Chloe Chambers entered the 2025 F1 Academy season with heightened expectations, as she joined Campos Racing under the backing of the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme for her second season in the series. It was a step that signalled belief in her long-term potential, and by the final chequered flag in Las Vegas, she had firmly justified that faith.
The American driver delivered the strongest campaign of her single-seater career so far, combining raw pace with maturity to secure third in the Drivers’ Championship with 127 points. This included two victories, and a season-long presence near the front of the field. Chambers’ 2025 F1 Academy season was a transition from promising talent to a genuine contender.
Strong Qualifying pace
From the outset, Chambers showcased her strongest weapon: qualifying pace. Her one-lap speed quickly became a standout feature of her season, and by the time the races passed, she had established herself as a regular front-row threat. She took four pole positions at Jeddah, Miami, Montreal and Las Vegas, and recorded seven front-row starts. Even on weekends where race execution proved more challenging, her ability to start near the front ensured she was always in the fight for meaningful points.
Early points foundation
Chambers began the 2025 F1 Academy season with steady performances that built a solid foundation for her campaign. She scored a pair of top-three finishes in Shanghai, taking P2 and P3 to stay firmly within the early championship picture. In Jeddah, she converted pole position into a P2 finish in Race 2, adding further valuable points.
Miami presented challenges with weather disruptions, including the cancellation of Race 2. Despite this, she managed a strong P4 in Race 1, avoiding the chaos that affected multiple rivals.
Mid-season momentum and the first win
The turning point in Chambers’ season came during the mid-summer rounds, where she converted her early consistency into real momentum. Her Montreal weekend started frustratingly. Contact with teammate Alisha Palmowski in Race 1 damaged her front wing, ending her hopes of capitalising on the pole position she had earned from the Miami Race 2 starting grid.
Race 2 brought similar misfortune. While attempting an overtake on Doriane Pin, the move failed to stick, and the Red Bull Ford driver spun across the run-off area, dropping to P14 and missing another opportunity to score strongly.
Chambers managed to turn her frustrations into a spectacular display in Race 3, where she used her start from pole position to control the race from the front, also coming away with the fastest lap to secure her first win of the season.
Out of championship contention
The Zandvoort round marked the low point in Chambers’ 2025 F1 Academy title challenge. She finished P5 in Race 1, a respectable result given the circuit’s tight nature, but Race 2 ended in disappointment. A technical problem forced her to retire before the start, while both Pin and Weug scored heavily. This setback dropped Chambers significantly out of championship contention. With the title now out of reach, her mindset shifted, allowing her to race with freedom and without pressure.
A determined podium
Chambers needed a near-perfect weekend to maintain slim title hopes heading into Singapore. She secured P3 in Qualifying, giving her a second-row start for Race 2. In Race 1, she delivered a determined drive from P6 to finish P3, marking her sixth podium of the season.
In Race 2, she ran consistently in P4 until light rain began to fall. Her team opted to pit for wet tyres, but a subsequent Safety Car deployment allowed drivers who stayed on slicks to gain an advantage. Chambers re-joined from the pits to finish P11, suffering a major point loss that eliminated her from title contention heading into the final round.
The triumphant finale
The final round of the 2025 F1 Academy season on home soil at the Las Vegas Strip marked a spectacular return to form for Chambers, cementing her third-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship. She rose to the occasion under pressure, claiming her fourth pole position of the season and confirming her status as the driver with the most pole positions in 2025.
Race 1 began with heartbreak, as Chambers was forced to retire following a collision with Palmowski. However, she channelled her resilience into a dominant lights-to-flag victory in the final race. Executing a flawless start and maintaining complete control throughout, she extended her lead to over four seconds by the chequered flag. Chambers also secured the fastest lap, claiming the maximum 28 points for the weekend—25 for the win, 2 for pole, and 1 for the fastest lap.
This stellar performance was crucial in securing her third-place finish in the 2025 Drivers’ Standings, ending the season with 127 points and capping off a campaign that showcased both her speed and growing race maturity.
The next step
With Chambers completing her two-year stint in F1 Academy, she is set to progress to a higher-level racing series. Her future could include Formula E, having already demonstrated her versatility by taking part in the Formula E rookie test earlier this year. As a member of the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme, she also has access to a range of opportunities, particularly in sports car racing. She has already begun to build a strong and promising resume, with her previous experience in GT racing, where she scored 8 wins and a podium finish in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, prior to F1 Academy.
