The 2026 F1 Academy season is already around the corner and almost knocking on the door. This weekend, between March 13th and 15th, the all-female category arrives in Shanghai to compete in the Chinese GP, the first of the seven double-header rounds planned for this championship’s calendar.
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After a 2025 where the title fight went down to the last race of the final round, this year begins with a breath of fresh air. The reason is a significantly revamped grid, as ten rookies are among the 17 starters in the field – the series headed by Susie Wolff has a rule that drivers have a limit of up to two years on the grid.
Furthermore, of these ten debutants, seven are already familiar faces, as they competed as Wild Cards last season – each round has a guest driver – or replaced an injured driver.
Therefore, some of the names that said goodbye to the F1 Academy field were Doriane Pin, the 2025 champion, Maya Weug, who finished as runner-up, Lia Block, Tina Haussmann, and the Brazilian Aurélia Nobels, who ended last year by stepping onto the podium in race 1 of the Las Vegas GP.
And the 2026 novelties are not exclusive to the drivers, as the calendar will also bring some changes. There are still seven rounds with two races each – therefore, 14 races – but now, Silverstone enters, debuting in the female category, and the Circuit of the Americas returns for the first time since 2023, the series’ inaugural year.
It turns out there is a small uncertainty between the rounds, as the second stop on the calendar is in Saudi Arabia, and due to conflicts in the Middle East, it is still doubtful whether it will happen – F1 Academy shares all its weekends with Formula 1, and the premier motorsport category has not yet made a final decision.
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And if in 2025 the fight for the title was fierce between Pin and Weug, in 2026 a favorite already seems to be emerging: Alisha Palmowski. Wearing Red Bull colors for the second year, she won a race last year, reached the podium five times, and more than that, Doriane, Abbi Pulling – the second F1 Academy champion – and Alice Powell point out that the Briton is the one with the best chances.
Ella Lloyd, who is part of the McLaren squad, could also be a dark horse; she finished fourth last season and, in the last nine races, reached the podium four times and finished in the top 5 in six races. Nina Gademan and Alba Larsen are also names worth keeping an eye on.
And of course, it is also worth mentioning that for another championship, Rafaela Ferreira will be the representative on the grid. Finishing 12th in her debut year, the competitor will once again wear the Racing Bulls colors and defend Campos Racing.
The 2026 F1 Academy season begins this weekend with the Chinese GP, and qualifying and both races can be followed on F1TV and the category’s own YouTube channel.
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