With the season set to get underway in Shanghai, the 2025 F1 Academy grid is set, with Hitech TGR joining the championship and expanding the field to 18 cars. Now in its third season since launching in 2023, F1 Academy will feature 17 full-time drivers competing for the title. Additionally, a Wild Card entry will join the grid at each round, filling the final seat run by Hitech TGR.
Following the departure of nine drivers at the end of 2024, the 2025 season brings a dynamic mix of returning talent and fresh faces. Several drivers who debuted as Wild Card entries last year will now compete full-time, while a new group of racers will make their F1 Academy debut at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hitech TGR – Nicole Havrda (American Express, Car 2), Aiva Anagnostiadis (TAG Heuer, Car 11), Wild Card
Hitech TGR joins the F1 Academy grid in 2025 with an all-rookie lineup, featuring full-time drivers Nicole Havrda and Aiva Anagnostiadis.
Nicole Havrda, representing Canada, steps up to F1 Academy after three successful seasons in open-wheel racing. The 19-year-old made her debut in 2022, securing two top-five finishes in the Indian Racing League Championship. She then dominated the 2024 season, winning the SFR FA2, Formula Pro USA Winter Series, and Formula Pro USA titles—becoming the first female driver to claim the Formula Pro USA championship. With this momentum, she now enters the 2025 F1 Academy season as a strong contender for the title, driving Car 2 for F1 Academy Official Partner American Express.
Joining her at Hitech TGR, 17-year-old Australian Aiva Anagnostiadis brings a deep-rooted motorsport background. Her mother, Barbara, was a professional go-karter, while her father worked as a track mechanic. After winning the Australian Ladies Trophy in 2021 and competing at the Motorsport Games in France, she transitioned to car racing. She finished 10th in the Indian F4 Championship and gained valuable experience testing with Argenti Motorsport. Now, she takes on her next challenge in F1 Academy, piloting the TAG Heuer-backed entry for Hitech TGR.
In addition to its two full-time drivers, Hitech TGR will operate the Wild Card entry for each round, allowing new talent to gain international exposure. For the season opener in Shanghai, China’s own Shi Wei will complete the team’s lineup, seizing the opportunity to race in F1 Academy on home soil.
PREMA Racing – Nina Gademan (Alpine, Car 3), Doriane Pin (Mercedes, Car 28), Tina Hausmann (Aston Martin, Car 78)
Unlike Hitech TGR, defending Teams’ Champion PREMA Racing has opted for an experienced lineup in the 2025 F1 Academy season.
Nina Gademan, the least experienced of the team’s three drivers, replaces 2024 champion Abbi Pulling as Alpine’s representative. She returns after a Wild Card outing in Zandvoort, where she finished fourth in Race 1 and initially fourth in Race 2 before a penalty dropped her to 10th. Alongside her brief F1 Academy experience, Gademan has raced in the 2024 F4 British Championship and 205 Formula Winter Series.
She joins Mercedes Junior driver Doriane Pin, who finished second in the 2024 F1 Academy season with three wins and six podiums. Beyond F1 Academy, Pin placed second in the 2023 F4 South East Asia Championship and 10th in the 2024 F4 UAE Championship. She also gained experience in the Formula Regional European Championship with Iron Dames and competed in endurance racing in WEC and IMSA.
Completing PREMA’s lineup is Tina Hausmann, who continues with the team after a tough 2024 rookie season. Representing Aston Martin, she finished 10th in the standings without a podium but aims to improve in 2025. She will rely on her experience from the Formula Winter Series, Italian F4, Euro 4, and F4 UAE Championships to push for stronger results.
Rodin Motorsport – Emma Felbermayr (Kick Sauber, Car 5), Ella Lloyd (McLaren, Car 20), Chloe Chong (Charlotte Tilbury; Car 27)
Emma Felbermayr will make her F1 Academy debut at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, driving for Rodin Motorsport in the Kick Sauber-supported car. Coming from a family of racers—both her father and grandfather competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans—she quickly rose through the karting ranks in Austria before transitioning to international competition at 13. After strong performances in the ADAC Ladies Cup and WSK Karting’s World and European Championships, she moved into single-seaters. In addition to F1 Academy, she will also compete in the 2025 Formula Winter Series and Spanish F4 with Rodin Motorsport.
Joining her is McLaren Driver Development Program member Ella Lloyd, who steps up to a full-time F1 Academy seat after a promising Wild Card appearance at the Singapore Grand Prix. She qualified eighth and improved to sixth and seventh in the races, though a false start penalty dropped her to ninth in Race 1. Finishing the season 18th with eight points, she now looks to build on that experience in 2025, drawing from her time in the 2024 Formula Winter Series, British F4, and Formula Trophy UAE.
Completing Rodin Motorsport’s lineup, Chloe Chong returns for her second F1 Academy season, piloting the Charlotte Tilbury-backed car. A finalist in the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission’s Girls on Track Rising Stars program in 2021, Chong impressed during her 2023 debut season. Now, she aims to improve her results, using her 2024 British F4 experience to her advantage.
ART Grand Prix – Courtney Crone (Haas, Car 7), Aurelia Nobels (PUMA, Car 22), Lia Block (Williams, Car 57)
Courtney Crone steps up to a full-time F1 Academy seat in 2025 after making her debut as a Wild Card entry in 2024. This season marks her first full campaign in single-seaters since 2020, following several years in sports car racing. She competed in IMSA Prototype and VP Racing SportsCar Challenges in the LMP3 category, as well as the Prototype Cup Germany. Most recently, she raced in the 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. Bringing this diverse experience to ART Grand Prix, the 24-year-old American will drive Car 7 for Haas.
Joining her, Ferrari Driver Academy’s Aurelia Nobels continues with ART Grand Prix in the PUMA-liveried Car 22. She endured a challenging 2024 F1 Academy season, scoring points only six times and finishing 12th in the standings with 29 points. However, she has actively expanded her experience beyond F1 Academy, competing in the 2025 Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship with ART Grand Prix. In 2024, she also raced in the F4 UAE, Saudi Arabian, British, and Euro 4 Championships, having previously competed in Italian F4 and various F4 series across Europe and Brazil.
Rounding out ART Grand Prix’s 2025 lineup, Williams Racing Driver Academy’s Lia Block returns after securing eighth in the 2024 standings. She will once again pilot the Williams-liveried Car 57. Like Nobels, Block gained additional experience in the 2025 Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship, as well as the 2024 F4 Spanish, Italian, and Formula Winter Series. However, like Crone, she brings a background beyond single-seaters, having built her career in rally racing.
MP Motorsport – Alba Hurup Larsen (Tommy Hilfiger, Car 12), Joanne Ciconte (F1 Academy, Car 25), Maya Weug (Ferrari, Car 64)
MP Motorsport enters the 2025 F1 Academy season with an entirely new lineup, featuring rookies Alba Hurup Larsen and Joanne Ciconte alongside the experienced Maya Weug.
Denmark’s Alba Hurup Larsen, the 2023 FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars winner, makes her F1 Academy debut in China, driving the Tommy Hilfiger-backed Car 12. At just 16, she is one of the youngest and least experienced drivers on the grid, having only recently transitioned to single-seaters through the Indian F4 Championship. Despite her limited experience, Larsen is eager to make an impression alongside fellow rookie and MP Motorsport teammate, Joanne Ciconte.
Ciconte joins the team after competing in the 2024 Australian F4 Championship, where she scored points, and making cameo appearances in the Central European Zone and Spanish F4 Championships. The Australian will race the F1 Academy-liveried Car 25 and arrives with strong karting credentials, including a 2023 Australian Karting Championship Pink Plate victory and a finalist spot in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars program. She recently gained additional single-seater experience in the 2025 Formula Winter Series, further preparing her for the season ahead.
Leading the MP Motorsport lineup, Ferrari Driver Academy’s Maya Weug brings crucial experience. After securing third in the 2024 F1 Academy standings with PREMA Racing, Weug moves to MP Motorsport, aiming for the title. With a race win and seven podiums to her name, she enters her fifth year in single-seaters, having previously competed in the Italian and ADAC F4 Championships (2021-2022) and the Formula Regional European Championship (2023-2024). As she sets her sights on the 2025 title, Weug will play a key role in guiding her rookie teammates.
Campos Racing – Chloe Chambers (Red Bull Ford, Car 14), Rafaela Ferreira (Racing Bulls, Car 18), Alisha Palmoski (Red Bull Racing, Car 21)
Chloe Chambers returns to Campos Racing for her second F1 Academy season after securing sixth in the 2024 championship. Now racing in the Red Bull Ford-liveried Car 14, she previously competed under Haas support. Since making her open-wheel debut in the 2021 F4 United States Championship, Chambers has built an impressive resume, including stints in the 2022 W Series, 2023 Formula Regional Oceania, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America (2023-2024), and the 2024 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. Most recently, she gained additional experience in the 2025 Formula Winter Series. As the most experienced driver on the Campos Racing lineup, she aims to lead the team to the top of the championship standings.
Joining Chambers are F1 Academy newcomers Rafaela Ferreira and Alisha Palmowski. Ferreira steps up after two seasons in the F4 Brazilian Championship (2023-2024) and a recent campaign in the 2025 Formula Winter Series. She will make her series debut in Shanghai, piloting the Racing Bulls-supported Car 18.
Palmowski, racing in the Red Bull Racing-backed Car 21, also joins full-time after a strong Wild Card appearance in Qatar in 2024, where she finished fifth in Race 1. The British driver began her single-seater career in 2022 and found success in the Ginetta Junior Championship, earning 10 podiums. In 2024, she finished as vice-champion in the GB4 Championship and was named a BRDC Rising Star. Although a rookie, Palmowski’s experience could give her an edge as she fights for victories in 2025.
Intense competition expected among talented drivers
With an expanded grid, a mix of returning talent and promising rookies, and the addition of Hitech TGR to the series, the 2025 F1 Academy season is set to be the most competitive yet. As the championship enters its third year, established contenders like Doriane Pin and Maya Weug will look to assert their dominance, while rising stars such as Nicole Havrda, Alisha Palmowski, and Alba Hurup Larsen aim to make their mark.
The inclusion of a Wild Card entry at each round adds further intrigue, giving new drivers a chance to shine on the international stage. With the season opener in Shanghai fast approaching, the battle for the 2025 F1 Academy title promises to be an exciting and unpredictable showdown.
