Rafaela Ferreira entered the 2025 F1 Academy season as one of the promising new faces on the grid. Driving for Campos Racing and representing the Racing Bulls F1 Team, the Brazilian rookie has already shown glimpses of potential across the opening four rounds. Nevertheless, inconsistency and race incidents have tempered her progress. With nine points to her name, Ferreira currently sits twelfth in the championship standings. Her campaign so far has featured a promising debut, a difficult middle phase, and a challenging Canadian weekend.
A strong debut in Shanghai
Ferreira began her F1 Academy journey in Shanghai with a clear statement of intent to start of 2025. In Race 1, she delivered a composed and competitive performance to finish fifth, collecting ten points on debut. This result instantly placed her on the radar as one of the rookies to watch in 2025. Despite the chaotic nature of midfield battles, Ferreira maintained control and avoided incidents, demonstrating maturity well beyond her limited single-seater experience.
In Race 2, she followed up with another points-paying finish, taking eighth place. While not as strong as her opening effort, this result still contributed valuable points to her early-season total and reflected consistent pace across the weekend. The Shanghai round, therefore, marked a successful start to Ferreira’s rookie campaign.
Difficulties in Jeddah
The momentum gained in China, however, did not carry into the second round in Jeddah. The Saudi Arabian street circuit presented unique challenges for Ferreira, and she struggled to extract the same performance level as she had in the opening round of 2025. In both Race 1 and Race 2, she finished thirteenth, narrowly missing out on the points in each.
Although Ferreira avoided major incidents, her lack of qualifying pace and difficulty in overtaking limited her opportunities to move forward in the races. The back-to-back results outside the top ten signalled the first significant hurdle in her season. Nonetheless, the Jeddah weekend provided crucial track time and exposed areas requiring development, particularly in adapting to street circuits and high-pressure environments.
Solid but unremarkable in Miami
Ferreira returned to the points in 2025 F1 Academy Miami round, securing eighth place in Race 1. Despite not challenging for the podium, her consistency and clean racing allowed her to capitalise on retirements and mistakes from others. The second race, originally scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled due to extreme weather. As a result, Ferreira left Florida with a modest points haul but remained in touch with the top ten in the championship.
This round illustrated her ability to regroup after setbacks. While not as dynamic as her Shanghai debut, Miami offered a stabilising performance and underscored her value to Campos Racing’s midfield efforts.
A challenging triple in Montreal
Montreal proved to be the most demanding event of Ferreira’s season thus far. In Race 1, contact with Chloe Chong late in the race damaged her car, forcing her to cross the line unclassified but still recorded as finishing thirteenth. The misfortune continued into Race 2, where Ferreira retired and was not classified. In Race 3, she battled within the midfield but ultimately finished twelfth, narrowly missing out on points again.
Throughout the 2025 F1 Academy Canadian weekend, Ferreira showed determination and racecraft in challenging conditions. However, her efforts were frequently hampered by contact, lockups, and traffic. While pace was evident in flashes, the results did not materialise.
Mid-season assessment
After four rounds in the 2025 F1 Academy season, Ferreira has collected nine points, all scored within the first three races of the season. While her current twelfth-place standing reflects a drop-off since Shanghai, she remains the highest-scoring rookie among several newcomers and continues to outscore her more experienced teammate in certain sessions.
Her learning curve in 2025 has been steep. Although the Canadian weekend exposed areas for improvement, Ferreira’s race starts, defensive driving, and ability to rebound after mistakes remain key positives. If she can regain her early-season form and combine it with improved consistency, Ferreira is well-positioned to challenge for top ten finishes more regularly in the second half of the season.
Ultimately, her rookie campaign so far has been a mix of promise and pitfalls. However, with the pace and potential clearly present, the remainder of the season will provide ample opportunity for Rafaela Ferreira to solidify her place in the series and continue her progression under the Racing Bulls banner.
