When the 2024 F1 Academy season began, Mercedes driver Dorian Ping was considered a favorite to win the highest honors. The rich motorsports experience at Iron Dams at the Pin World Endurance Championship and the championship at the Ferrari Challenge put her at the top of the list of candidates heading into the schedule.
Ping certainly got off to a hot start, taking pole positions in both races at the F1 Academy season opener at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, leading all laps in both races to claim victory.
However, she was demoted for the ninth in her second race after a penalty was awarded for getting a checkered flag twice at race speed after a misunderstanding with the team.
Ping won two more wins on the schedule at the Dutch Grand Prix and Qatar Grand Prix, but she finished second to Alpine driver Abbipul.
Pulling will move ahead and drive in the GB3 Championship this season, but PIN will return to the grid for her second F1 Academy campaign this season. Is this her year?
Some other drivers may have something to say about it.
You should know other F1 Academy title candidates
Beyond the pin, four returning drivers from last season may finish in the top 10 for the Formula 1 Academy Driver Championship, and bet their point on this year's title.
Pin's F1 Academy teammate Maya Oog finished just behind her in the rankings, and the third place finish in the driver's championship pushed Premar race to the F1 Academy team title.
But Weug might have made more noise in the F1 Academy Drivers race if he couldn't stand the difficult start of the season. The Ferrari drivers won two podiums in their first six races and were completely closed at the Spanish Grand Prix, the third race of the 2024 F1 Academy season.
But from there, she completely changed the season. She won the podium in five consecutive races. From her first race at the Dutch Grand Prix to one race held at the Qatar Grand Prix, she won her first victory in the season finale at Yas Marina.
She is still racing at MP Motorsports under the Ferrari Banner this season and hopes to build that success to close the 2024 campaign.
Beyond Pull, Pin and Waug, only one other driver recorded victory during the 2024 Formula One Academy season.
It was Haas driver Chloe Chambers, who defeated the team's first victory at all levels when she won her second race at the Spanish Grand Prix:
The Chambers finished sixth in the Formula One Academy Drivers Championship last year, adding three more podiums to their resume in line with their victory at Barcelona. She returned this year for her second F1 Academy season. She also became a member of the Red Bull Racing Academy.
Next up is Lia Block, who finished 8th in the F1 Academy Drivers Championship last season. This was our first campaign in open wheel racing. Driving for the Art Grand Prix, Block, supported by Williams, scored points in seven pre-season races. She enjoyed a tremendous weekend in Singapore during the Singapore Grand Prix. He finished fourth in both races.
SB Nation I spoke to Brock before the Miami Grand Prix. The Miami Grand Prix went deeper into the racing background and first season with open wheel racing.
Finally, there's Tina Hausman, who has returned for her second season at Formula One Academy, but she's still a Premar and is 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, where she saw her retire from both races at the Miami Grand Prix, Houseman bouncing off in a pair of point finishes at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Hausman scored points in seven races last season and finished 10th in the Formula One Academy Driver Championship.
F1 Academy Rookie joining the grid
By ensuring as many driver opportunities as the F1 Academy's goals, there is a two-year limit on the number of seasons drivers can participate in. So, this season, some rookies have taken them to the grid full-time. With Hitech taking part as a full-time team this year, there are 17 full-time drivers and one wildcard slot.
New drivers include:
- Nicole Havruda, hitech tgr
- alva anagnostiadis, hitech tgr
- Nina Gademan, Premar Race/Alpine
- Emma Felbermire, Rodin Motorsports/Sauber
- Ella Lloyd, Rodin Motorsports/McLaren
- Chloe Chung, Rodin Motorsport
- Courtney Clone, 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
Additionally, the first wildcard driver in the season-opening race is Shi Wei, who drives for the Hitech TGR. Shi will become the first Chinese driver to be featured on the F1 Academy Grid, and will do so in his home country.
F1 Academy's first stop in China
The 2025 F1 Academy season will mark the third different season opener in the series with kicking off at the Chinese Grand Prix. The first F1 Academy season in 2023 began with the Red Bull Ring as a support race for the P9 Challenge, not the Austrian Grand Prix.
During the 2024 F1 Academy season, all seven races began with the F1 calendar support and Saudi Arabia's Grand Prix.
As in 2024, all seven races on the 2025 F1 Academy schedule will support racing on the F1 calendar.
This week marks the first stop in China for the Formula One Academy.
As mentioned above, Shi Wei will be the first Chinese driver to appear in the Formula 1 Academy race. “It's an incredible honor to receive a wildcard from the Formula One Academy, and I give you the opportunity to compete and learn alongside top drivers on a bigger stage.
“Hopefully, I can inspire the younger generations and bring more attention to the development of the motorsports and the automotive industry.”
