In 2023, the grid of one of three F1 Academy races each weekend was determined by flipping the top eight qualifiers. The reverse-grid race – also used in F2, F3, and many F4 series – gave drivers an opportunity to hone their racecraft. In light of the announcement of the 2025 calendar, Feeder Series asked several F1 Academy drivers if they’d like to see it return.

By Calla Kra-Caskey

When F1 Academy joined the Formula 1 support bill at the beginning of the year, a calendar crunch necessitated cutting down the schedule. In some cases, this meant eliminating one of the previous two practice sessions; in all cases, the weekend schedule was trimmed from three races to two.

The odd race out was the 20-minute reverse grid race. The schedule change has obviously resulted in less track time for the drivers, but it has also had the side effect of fewer overtakes, fewer race winners and a more spread-out championship.

As the lowest-level series on F1’s support bill, F1 Academy is the least prioritised series when it comes to schedule. Across seven rounds in 2024, F1 Academy was the sole single-seater support series in three rounds, ran alongside F2 in three rounds, and ran alongside both F2 and F3 in one round.

However, the recently released 2025 calendar avoids the track-time problem almost entirely: F1 Academy will be the sole single-seater support series on track in six out of seven rounds next year. 

Although there has been no indication from F1 or F1 Academy that the weekend schedule will expand to contain three races once again, Feeder Series asked several F1 Academy drivers whether the return of the reverse grid race would be valuable to them. 

“I struggled quite a lot with the reverse grid because I wasn’t so good at being aggressive. In the mid-pack it’s very tight and you have to be aggressive, but I think it helped me a lot in that area,” said Hamda Al Qubaisi, who finished third overall in the championship last year. The Emirati driver took three out of her four victories on the regular-grid, 30-minute races, including two from pole position. 

F1 Academy first-year driver Tina Hausmann explained that she enjoyed watching the reverse grid races from home as she prepared for her 2024 campaign in the series.

“They made everything much more interesting. For the driver as well, you can learn because you’re in a different position you wouldn’t be usually, and for the people watching it it’s much more interesting.” 

F1 Academy is certainly aware of “the people watching”. Races are broadcast on both F1TV and YouTube with a unique intro and graphics package. Official social media channels have 770,000 followers on Instagram and over 90,000 on X (formerly Twitter), and film crews from Hello Sunshine have been following the drivers around all season for an upcoming television series, expected to be released on Netflix next spring.

Qatar wild card entrant Alisha Palmowski, a likely future F1 Academy driver, saw Hausmann’s point. 

“From the fan perspective, I think it really could mix things up and give drivers an opportunity who may have had a poor qualifying for whatever reason, whether a car issue or a mistake,” she said.. “It gives them a chance to get up front. So I think absolutely it would be a great addition.” 

This year, Palmowski was the GB4 runner-up. In GB4, reverse grids are generated by flipping the entire qualifying order, not just the top eight. Palmowski, who frequently qualified in the first two rows, often had to work her way through the entire grid and even took a victory at Snetterton after starting last. 

“I’ve experienced a reverse-grid race in GB4 this year and it’s my favourite race of the weekend. I absolutely love them. They’re absolute chaos, to be totally honest,” the British driver said. 

“It’s a completely different skill required to race mid-pack and have that racecraft to try and get through to the front of the field. It’s one skill being out front, being out quickly, being able to be consistent and defend, but it’s a completely different skill, which it would be great to see how everybody got on.” 

This year has been characterised by drivers getting to the front – or, far more frequently, starting in front – and staying there. In fact, no overtake for the lead has happened beyond the first corner. That means the frontrunners rarely have to fight to gain positions.

Championship leader Abbi Pulling, who has yet to finish off the podium, hasn’t made a single overtake this season. 

Although she won’t be back next year, Al Qubaisi said the series should reintroduce the reverse grid race as “it mixes up the order a bit and makes the championship a bit tighter in terms of points”. 

Hausmann was wary about reintroducing a reverse-grid race without expanding the weekend calendar. 

“I hope it will be an additional race, so let’s say a third one, as you have in last season,” she said. “That would be perfect. I think if you would have two races, it would be better to not have it, but for an additional one, I would absolutely love to have that.”

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency