Rafaela Ferreira‘s 2025 F1 Academy debut campaign was marked by controlled drives and flashes of speed with room for improvement, placing her 12th in the Drivers’ Standings with 18 points.
The season was Ferreira’s international debut after previously after competing in the 2023 and 2024 Brazilian F4 Championship. During her time in the series, she made her mark by becoming the first female to win a race. Soon enough, her achievements earned her a 2025 F1 Academy seat with Campos Racing, backed by Racing Bulls.
Opening rounds
In Shanghai, Ferreira’s F1 Academy season began with a three-place grid penalty after causing a collision with Lia Block during Free Practice. However, despite starting Race 1 in P16, she quickly bounced back and achieved her season-best result of P5. Beyond the result, the race also saw a first glimpse of her clean race craft as she avoided major incidents. Her success continued in Race 2 as she claimed P8, marking a strong first F1 Academy weekend.
Unfortunately for Ferreira, momentum didn’t carry over to Jeddah, where she endured a tough weekend. A challenging Qualifying session left her fighting for pace and adjusting to the demands of a high-speed track. Across all sessions that weekend, she consistently finished outside the top ten, ending up P13.
Round 3 in Miami got off to a strong start as Ferreira qualified 7th on the grid. An 8th place result in Race 1 highlighted another one of Ferreira’s composed drivers, in which she secured valuable points. However, rain forced the cancellation of Race 2 , denying the Brazilian driver a shot at improving from P7. The race was then rescheduled as Race 1 in Montreal.
Two DNFs in Montreal
Montreal was a weekend to forget for Ferreira as she suffered two DNFs and a Race 3 finish without points. Off the start, Ferreira was hit with a five-place grid penalty for Race 2 after rejoining unsafely and colliding with Chloe Chong in Race 1, which left both in retirement. The penalty demoted Ferreira from P9 to P14 for Race 2, during which her misfortune continued as she retired on Lap 13 in the pits.
Ferreira closed out the first half of the season with a P12 finish in Montreal’s Race 3, missing out on the points once again. Throughout the first four rounds, she collected 9 points. She enjoyed success at Shanghai and Miami, while Jeddah and Montreal tested her adaptability, confidence, and race pace.
From Zandvoort to Singapore
After a long break, F1 Academy returned to Zandvoort with Ferreira qualifying in P11. She went on to finish Race 1 just outside the top ten in 11th. Later, a calm and composed drive in Race 2 rewarded Ferreira with four more points as she crossed the line in P8.
Singapore featured a difficult start with a P14 qualifying result that led to technical issues in Race 1. Ferreira stopped on track multiple times, which eventually led to a black and orange flag and a retirement on Lap 13.
Race 2 looked set to be another difficult result as Ferreira dropped down from P14 to P17 on the opening lap. However, a safety car and a strong pit stop from Campos launched her into P10. On the final-lap restart, she battled her way past Courtney Crone to secure P9 that highlighted her resilience and determination.
A double-points finish
The 2025 F1 Academy season finale in Las Vegas featured chaos and comebacks on the low-grip circuit. During Race 1, Ferreira brought out a yellow flag in Sector 3 as she dropped from P6 to P15. Despite the setback, the 20-year-old fought her way back into the points with crucial overtakes. She ultimately crossed the line in P10, but was promoted to P8 following post-race penalties.
She continued her points scoring streak in Race 2 with a P9 finish, ending her debut F1 Academy season on a high.
Adapting and improving for 2026
Ferreira’s 2025 F1 Academy season saw a promising debut, difficult mid-season, and a final redemption run. Through it all, Campos Racing and Racing Bulls have confirmed that Ferreira will continue driving in the championship for the 2026 season.
However, with that in mind, Ferreira will need to improve her race pace to consistently score points and challenge at the front. Her Brazilian F4 success shows she is capable of this, and a first international season spent on adapting and learning from mistakes should set her up for success in the future.
