After a couple of weeks off, the F1 Academy schedule resumes this week with the second race weekend of the 2025 marketing campaign, because the grid heads to Saudi Arabia to tackle the difficult Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Whereas this could be the second race weekend of the F1 Academy season, it’s not the grid’s first cease in Jeddah this 12 months. The F1 Academy grid held three days of testing on the difficult road circuit earlier this month, giving the groups and drivers an early take a look at what to anticipate when the lap occasions depend for actual this week.
Listed here are the key storylines because the F1 Academy grid roars to life in Saudi Arabia this week.
Doriane Pin was dominant in Jeddah final 12 months, with a catch
Final 12 months the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix hosted the primary race of the F1 Academy season, a season that noticed Mercedes driver Doriane Pin enter as one of many favorites to take dwelling the Drivers’ Championship by the tip of the 12 months. Pin held up her finish of the cut price, taking the win within the first race and coming throughout the road in P1 within the second.
Nonetheless, her dominant weekend took a flip moments later.
Because of a miscommunication along with her staff, Pin took the checkered flag and stored on driving, believing there was yet another lap left within the race. She accomplished two laps a full pace till a pink flag was proven, and following an investigation she was given a drive-through penalty.
Since that penalty couldn’t be served with the race over, it was transformed to a 20-second penalty. That dropped her to ninth and promoted Abbi Pulling to the win, a victory that helped launch Pulling’s championship season.
Pin enters this race weekend once more as a favourite, and atop the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship, six factors forward of Maya Weug. You possibly can guess that she would love a little bit of redemption in Jeddah this weekend.
Maya Weug heads to Jeddah on a excessive be aware
Whereas Pin entered the 2024 season as one of many favorites for the Drivers’ Championship, she was not alone. One other favourite was Maya Weug, who entered 2024 with a protracted racing resume of her personal, together with expertise in Italian F4. However a troublesome stretch on the Spanish Grand Prix — the place she completed exterior the factors in each races — doomed her title probabilities. She scored one win final season, nevertheless it got here within the closing race of the 12 months after Abbi Pulling had already clinched the title.
She started this season as she did her 2024 marketing campaign, with a P3 within the first race of the 12 months and a P2 within the second. However she enters this weekend’s races in Saudi Arabia with quite a lot of confidence, given how she carried out over three days of testing on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit earlier this month. She topped the timing sheets on the third and closing day of testing and appeared sturdy all through the three days in Saudi Arabia, as she was second quickest on the second day.
“It’s been optimistic,” Weug mentioned after testing. “We tried numerous stuff, it’s been actually sizzling out right here. It’s a very cool observe and to get it proper each time is unimaginable, however we should get as constant as attainable forward of Qualifying subsequent week.”
Have been groups taking part in it near the vest throughout testing?
With the grid coming off three days of testing in Jeddah, the drivers ought to all have the ability to hit the bottom working later this week.
That features all of the rookies, in addition to 2023 returnee Chloe Chong, who drove for Prema Racing that season when Jeddah was not on the schedule.
However will probably be fascinating to see if groups have been hiding their true tempo throughout testing and can take a giant step ahead when the lap occasions depend for actual later this week. No less than one driver thinks that’s the case.
“Within the pecking order we’re up there,” mentioned Purple Bull-backed Alisha Palmowski, who drives for Campos Racing, after testing. “To be sincere, it’s been tough to see the true tempo of all people all through testing as a result of I believe there’s been a couple of techniques — slowing down perhaps in Sector 3 so that you simply don’t go quickest on the finish of the session.
“Some folks might have been sandbagging, us included. I’d prefer to say prime three or prime 4, we must be round that cause. I’d like to be on pole, would like to win the races, however clearly it’s nonetheless early days within the season, so I simply want to gather the factors,” added Palmowski.
Alisha Palmowski a darkish horse in Saudi Arabia
Talking of Palmowski, the rookie could be a darkish horse to observe later this week. She was third quickest on the opening day of testing, and moved as much as second on Day Two.
She can be coming off an amazing begin to the season, as she received the primary race on the Chinese language Grand Prix, and took P2 within the second race. With 18 factors already on the season, Palmowski enters the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend sitting fourth within the standings, behind Pin, Weug, and her Campos Racing teammate Chloe Chambers.
All three of these drivers have been on the F1 Academy grid a season in the past.
