F1 Academy is back and we are in Zandvoort for the 2025 Dutch GP weekend! After a long break that lasted more than two months, we now approach the second half of the 2025 F1 Academy season. Racing Bull driver Rafaela Ferreira shares her thoughts ahead of the Dutch GP weekend and her excitement to be back on track.
Returning to the familiar track
This will not be rookie driver Ferreira’s first time at the Zandvoort track as the all female series had their in-season testing at the track earlier this year. In response to a question from Pit Debrief on returning to the track for the 2025 Dutch GP, Ferreira expressed her excitement on racing on a traditional permanent circuit. Especially since majority of the tracks on the F1 Academy calendar consist of street circuits, with four out of the seven racing weekends held at temporary street circuits. The Brazilian driver is also looking forward to a hopefully dry racing week, similar conditions to pre-season testing.
“I think it was a really exciting track, one of the most for any of the season, because usually you are always racing in street circuits and this is like a real track and it’s like a lot of banked corners. I’m excited, I think the test was really good, mainly because there is no kind of rain and we could just run on the dry conditions and then excited for this race weekend.“
A woman who inspired her journey
The wildcard entry for the 2025 F1 Academy Dutch GP Esmee Kosterman will have a special livery for her debut weekend in the all-female series. To commemorate TeamViewer’s Visibility Drives Change campaign, the faces of over 200 women who inspire change will feature on Kosterman’s F1 ACADEMY car. The livery will feature various inspiring women across a range of industries, in workplaces, in paddocks and in their personal lives.
Ferrerira also took the time to share a woman who inspired her racing career. The Racing Bull driver brought up fellow Brazilian driver, Ana Beatriz Figueiredo (or Bia Figueiredo). Figueiredo is most known for being the first woman to ever win in Formula Renault and to reach the podium in an Indy Lights race at Nashville Superspeedway. She is also considered one of the top female drivers in the world.
“I think a woman who inspired me the most was Bia Figueiredo. She’s a Brazilian woman. She was racing in karts, but it was a lot of years ago. She opened a big door in the past. And when I was… Before I started racing, she was already racing.”
Ferrerira recounted watching Figueiredo while she was still racing in karts and confessed that she had inspired Ferrerira to start karting herself. Seeing the senior driver on the podium, inspired the Brazilian, as it proved to her that it was possible for women to achieve big in motorsport.
“I went to a race, she was on the podium. That was really nice, because it was the first time I saw a woman on a podium in a motorsport. “
On Figueriredo as a mentor
To this day, Figueriredo continues to be an inspiration for aspiring female racers everywhere but her impact on the Brazilian motorsport scene is undeniable. As she serves as a mentor to young female Brazilian drivers just like Ferreira and continues to provide more opportunities for them to be on track.
“And I think she was a big inspiration. In that stage, when I was starting, but now too, because she takes care of the females in the motorsport in Brazil. So she was racing, she is [still] racing, and she’s inspiring other girls.”
“She’s always open to a call, if she can help us, or how she can put more girls in karting events. So it’s really nice, the job she’s doing in Brazil.“
Brazil on the F1 Academy calendar?
F1 Academy has always been known to compete on racing weekends where other junior series such as F3 and F2 do not participate in. An example being the current Dutch GP weekend where Ferreira currently is as well as the Singapore GP. The Brazilian driver was asked if she had discussed with F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff on the prospect of the all female series racing in her home country.
Ferreira admitted that the possibility of F1 Academy racing in Brazil is low especially considering how packed the track is during the Formula 1 Brazilian GP weekend. With junior series such as the Brazilian Formula 4 and other national series like the Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil, and the Porsche Sprint Challenge. Regardless, she would be ecstatic if it was possible.
“I think to bring F1 Academy in Brazil is a little difficult now, but it’s really, really nice to know if we could go there. I think now the schedule there is a little full, because in the race weekend in Interlagos, there is Formula 1, there is Brazilian Formula 4, and there is Porsche Cup. So I’m not sure if we can race like four series during a race weekend.”
Preparing for a wet race
Current weather forecast suggests that the 2025 Dutch GP weekend might be a wet race. Considering how both races at the 2024 Dutch GP had been wet races and the cancellation of the Miami GP Race 2 earlier this season, how has Ferreira been preparing for this scenario?
The Brazilian driver said she is excited by the possibility of a wet race especially since they did some runs in the rain during in-season testing. While a wet race will drastically switch things up on track, Ferreira admitted that there is not much preparation she can do. She will however be reviewing last years races for some insight.
“I think it’s really nice, you know. To be honest, I think I am excited to race in the rain. We did some tests in the rain. I think Miami doesn’t count like a wet race, but it was really nice. I think it can change a lot, the race, you know. Mainly here in Zandvoort, we don’t have a lot of room to overtake. And to have a race in the rain can change a lot of the situation. And I think to be ready for us now, we don’t have a lot to do. Just to watch the videos from last year here in the rain.”
Coming back from the break
It has been more than two months since we have seen the drivers on track for a F1 Academy race, with the last race being back in June. Now as they enter Round 5 of the 2025 F1 Academy season, Ferreira was asked if she found it difficult to refocus going into the Dutch GP.
Ferreira shared how the break was rejuvenating and how good it felt to finally spend some time back home in Brazil after being away for three months. She also brought up how the summer break was not all about resting as she did frequent testing sessions to prepare for the second half of the season.
“I think it was a really good break to be honest. We could rest. Mainly for me, I’m coming from Brazil, you know. So, I was like almost three months out of home. So, being one month at home was really good to recharge the energy, you know. To rest a little bit. And I think be more ready for this race. We did some tests too during the summer break. So, it was mainly not just resting, you know. I was testing too. So, it was a good break.“
