F1 Academy returns for its fourth season and its third on the F1 support bill. Feeder Series tells you everything you need to know about the upcoming season of the all-female F4-level championship backed by 10 F1 teams.
By Kaylene Lau
Last season, Doriane Pin took the championship title with four wins and a total of 172 points. The Mercedes development driver will race in the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 Pro-Am class with Duqueine Team.
Ten F1 teams will each support one car on the grid this year, with new team Cadillac joining in 2027. It was also announced in November that starting from 2027, drivers who have completed two seasons in the series may be granted an exemption to race in the series for a third year if it is believed that doing so would benefit their development. No drivers on the grid this year will be racing for a third season.
The calendar
Silverstone will join the F1 Academy calendar for the first time this year, while Austin makes its return. These two races will replace the rounds at Miami and Singapore. In Jeddah, F1 Academy will join F2 as the other junior single-seater support series on the F1 support bill. In Silverstone, the series will race alongside both F2 and F3, the first time that has happened since the 2024 Barcelona round.
- Round 1: Shanghai International Circuit (13–15 March)
- Round 2: Jeddah Corniche Circuit (17–19 April)
- Round 3: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (22–24 May)
- Round 4: Silverstone Circuit (3–5 July)
- Round 5: Circuit Zandvoort (21–23 August)
- Round 6: Circuit of the Americas (23–25 October)
- Round 7: Las Vegas Strip Circuit (19–21 November)
The format
One 40-minute free practice session will take place on Friday before the 30-minute qualifying session on the same day. The grid for Saturday’s race is set by reversing the eight fastest drivers from qualifying. The grid for Sunday’s race will be set using the results of qualifying. Both races will run for up to 30 minutes.
The top eight drivers from race one will score points, with the winner being awarded 10 points all the way down to one for eighth place. Race two will award the top 10 drivers points, with 25 for the winner down to one for the 10th-place finisher. One point will be awarded to the driver with the fastest lap within the top eight finishers in race one or the top 10 finishers in race two. Two points will also be given to the driver who starts race two from pole position.
Where to watch
F1 Academy sessions will be streamed live on F1 TV and on the series’ X and YouTube accounts. Live timing will be available via the F1 Academy website.
Teams and drivers
All drivers in the series are young women aged between 16 and 25 at their first entry of the season. In addition to the 17 full-season drivers, one wild card driver will race in each round with a car operated by Hitech. The wild card driver initiative was introduced to showcase talent from the regions where F1 Academy races. Previously, when no such drivers were able to enter, the series has accepted drivers interested in participating in F1 Academy in the future.
Shi Wei (#24) will return as the wild card driver for the round in Shanghai. In her outing as the wild card last year, Shi retired from race one and finished race two in 14th. She also raced in two rounds of Chinese F4, her home series, with her best results being two 12th-place finishes in the second round at Shanghai.
Prema Racing
Prema will enter the season as the defending teams’ champions for the third year in a row. Last season’s champion Pin drove for Prema alongside Tina Hausmann and Nina Gademan. This year, the team will field an all-rookie line-up as Pin and Hausmann depart the series while Gademan moves to MP.
Joining Prema this year is Mathilda Paatz (#8), who will be replacing Hausmann as the Aston Martin–supported driver. Last year, the 17-year-old German mainly raced in F4 CEZ with Mathilda Racing, finishing eighth in the standings with 94 points. She also ran brief campaigns in E4, Italian F4 and the Formula Winter Series. She once again raced in three rounds of FWS early this year, with a best finish of third in race three of the opener at Estoril. Paatz was also the wild card driver for last year’s round in Montreal, where she finished 11th in race two but retired from races one and three.
Joining Paatz at Prema is Payton Westcott (#9), who will replace Pin as the Mercedes-supported driver. The 16-year-old American raced in Italian F4 with Van Amersfoort Racing last year, finishing 48th in the standings with a best finish of 20th. She also raced briefly in E4, FWS, Saudi Arabian F4 and Formula Trophy. In Formula Trophy, Westcott took one win in race two at Dubai. Early this year, she raced in three rounds of UAE4 with Prema, finishing 21st in the standings with six points. After topping the afternoon session of the F1 Academy rookie test last September, Westcott was named the wild card driver for the season finale in Las Vegas last year, and she scored points on debut by finishing sixth in race one.
Completing Prema’s line-up for 2026 is Natalia Granada (#19), who will be making her single-seater debut. The 18-year-old Spaniard has been supported by the Iron Dames, who share a parent company with Prema, since 2023. Her last full campaign in any championship was in senior karting in the Spanish Karting Championship in 2024, the same year she also raced in the X30 Senior class of the IAME Euro Series. She made her GT debut in the Ligier European Series later that year as well, stepping in for 2023 F1 Academy champion Marta García for the round at Mugello. Last year in the F1 Academy rookie test, she was seventh fastest in the morning session and eighth in the afternoon session. Granada will be backed by Sephora.
Campos Racing
Last season, Campos finished second in the teams’ standings, fielding a line-up consisting of three Red Bull–affiliated drivers. With lead driver Chloe Chambers departing the series having completed two years, the team will field one rookie driver alongside the returning Red Bull Academy Programme pair.
The rookie in Campos’ 2026 line-up is Megan Bruce (#4), who will be supported by TAG Heuer this year. The 21-year-old Briton has been racing in GB4 for the last two years, finishing 20th in the standings in 2025 with KMR Sport and 11th in 2024 with Fox Motorsport. Bruce also raced in Saudi Arabian F4 last year, finishing 15th in the standings with 13 points. She raced in the F1 Academy round in Singapore last year, stepping in for an injured Aiva Anagnostiadis and finishing 12th and 13th in the two races. To prepare for her main campaign in F1 Academy, Bruce also raced in the fourth round of FWS with Campos this year, with her best finish being 18th in race two.
Rafaela Ferreira (#18) will remain with Campos for her sophomore season in F1 Academy. The 20-year-old Brazilian finished 12th in her first season in the series with 18 points. Her best finish was fifth, which came on her debut in race one in Shanghai. She also competed in two rounds of Brazilian F4 last year, taking one win at Interlagos in the second race of the F1 grand prix weekend. Earlier this year, she raced in the first round of FWS, with her best finish being 19th in the third race. Ferreira will continue to be backed by Racing Bulls this year.
Joining Ferreira in staying with Campos for her second year in the series is Alisha Palmowski (#21). Palmowski finished fifth in the championship in her rookie year, taking five podiums, one of which was a win on debut in Shanghai. She finished the season with a total of 91 points. Earlier this year, Palmowski also raced in two rounds of FWS, with her best finish being fourth in the first race at Estoril. The 19-year-old Briton will continue to race in Red Bull colours this year and will aim for a title charge as the second-highest-placed returnee.
MP Motorsport
Last year, MP Motorsport finished third in the standings with a total of 235 points. Maya Weug, who finished second last year, will depart the series now that she has completed two seasons, and Joanne Ciconte will race in the Kyojo Cup in Japan this year. This year, the team will field a line-up consisting of two returning drivers – one of whom is changing teams – and one rookie.
Departing Prema to race with MP this year is Nina Gademan (#3), who will continue to be backed by Alpine. The 22-year-old from the Netherlands finished sixth in her maiden season of the championship last year, taking one win at her home race in Zandvoort. She took three additional podiums – a second-place finish in the season finale at Las Vegas and a pair of third-place finishes in Montréal – and finished the season with a total of 74 points. Last year, Gademan also raced in FWS, finishing 15th in the standings with 13 points; in British F4’s Silverstone Grand Prix and Zandvoort events; in two rounds of Saudi Arabian F4, taking two podiums in the season opener in Bahrain and finishing ninth overall with 41 points; and in one round of Formula Trophy.
Alba Larsen (#12) will return to the series this year, remaining with MP. The 17-year-old Dane was backed by Tommy Hilfiger last year, but she will race in Ferrari colours having joined the Ferrari Driver Academy from the start of this year. She finished seventh in the championship last year with a total of 70 points. Larsen also raced in select rounds of British F4 last year with Chris Dittmann Racing and finished 23rd in the standings with 27 points. Early this year, Larsen raced in three rounds of UAE4 with Evans GP, with a best finish of 10th in race three in round one at Yas Marina.
The only rookie on the team this year will be Esmee Kosterman (#32), who will race with backing from Lego. The 20-year-old from the Netherlands raced in three rounds of British F4 last year as well as the non-championship F1 support races, with her best finish being 11th in race one at Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit. She also raced in four rounds of Saudi Arabian F4 and finished 10th in the standings with 43 points. Kosterman was the wild card driver for last year’s round in Zandvoort, finishing 12th in race one and seventh in race two.
Rodin Motorsport
Rodin finished fourth in the championship last year with a total of 164 points. The team fielded a line-up of Emma Felbermayr, Ella Lloyd and Chloe Chong last season, but with Chong departing the series having finished two years, one rookie driver is set to join Felbermayr and Lloyd as part of Rodin this year.
Emma Felbermayr (#5) will remain with Rodin this year for her second season in the series. The 19-year-old Austrian finished 10th in the standings last year and took her maiden win in the second race at Montreal. She finished the season with a total of 37 points. Felbermayr also raced in Spanish F4 last year, finishing 29th in the overall standings with a best finish of 13th, which she achieved in the first race at Barcelona. The Audi junior driver also raced in three rounds of UAE4 earlier this year, with her best finish being 12th in race three in round two at Yas Marina.
Remaining with Rodin for her second season in F1 Academy is Ella Lloyd (#20). The McLaren junior driver was the highest-placed rookie last year, finishing fourth in the standings with five podiums, one of which was a win in race one at Jeddah. The 20-year-old from Wales finished the season with a total of 109 points. Lloyd also raced in British F4 last year, finishing 14th in the overall standings with one podium – which she achieved in the second race at Zandvoort – and second in the Challenge Cup for part-time entrants. She took part in the Formula E women’s test in Valencia with Envision Racing in November of last year, finishing fifth in both the morning and afternoon sessions. Lloyd will also take part in the rookie test with Envision in Madrid in late March this year.
Joining Rodin for her single-seater debut is Ella Stevens (#28). The 19-year-old Briton will step up from karting. Last year, Stevens won the Shenington Kart Racing Club championship’s KZ2 class and finished second in the same class in the British Kart Championship. Stevens participated in the F1 Academy rookie test last year, setting the fastest time in the morning session and the third-fastest time in the afternoon. The McLaren junior driver will be backed by McLaren Oxagon.
ART Grand Prix
ART finished fifth in the championship last year with a total of 57 points scored among Courtney Crone, Aurelia Nobels and Lia Block. With all three of their 2025 drivers departing the series, however, the French outfit will field an all-rookie line-up for 2026.
Lisa Billard (#14) will join ART for her maiden F1 Academy season. The 16-year-old French driver contested her first full season of French F4 last year and finished highest of the series’ six female competitors, coming home 19th. Her best finish was ninth in Spa. Billard took part in the F1 Academy rookie test and finished as the second-fastest driver in the morning session and fourth-fastest driver in the afternoon. She was also the wild card driver for the round in Singapore, qualifying fifth, the best position obtained by a wild card driver last year. Billard will race with backing from Gatorade, who sponsored her in her wild card appearance.
Likewise joining ART for her maiden season in the series is Kaylee Countryman (#91), who will replace Crone as the Haas-backed driver. The 16-year-old American will also run a campaign in the USF2000 Championship, the second step on the IndyCar ladder. She raced in the entry-level USF Juniors last year with Exclusive Autosport, finishing 16th in the standings with a total of 89 points. She also stepped up to USF2000 for two rounds last year, with a best finish of 11th at Toronto. Earlier this year, Countryman raced in three rounds of UAE4 with Pinnacle Motorsport, with a best finish of 28th in race one in round two at Yas Marina. She also raced in the last two rounds of Formula Trophy in December after injuring her ankle before round one, and her best finish was 17th in the first race of the finale at Yas Marina.
Completing ART’s line-up for 2026 is Jade Jacquet (#95), who will replace Block as the Williams-supported driver in the series. The 16-year-old Frenchwoman raced in French F4 last year, with her best finish being 11th in the final round at Le Mans. Jacquet also took part in the F1 Academy rookie test, finishing 11th in the morning session and seventh in the afternoon.
Hitech
Entering the series last year, Hitech finished sixth in the championship with a total of 20 points. Aiva Anagnostiadis and Nicole Havrda, their drivers from last season, will both depart the series. This year, the team will field a line-up consisting of two rookies while also operating the car for the wild card driver at each round.
Joining Hitech for her maiden season in the series is Ava Dobson (#55), who replaces Havrda as the American Express–supported driver. The 17-year-old American raced in GB4 last year for Arden and finished 19th in the standings, taking one podium in race two in the finale at Donington Park. Dobson concluded the season as the top female driver in GB4 and was awarded a career contribution prize of €50,000, which she will put towards her F1 Academy seat. Dobson also raced in Saudi Arabian F4 last year, finishing 11th in the standings with a total of 36 points. She was the F1 Academy wild card driver for the round in Miami last year, finishing the sole race of the weekend in 13th.
Partnering Dobson at Hitech will be Rachel Robertson (#56). The 18-year-old Scottish driver raced in the Radical Cup UK last year, finishing third in the championship. She then made her single-seater debut in Saudi Arabian F4 last year, finishing 13th in the standings with 19 points. Robertson stepped in for Anagnostiadis at Las Vegas last year in F1 Academy, finishing fourth in race one and 14th in race two. She will be supported by Puma this year.
The grid at a glance
| Prema Racing | 8 | Mathilda Paatz (R) |
| 9 | Payton Westcott (R) | |
| 19 | Natalia Granada (R) | |
| Campos Racing | 4 | Megan Bruce (R) |
| 18 | Rafaela Ferreira | |
| 21 | Alisha Palmowski | |
| MP Motorsport | 3 | Nina Gademan |
| 12 | Alba Larsen | |
| 32 | Esmee Kosterman (R) | |
| Rodin Motorsport | 5 | Emma Felbermayr |
| 20 | Ella Lloyd | |
| 28 | Ella Stevens (R) | |
| ART Grand Prix | 14 | Lisa Billard (R) |
| 91 | Kaylee Countryman (R) | |
| 95 | Jade Jacquet (R) | |
| Hitech | 55 | Ava Dobson (R) |
| 56 | Rachel Robertson (R) | |
| Wild card driver (rotating) |
Header photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
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