Alisha Palmowski and Emma Felbermayr join the line-ups for the 2025 F1 Academy grid, while Doriane Pin is confirmed with Mercedes.
The lights for the third season of F1 Academy will go out on March 21, 2025, marking the championship’s debut at the Shanghai Circuit for the first time in its history. A lot of changes are expected from 2025, including the introduction of a sixth team, Hitech Grand Prix. This means there will be 18 cars on track, all competing for the title of F1 Academy’s third champion, succeeding Abbi Pulling, who dominated the season that ended in early December at the Yas Marina Circuit. But that’s not the only change: many new faces are joining, some already announced and others still to come.
“I hope to secure a place on the grid for next year,” said Alisha Palmowski when announcing her participation as a wildcard driver at the F1 Academy weekend in Qatar. And so it will be for 2025. The 2006-born British driver, who has already revealed her intentions for next season, will join Chloe Chambers (returning for her second and final season) and Rafaela Ferreira (making her debut in the women’s championship). The three drivers will form the line-up for Campos Racing, supported by the Red Bull Academy program.
“Alisha has impressed us from the start and has already shown her value on the F1 Academy grid as a Wild Card driver in Qatar. We are very excited to welcome her to the Red Bull Academy Program for 2025, and she is a great addition to our team as we look ahead to next season. We’ve learned many valuable lessons from our first year in F1 Academy, and we’re eager to build on those and push even further with this new challenge ,” explained Sarah Harrington, Manager of the Red Bull Academy Program, regarding the decision to support Palmowski.
Changes are also happening at Sauber. The Hinwil-based team has decided to put its trust in Emma Felbermayr, a driver with a racing pedigree. The Austrian driver will make her debut in the championship next year, driving for Rodin Motorsport, replacing Carrie Schreiner, who will remain with the Swiss team in the roles of Brand Ambassador and mentor for the next generation of Sauber talent.
“Carrie’s ability to inspire and connect with fans and stakeholders, alongside her deep understanding of the racing world, makes her the perfect choice to support the team starting from 2025,” commented Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport, praising the qualities of the German driver. Meanwhile, speaking about her upcoming move, Felbermayr said: “ I’m proud and excited to join the KICK Sauber F1 team for the 2025 F1 Academy season. This is an incredible opportunity to take the next step in my career and challenge myself at this exciting level. I can’t wait to represent the team, grow as a driver, and make the most of the visibility and platform that F1 Academy offers “
The checkered flag waved at the end of the last F1 Academy weekend in early December at Yas Marina also marked the conclusion of Bianca Bustamante’s time with the series. As stipulated by the regulations, the Filipino driver will part ways with the Papaya colors and ART Grand Prix after two years in the category. However, she will debut in the GB3 Championship with Elite Motorsport, becoming the second F1 Academy graduate confirmed for the next season of the British series, where defending F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling will also compete, having secured a fully-funded seat with Rodin Motorsport.
Bustamante said: “GB3 is a great step forward in the single-seater ladder. After racing for two seasons in F1 Academy with F4 cars, I felt that GB3 was the perfect next step to learn how to manage cars with more downforce and power, aiming to move up to Formula 3. With a great calendar mixing European and British circuits, along with a very competitive grid, I expect GB3 to offer an excellent learning platform. Looking back on my years in F1 Academy with pride, I’m now excited to return to the traditional single-seater ladder, with both male and female drivers on the grid.”
“Elite Motorsport has a proven track record in the GB3 championship, and my management team and I felt that it was due to their strong engineering and focus on driver development. I know I’ll face many challenges, so racing within an experienced and supportive infrastructure was an important factor in choosing this team for 2025,” concluded the former Papaya driver, fully aware and excited for the challenges ahead, starting at the Silverstone Circuit on April 26-27 next year.
Also confirmed is Doriane Pin, supported by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team for the upcoming season. Could this be the year she claims the title? It’s certainly possible, especially after the disappointment she experienced in Abu Dhabi. However, keep an eye on Maya Weug, who won the final race of 2024 at Yas Marina—a track known for both dramatic finales and thrilling starts to the next season.
Photos: F1 Academy.