F1 Academy | Canadian GP | Race 2 | Felbermayr claims maiden victory

Emma Felbermayr won a dramatic F1 Academy Race 2 in Montreal at the Canadian GP, overtaking Nina Gademan on the final lap after a late Safety Car. Gademan had led most of the race but slipped to third as Ella Lloyd secured second. The race saw multiple incidents, off-track excursions, and fierce midfield battles. Despite concerns over Felbermayr’s final overtake, stewards confirmed her victory.

Pin takes Championship lead after messy Race 1

The 2025 F1 Academy Round 4 Race 1 at the Canadian GP began with Rodin Motorsport’s Chloe Chambers taking the lead into Turn 1, followed closely by Campos Racing’s Alisha Palmowski and Prema Racing’s Doriane Pin. Contact between Pin and ART Grand Prix’s Aurelia Nobels damaged Nobels’ front wing, while Palmowski pressured Chambers early on. Attempting a pass, Palmowski collided with Chambers, causing damage to both cars. Chambers continued in the lead despite her front wing issue.

Pin overtook Chambers at Turn 8, but the battle intensified. Chambers briefly regained the lead before losing her front wing completely, allowing Pin and Rodin Motorsport’s Ella Lloyd to move into P1 and P2. Chambers was forced to pit and dropped to P16.

Championship leader Maya Weug of MP Motorsport struggled with ongoing technical issues, repeatedly returning to the pit lane before eventually retiring from the race. Meanwhile, Prema Racing’s Nina Gademan received a warning for gaining an advantage off-track, and Palmowski engaged in a fierce midfield battle with Rodin Motorsport’s Chloe Chong and Wild Card Entry Mathilda Paatz for P9.

Paatz crashed into the Wall of Champions, prompting a Safety Car and neutralising the field. Racing resumed on lap 14 with Pin holding the lead. Rodin Motorsport’s Emma Felbermayr pressured Lloyd for P2, while Campos Racing’s Rafaela Ferreira locked up and collided with Chong. MP Motorsport’s Joanne Ciconte and ART Grand Prix’s Courtney Crone also made contact, triggering another Safety Car.

The race ended under Safety Car conditions with Pin claiming victory, followed by Lloyd and Felbermayr. Weug’s DNF and Chambers’ recovery to P16 saw Pin take over the championship lead.

Chong on pole for Race 2

After an action-packed opening race marked by retirements and collisions, all 18 F1 Academy drivers returned to the grid for Race 2 at the 2025 Canadian GP. Chloe Chong, backed by Charlotte Tilbury, lined up in P1 after qualifying eighth on Friday, with Alpine Academy’s Nina Gademan starting alongside her in P2. Kick Sauber’s Emma Felbermayr and Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann locked out the second row in P3 and P4, ahead of McLaren Driver Development Programme’s Ella Lloyd in P5 and Race 1 winner, Doriane Pin of the Mercedes Junior Team, in P6. Alisha Palmowski, representing Red Bull Racing, started P7, with fellow Red Bull-supported driver Chloe Chambers in P8.

Rafaela Ferreira, racing for the Racing Bulls, reclaimed her P9 position after the Stewards overturned a previous track limits penalty at Turn 1, reinstating her lap time of 1:39.156. However, just minutes before Race 2, F1 Academy announced that she would take a five-place grid drop. This saw her start the race from P14 instead.

Instead, it was Williams Driver Academy’s Lia Block, who lined up in P9 with Joanne Ciconte, who recently announced a new partnership with Wella Professionals ahead of Round 4, alongside her in P10.

Alba Larsen, driving in the Tommy Hilfiger livery started P11 alongside Ferrari Driver Academy’s Aurelia Nobels, racing in PUMA colours, in P12. Mathilda Paatz, the Wild Card entry supported by Gatorade in the Hitech TGR-run car, lined up in P13, alongside the demoted Ferreira.

Ferrari-backed Maya Weug, forced to retire in Race 1 due to technical issues, started in P15 alongside Haas-supported Courtney Crone. Aiva Anagnostiadis, sponsored by TAG Heuer, took P17, while home hero Nicole Havrda, backed by American Express, rounded out the grid in P18.

Lightning start from Chong but Gademan responds

As the lights went out at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Chloe Chong made an impressive getaway from pole position. She held the lead into the first corners ahead of Nina Gademan, who also had a clean launch. However, Chong could not retain her advantage for long. Gademan responded quickly and reclaimed the lead, while Chong was swiftly passed again, slipping back as the early order began to change rapidly.

Further back, Ella Lloyd delivered an aggressive opening lap. She made a clean move on Tina Hausmann, who ran wide and onto the grass. The excursion cost Hausmann dearly, as she lost several places and dropped out of the top ten.

Early position changes and midfield battles

On Lap 2, Emma Felbermayr charged past Lloyd to snatch second place. Meanwhile, a fierce duel developed between Doriane Pin and Chloe Chambers—two title contenders locked in an intense midfield battle. Their fight allowed Lloyd some breathing room as she began to pull away.

Race Control noted an incident between Lloyd and Hausmann at the start, but no further action was deemed necessary.

In the midfield, Maya Weug climbed to P11 after a difficult weekend and a disappointing Race 1, while Rafaela Ferreira dropped to the back in P18. Alba Larsen emerged as the early pace-setter, setting quick sector times while pressuring Alisha Palmowski for fifth place.

Incidents begin to unfold

Lap 5 saw drama unfold as Chambers ran off track. She claimed she had been squeezed by Pin. Although she recovered after a brief spin, she fell to 14th. The incident was noted by Race Control but did not result in any penalty. At the same time, Larsen, now in P6, continued to apply pressure on Palmowski ahead.

By Lap 6, Pin began complaining over team radio that Felbermayr was forcing her off track, citing light contact at Turn 2. Race Control noted the incident. Meanwhile, Chambers set the fastest lap from P14, demonstrating strong recovery pace.

Larsen finally overtook Palmowski on Lap 7, moving into fifth. However, Palmowski remained close and refused to back down, keeping Larsen under pressure. On Lap 8, Pin overtook Lloyd for third but appeared to exceed track limits. Lloyd also went off track during the exchange. Pin was instructed to return the position to avoid a penalty.

Track limits, contact, and warnings

With ten laps remaining, the top ten ran as follows: Gademan, Felbermayr, Pin, Lloyd, Larsen, Palmowski, Hausmann, Nobels, Weug, and Block. Gademan received a black and white flag for repeated track limits infringements.

Meanwhile, Weug, still recovering from a tough start to her weekend, began to apply pressure on Nobels. On Lap 9, Pin gave third place back to Lloyd as ordered. Moments later, she made contact with Larsen. Both drivers continued, though Larsen now faced pressure from Palmowski. The stewards noted the incident, and Larsen was eventually shown a black and white flag for causing the collision.

Weug overtook Nobels for P8 on Lap 10, although the pair made contact. Nobels dropped quickly down the order and pitted, later rejoining at the back. Ferreira returned to the pits shortly after and became the second retirement of the race. The incident between Weug and Nobels was scheduled for post-race investigation.

Late-race chaos and Safety Car intervention

On Lap 12, the battle between Lloyd and Pin resumed. Pin reclaimed third but ran off track during the move. She was again instructed to give the position back. By Lap 13, she complied and soon came under pressure from Larsen, who passed her for P4. Pin, now in fifth, was hounded by Palmowski.

With just a few laps remaining, the Safety Car was deployed following a collision at the hairpin between Havrda and Anagnostiadis. Havrda retired on the spot, while Anagnostiadis continued. The incident was noted by the stewards.

As of Lap 16, the running order was: Gademan, Felbermayr, Lloyd, Larsen, Pin, Palmowski, Hausmann, Block, Weug, Chambers, Paatz, Ciconte, Chong, Crone, Anagnostiadis, and Nobels. Ferreira and Havrda were out of the race.

Final lap drama: Felbermayr seizes victory

The Safety Car pulled into the pits at the end of Lap 16 of the 2025 F1 Academy Canadian GP Race 2, setting the stage for a one-lap sprint to the finish. Gademan, still under a black and white flag warning, timed her restart well and held onto the lead. However, Felbermayr was relentless. On the final lap, she attacked and passed Gademan for the lead.

Lloyd seized the moment and dived past Gademan to claim second place. Gademan, struggling to respond, fell to third. Pin capitalised on the chaos and reclaimed fourth, while Larsen and Palmowski battled just behind.

There was a brief scare for Felbermayr, who appeared to run wide while taking the lead and may not have rejoined the track correctly. Her final lap time was deleted, but the stewards confirmed she would not receive a penalty, allowing her to keep the win.

F1 Academy Canadian GP Round 4: Results after Race 2

1. Emma Felbermayr
2. Ella Lloyd
3. Nina Gademan
4. Doriane Pin
5. Alba Larsen
6. Alisha Palmowski
7. Tina Hausmann
8. Lia Block
9. Maya Weug
10. Chloe Chambers
11. Mathild Paatz (WCD)
12. Courtney Crone
13. Aurelia Nobels
14. Aiva Anagnostiadis
15. Joanne Ciconte
16. Chloe Chong
17. Nicole Havrda (DNF)
18. Rafaela Ferreria (DNF)