F1A: Read the latest of F1 Academy reports, news, opinions, and more by Pit Debrief.
Ella Lloyd made an immediate statement on Day 1 of F1 Academy in-season testing at Silverstone Circuit, topping the morning session with a commanding lap of 2:01.568. The McLaren-backed driver looked comfortable from the outset. She edged out fellow Brit Alisha Palmowski by just 0.023 seconds, while Lisa Billard impressed with a top-three result on…
Abbi Pulling is back on the 2026 GB3 grid with Rodin Motorsport, and she is determined to make this season count. The 2024 F1 Academy Champion, who claimed nine victories and stood on the podium in all 14 races of her title-winning campaign, endured a difficult debut GB3 season in 2025. She finished 10th in…
Australian rising talent Joanne Ciconte has reflected on the impact of her 2025 F1 Academy season, highlighting how much she learned from those around her, the role her teammates played in her development, and the growth the series has experienced, inspiring young female drivers across the world. In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief ahead…
Last week, Doriane Pin became the first woman to drive the Mercedes F1 car. The French driver is the reigning F1 Academy champion and a Development Driver for the Mercedes team. Speaking of her experience, Pin said: “It was the best day of my life.” Pin completed 76 laps around Silverstone On April 17th at…
Rachel Robertson’s first full F1 Academy season got underway at the 2026 Chinese GP as the Hitech driver showed strong pace in Shanghai before a retirement ended her Feature Race. Robertson joined Hitech for the 2026 season after a standout substitute appearance in Las Vegas, where she claimed P4 in Race 1 and Hitech’s best…
MP Motorsport Team Manager Wouter Blokhuis leaves the 2026 F1 Academy season opener in Shanghai with strong belief in the team’s potential. Fielding Alba Larsen, Nina Gademan and rookie Esmee Kosterman, both Larsen and Gademan showed clear promise, signaling that strong results could come in the near future as the season continues to unfold. Most…
Doriane Pin makes history in a private test at Silverstone, becoming the first female to ever drive a Mercedes F1 car. Having impressed in endurance racing, Pin joined forces with Mercedes in 2024 as she began her first F1 Academy season. The French driver won the opening race of the campaign in Jeddah with a…
17 year-old Australian driver Joanne Ciconte may have been the youngest driver on the 2025 F1 Academy grid, yet her talent and potential quickly marked her as one to watch. Driving for MP Motorsport, she went on to finish 14th in the Drivers’ Standings with 8 points. In 2025, Ciconte raced the first three rounds…
Hitech leaves the 2026 F1 Academy Chinese GP with one point, as Team Manager Dan Hodder notes the team still hasn’t maximized its potential. The British outfit’s point came from rookie Ava Dobson, who qualified P9, finished just outside the points in Race 1, and claimed her maiden F1 Academy point in Race 2, finishing…
Nina Gademan began her 2026 F1 Academy season in encouraging fashion at the Chinese GP. She claimed a Race 1 victory and a P4 finish in Race 2 to leave Shanghai third in the Drivers’ Standings with 22 points. The MP Motorsport driver, backed by Alpine, faced an early setback in Qualifying when traffic limited…
