The Miami International Autodrome presents a unique challenge for Round 3 of the 2025 F1 Academy season, beginning with Free Practice 1. This purpose-built street circuit features 19 corners and three straights, offering a demanding mix of technical sections and high-speed zones. Measuring 5.412 km in length, the track will host two 13-lap races. This marks F1 Academy’s second visit to Miami, following its debut at the venue in 2024. Last season, Abbi Pulling set the benchmark with the fastest lap of 1:58.507.
Maya Weug (MP Motorsport/Scuderia Ferrari) will want to retain her lead this weekend as she leads the championship with 59 points, with Doriane Pin (PREMA Racing/Mercedes) trailing closely behind with 52 points and Chloe Chambers (Campos Racing/Red Bull Ford) following with 47 points.
Green lights in Miami
With 40 minutes on the clock in this free practice session, teams aimed to maximise track time to learn the layout and prepare. A second practice session scheduled later on Friday will give the F1 Academy drivers more time to get crucial laps in.
Within the first 5 minutes, Ella Lloyd hit the track looking to build on her pole-winning performance in Jeddah. She set the early pace with a 2:01.578, topping the timesheets with 35 minutes remaining. Lia Block (ART Grand Prix/Williams) followed with a 2:01.807, while Doriane Pin (PREMA Racing/Mercedes) slotted between them with a 2:01.605.
Wildcard Ava Dobson (Hitech TGR/Morgan Stanley) joined the session to gain experience on the Miami circuit, clocking a 2:02.914 to place 9th.
Minor yellow flag for a car spin in Sector One
With 24 minutes of practice to go, a yellow flag was sent out in sector one, with Rafaela Ferreira (Campos Racing, supported by Racing Bulls), taking a spin and off the track in Miami. She managed to avoid hitting the wall and got her car back on track.
The Campos Racing cars held back sending their drivers out early into the practice session, with hopes that the track with clear up with the other cars out there, are the conditions on track were quite dusy and dirty.
Alba Larsen, going into turn 8, took the corner too wide and slipped the car out onto the painted surface, managing to get her car back on track.
Pin leads the timings with 1.59.622
With 17 minutes remaining in Free Practice 1, championship leader Maya Weug (MP Motorsport/Scuderia Ferrari) hit the track for the first time, battling both illness and the Miami heat.
Chloe Chambers clocked a strong 2:00.129, just 0.5 seconds behind Pin. Lloyd held 3rd with a 2:00.172.
With 14 minutes left, Weug posted a 2:00.933, placing her 8th. Soon after, both Lloyd and Chambers improved—Lloyd to 1:59.785 and Chambers to 1:59.834—putting Lloyd just 0.1s off Pin.
Weug responded with a personal best of 1:59.983, moving up to 4th. Lloyd then set a 1:59.592 to briefly take the lead, but Pin answered with a 1:59.288 after purple sectors in the first two, reclaiming P1 by 0.3s.
Courtney Crone and Larsen both suffered front-left lockups and were forced to abort their laps.
Turn 17 a challenge for the drivers
Weug had a huge lock-up behind Hausmann on her flying lap on the last corner, however, she managed to improve her time with a 1.59.607, placing the car into P3.
Hausmann had a minor impediment by Block, running her off the Miami track, also having her lap time deleted.
Alisha Palmowski (Campos Racing, supported by Red Bull Racing) set an amazing lap with one minute left on the practice clock, with a time of 1.59.492. It appeared the track was improving and proceeding to get quicker and quicker throughout the session.
Chloe Chong had a spin into turn 7 at the end of the session, however, she kept the car on the track.
Pin stays at the top of the timings, with Palmowski following and Weug in 3rd.
F1 Academy Miami GP Free Practice 1 results
- D. Pin
- A. Palmowski
- M.Weug
- E. Lloyd
- C. Chambers
- N. Gademan
- A. Nobels
- L. Block
- T. Hausmann
- C. Chong
- E. Felbermayr
- R. Ferreira
- A. Larsen
- C. Crone
- N. Havrda
- J. Ciconte
- A. Dobson
- A. Anagnostiadis
