Chaos, maiden wins, and a shake-up in the standings marked the F1 Academy round in Canada. Here’s what happened during the final two races of the weekend.
The weekend in Québec ended on a sour note for Maya Weug, the Ferrari Academy driver in F1 Academy. Coming into the Canadian round as the championship leader, the Dutch driver lost crucial ground due to reliability issues throughout the sessions. She now sits third in the standings with 72 points. Benefiting the most was Doriane Pin, who now leads the championship with 109 points, followed by Chloe Chambers with 89 points.
An additional race was added during the Canadian weekend to make up for the one canceled in Florida due to weather conditions. Race 2 and Race 3 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve delivered two different winners and dramatic backstories. In Race 2, Emma Felbermayr claimed her first-ever F1 Academy victory — a redemption after being disqualified from Race 1 where she had initially secured her maiden podium. In the weekend’s final race, it was Chloe Chambers, supported by Red Bull Ford, who celebrated her 21st birthday with a win from pole position on Saturday.
Race 2: What Happened in F1 Academy Canada?
On Saturday, following Doriane Pin’s victory in Race 1, the F1 Academy hit the track again for the second race of the weekend. Chloe Chong started from pole and managed to defend against Nina Gademan off the line. However, the PREMA driver quickly closed the gap and took the lead within the first few corners, bringing along Ella Lloyd and Emma Felbermayr in her wake.
Further back, Chloe Chambers attempted a move on Mercedes driver Gademan but spun into the run-off area after contact. The Red Bull Ford driver rejoined the race in 14th position.
Then chaos unfolded. Multiple contacts and a safety car intervention disrupted the race. First, there was a collision between Doriane Pin and Alba Larsen for fourth place, allowing Ella Lloyd to break away and secure her third-place spot. Then, an incident between MP Motorsport teammates Maya Weug and Aurelia Nobels added more drama.
On lap 13, Nicole Havrda and Aiva Anagnostiadis made contact, taking Havrda out of the race and triggering another safety car that lasted until the penultimate lap. In a last-minute move, Emma Felbermayr overtook Nina Gademan to snatch her first F1 Academy win. Gademan fell to third, with Ella Lloyd securing second and sealing a double podium for MP Motorsport.
Race 3 Recap
On Sunday, the F1 Academy prepared for the weekend’s final race, marked by Chloe Chambers’ first win of the season — a dominant performance following her pole position on Friday. Joining her on the podium were Ella Lloyd, celebrating her third consecutive podium, and championship leader Doriane Pin.
Chambers started alongside Campos Racing teammate Alisha Palmowski, who had to fend off attacks from Ella Lloyd before spinning at Turn 3. Doriane Pin skillfully avoided the incident that happened right in front of her.
Further down the grid, wildcard entry Mathilda Paatz lost control at Turn 7 and collided with Aiva Anagnostiadis, bringing out the first safety car on lap one. After the restart on lap eight, Chambers pulled away from Lloyd, while Pin overtook Tina Hausmann to climb into fourth.
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing race for Race 2 winner Emma Felbermayr, who was hit by Nina Gademan after the latter ran over the inside curb at Turn 10. Gademan received a 10-second penalty for the collision. Maya Weug, however, delivered an impressive recovery drive, climbing from 15th to finish seventh. A second safety car came out on lap 10 after Lia Block collided with Rafaela Ferreira, who in turn hit Aurelia Nobels, forcing the latter to retire.
With the Canadian weekend in the books, all eyes now turn to the next F1 Academy round at Zandvoort, scheduled for August 29–31, following the summer break.
Photo: F1 Academy.