By Steven Oldham Cover photo: F1 Academy
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Alisha Palmowski to race for Campos in 2025
The F1 Academy season starts this weekend in Shanghai, China – and Glossop’s Alisha Palmowski will line up on the grid as a full time driver after impressing as the wild card last year in Qatar.
Palmowski bagged an excellent fifth place finish – and ten points – in Lusail in her first race in this competition. Any opportunity to add to this was taken away, as the second race was cancelled due to track damage.
A multi-time winner in the GB4 Championship, vice champion on three occasions and a string of podium finishes across other formulae provide Palmowski with a lot of experience, despite her young age.
The 18-year-old Red Bull-backed racer will drive for Campos in car 21, who finished third in last season’s Championship. They won one race through the American pilot Chloe Chambers in the second race in Barcelona. Palmowski’s team-mates this year will be Chambers, and the debuting Brazilian Rafaela Ferreira – supported by the Racing Bulls.
READ MORE: F1 Academy: Top 5 finish for Glossop’s Palmowski
F1 Academy Chinese Grand Prix start times
PRACTICE: 1am, Friday 21st March
QUALIFYING: 6am, Friday 21st March
RACE ONE: 5:45am, Saturday 22nd March
RACE TWO: 2:40am, Sunday 23rd March
All sessions are live on Sky Sports F1, and all session times are GMT
F1 Academy calendar
The 2025 F1 Academy season is again made up of 14 races across seven tracks, with all events in support of the Formula One Grand Prix happening that weekend.
It’s a first race in China for the series, with last year’s season opener in Saudi Arabia moved to the second race. There are also debuts for Canada and Las Vegas, with Spain, Qatar and Abu Dhabi dropping off the calendar.
Race one will become a reverse grid race, further aligning the series with F2 and F3.
| Race | Location | Date |
| 1,2 | Shanghai, China | 21-23 March 2025 |
| 3,4 | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 18-20 April 2025 |
| 5,6 | Miami, USA | 2-4 May 2025 |
| 7,8 | Montreal, Canada | 13-15 June 2025 |
| 9,10 | Zandvoort, Netherlands | 29-31 August 2025 |
| 11,12 | Marina Bay, Singapore | 3-5 October 2025 |
| 13,14 | Las Vegas, USA | 20-22 November 2025 |
Lots of change on the F1 Academy grid
A new team joins the grid this year, taking the fledgling series up to six constructors for the first time in its’ short history. HiTech TGR will field two full time drivers – Canada’s Nicole Havrda and Australia’s Aiva Anagnostiadis – and take responsibility for the wild card drivers in place of Prema. Homegrown talent Shi Wei will take the first wild card seat of the year in Shanghai.
F1 Academy’s two-season maximum term for drivers was always going to bring wholesale changes in it’s third year. As such, the formula says goodbye to a raft of drivers, including last year’s runaway title winner Abbi Pulling and Cumbrian driver Jess Edgar.
Pulling’s team Rodin continue British representation in two of their three cars. Palmowski’s fellow wild card, Ella Lloyd is rewarded with a full drive this season after the McLaren stable driver achieved a double points finish as a wild card last year. Another Brit, Chloe Chong, returns to the series having driven in the inaugural season, and they’ll be partnered by Austrian newcomer – and Kick Sauber backed – Emma Felbermayr.
Countdown is ON.
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) March 20, 2025
T-minus one day until we're is back on track.#F1Academy #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/gjeM8y0WTS
Pin leads Prema in hunt for title
Reigning ream champions Prema will once again be led by Pulling’s nearest title rival, Doriane Pin. The French driver won three races last season and will start the season hotly-tipped as a leading contender for the series.
Prema’s drivers enjoy the backing of three F1 teams – with Pin representing Mercedes, Swiss driver Tina Hausmann for Aston Martin and former wild-card Nina Gademan takes over the Alpine support afforded to Pulling last year.
Weug to lead MP Motorsport
MP Motorsport made potentially the signing of the off-season by securing Maya Weug’s services for the season ahead. The Ferrari-backed driver notched up eight podiums – including victory in the final race of the season last year – while wearing Prema colours.
She’ll be joined by a pair of F1 Academy rookies – Denmark’s Alba Larsen and Australian Joanne Ciconte. Both drivers are just 16, but already have experience in F4 under their belts.
ART lock in Block
ART retain both Lia Block and Aurelia Nobels from last year and their lineup is completed by Courtney Crone, who was a wild card in the Miami event. Williams driver Block was the team’s top performer last year, notching up a season’s best of fourth in both Singapore races.
Nobels scored points on six occasions and will be looking to improve that tally this year. Crone replaces compatriot Chloe Chambers as the Haas representative this year.
Drivers headed for the F1 Academy exit door
As mentioned earlier, drivers may take part in no more than two seasons in the series in order to increase opportunity for more drivers to take part.
Three of last season’s top five are not in the sport this year, with champion Pulling remaining with Rodin while moving to GB3. Fourth and fifth-placed drivers Nerea Marti and Hamda Al Qubaisi also depart, with both winning races in the 2023 season.
Filipina driver Bianca Bustamente bows out after five podium finishes, while Carrie Schreiner leaves the category with one win under her belt. Emely de Heus, Jess Edgar, Lola Lovinfosse and Amna Al Qubaisi also move on after finishing outside the top ten last year.
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