move on to the second half of the 2025 F1 Academy season, here are some of the ones to watch. The F1 Academy series returned to the 2025 season with a class of new rookies, some familiar faces and the same competitive racing. To recap, the season kicked off at the Shanghai GP. Here we saw returning drivers appear strongest, with Pin taking a win and Weug and Chambers taking double podiums. However, there were also drivers newer to the series, like Alisha Palmowski, who made waves with a win in the first Race. Throughout the first four…

As the team works to understand an unsuccessful upgrade, Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin forecasts stronger performances post-summer break. Mercedes has had a fairly positive season so far, ending the first half of the season with a podium at the Hungaroring. They started off the season in strong form, earning four podiums, and bringing in significant points hauls in the first six rounds of the calendar. They have had many highlights in the first half of the season. A P3 and P4 at the first race in Australia was followed by a podium by Russell in Miami. Its best performance came at…

The Hungarian GP was a memorable one for Tuukka Taponen, who scored his first-ever podium of the season. But his eyes are already on the next target, a win in Monza. The ART Grand Prix driver did not show pace at the start of the weekend in Free Practice. But he shook up the order in Qualifying to land in P3 among the top Championship contenders. In the end, he managed to maintain his position throughout a wet, hectic race to come home in third. This was a happy feat for Taponen and ART, who have struggled this season with…