F1 Academy hit the halfway mark of its 2025 season with a dramatic debut in Montréal, racing for the first time at the legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve — now confirmed to stay on the calendar through 2028. The 2025 F1 Academy Canadian GP delivered a triple-header stacked with safety cars, overtakes, and title twists, as Doriane Pin surged into the championship lead while early frontrunner Maya Weug struggled with car issues across all sessions.
It was also a breakout weekend for fresh faces: Emma Felbermayr claimed her first-ever F1 Academy victory in Race 2, and Alpine junior Nina Gademan stepped onto the podium for the first time — both part of an unforgettable fight for the top. Chloe Chambers bounced back from a tough birthday to finally convert pole into a win on Sunday, and Ella Lloyd completed a rare triple with P2 in every race. Montréal gave us chaos, milestones, and momentum shifts — and we’re only halfway through the season.
The Paddock Headlines
- Doriane Pin took the lead in the F1 Academy championship standings with a Race 1 victory, capitalising on a collision between the Campos Racing duo.
- Maya Weug endured a nightmare weekend, plagued by recurring electrical issues that left her out of contention and off the podium in all three races.
- Chloe Chambers bounced back from early misfortune to win Race 3 from pole — her first victory of the season and the first pole-to-win of 2025.
- Ella Lloyd delivered a standout performance across the weekend, finishing second in all three races to strengthen her title challenge.
- Emma Felbermayr claimed her maiden F1 Academy win in Race 2, leading home a Rodin Motorsport 1–2 with Lloyd just behind.
- Nina Gademan secured her first-ever podium, finishing third in Race 2 after a late-race battle for the lead.
- Tina Hausmann and Chloe Chong both recorded their best results of the season in Race 3, finishing P4 and P5 respectively.
- Alisha Palmowski had a luckless weekend despite showing strong pace in Free Practice and Qualifying. She was caught in multiple incidents and unable to convert into podium finishes.
- The championship’s first visit to Canada delivered six Safety Car appearances across three races in the most chaotic round of the season.
Free Practice – Setting the Stage in Montréal
Alisha Palmowski topped the sole Free Practice session on Friday morning in Montréal, leading a dominant Campos Racing showing with teammate Chloe Chambers close behind. The Briton posted a 1:38.898 to go quickest, just 0.074s ahead of Chambers after an intense exchange of lap times between the two.
Alba Larsen showed strong early pace to finish third for Tommy Hilfiger, followed by Charlotte Tilbury’s Chloe Chong in fourth and McLaren’s Ella Lloyd in fifth. Nina Gademan delivered a late flyer to secure sixth for Alpine, just ahead of Campos’ Rafaela Ferreira — placing all three Campos drivers in the top seven.
Mercedes’ Doriane Pin ended the session in eighth, while Lia Block and Aurelia Nobels completed the top ten.
It was, however, a disastrous start to the weekend for championship leader Maya Weug, whose PREMA car suffered persistent electrical issues that kept her from running a single timed lap in Free Practice. Despite the team’s efforts to replace multiple components ahead of Qualifying, the problem lingered.
Qualifying – Chambers Claims Her Third Consecutive Pole
At the mid-afternoon qualifying session, Chambers went on to claim pole position with a commanding 1:38.125 — her third consecutive pole of the 2025 season. The Red Bull Ford driver timed her final push to perfection, pulling over half a second clear of her rivals in the closing stages.
“Super happy with P1 in quali today. It’s everybody’s first time in Montréal, and I’m really happy how I adapted to the conditions and got my third pole in a row.” — Chloe Chambers.
Palmowski had briefly taken provisional pole for Campos but was ultimately bumped to P2, while Doriane Pin sealed third after a solid late effort. McLaren’s Ella Lloyd maintained her consistent form with a strong P4, while Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann delivered her best qualifying result of the season with fifth.
Campos’ Ferreira slotted into P7, and Alpine rookie Nina Gademan put in a composed run to take P6, continuing her steady progress. Chloe Chong secured eighth for Charlotte Tilbury Racing — placing her on reverse-grid pole for Race 2 — with Block and Ferreira rounding out the top ten.
Weug’s Qualifying only added to her frustration, as the Ferrari Academy driver once again struggled with unresolved electrical gremlins. Despite the team replacing sensors, wiring, and engine components, the issue persisted — leaving her in a lowly P15 and without any proper track time ahead of Race 1.
TOP 5 – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS
P1: Alisha Palmowski (Campos Racing) – 1:38.898
P2: Chloe Chambers (Campos Racing) – 1:38.972
P3: Alba Larsen (MP Motorsport) – 1:39.509
P4: Chloe Chong (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:39.557
P5: Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:39.596
TOP 5 – QUALIFYING RESULTS
P1: Chloe Chambers (Campos Racing) – 1:38.125
P2: Alisha Palmowski (Campos Racing) – 1:38.430
P3: Doriane Pin (PREMA Racing) – 1:38.603
P4: Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:38.882
P5: Tina Hausmann (PREMA Racing) – 1:38.914
Pin Strikes as Chaos Unfolds in Montréal‘s First Race
Doriane Pin claimed victory in F1 Academy’s first-ever race on Canadian soil, capitalising on early drama between the Campos teammates to snatch the lead and the championship.
Chambers started from pole on her 21st birthday but couldn’t shake the “pole curse” — no one had converted pole into a win this season, and she was no exception. A fierce scrap with teammate Alisha Palmowski ended in tears on Lap 2 when Palmowski locked up and made contact, sending herself into a spin and out of podium contention. Chambers held onto the lead briefly but was later forced to pit with front wing damage and was told to retire the car.
Pin, who had started third, kept her nose clean and inherited the lead. She maintained composure through two Safety Car periods to take her second win of the season, and with it, the championship lead.
Ella Lloyd impressed once again, slicing her way from P7 to finish second, continuing her podium streak after a penalty carried over from the Miami GP weekend had dropped her down the grid.
Another impressive performance came from Emma Felbermayr, who crossed the line in third, marking a much-needed comeback after a tough start to the season. Unfortunately, the Sauber driver was later disqualified due to her car being under the minimum weight.
That promoted Alpine’s Nina Gademan to P3, securing her first-ever podium after holding off late pressure in a tight midfield. Lia Block finished fourth, benefitting from a tangle between Maya Weug and Aurelia Nobels that knocked both out of the points. And 16-year-old Alba Larsen finished fifth after a stunning performance.
Double Safety Car Disrupts the Race
The first Safety Car was triggered by Wild Card Mathilda Paatz, who clipped the kerb and crashed into the Wall of Champions on Lap 11, living up to the corner’s reputation.
The second came in the final laps, after Rafaela Ferreira rejoined unsafely and collided with Chloe Chong, followed by a separate incident involving Joane Ciconte and Courtney Crone. With little time to resume racing, the Grand Prix ended behind the Safety Car.
It was a nightmare race for Maya Weug. After struggling in practice and qualifying, she was forced to pit repeatedly as her electrical issues returned. Despite a full rebuild of the car between sessions, PREMA couldn’t find a solution, leaving her at the back of the pack and watching her title lead slip away.
With the race finished, Palmowski was handed a 10-second penalty for her collision with Chambers, ruling her out of the points. Meanwhile, Ferreira received a five-place grid drop for Race 2 for her part in the late-race contact.
RACE 1 – TOP 5 RESULTS
P1: Doriane Pin (PREMA Racing) – 33:02.382
P2: Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) – 33:02.652
P3: Nina Gademan (PREMA Racing) – 33:04.011
P4: Lia Block (ART Grand Prix) – 33:04.261
P5: Alba Larsen (MP Motorsport) – 33:04.523
Felbermayr Breaks Through in Canada With a Maiden Victory
Emma Felbermayr claimed her maiden F1 Academy victory in a sensational reverse-grid Race 2, leading a Rodin Motorsport 1–2 ahead of teammate Ella Lloyd in a last-lap showdown. The Austrian driver kept cool under pressure after a fierce fight with Lloyd and Alpine’s Nina Gademan, holding her nerve in one of the most dramatic races of the season so far.
The Sauber driver showed her excitement after the race:
“I was obviously really disappointed because it was my first podium of the season,” she said. “It was just an amazing feeling to finally get the job done after having so many attempts before, but now I have the win. It was an eventful last lap, but I got it done into Turn 8, so I’m super happy about that.”
Chloe Chong started from pole but lost ground early, unable to convert her front-row start after a strong launch but fading in the opening laps. Gademan took the lead early on and looked set for the win, but Felbermayr closed in and made a decisive move after a late Safety Car restart, while Lloyd pounced on Gademan to steal second.
Felbermayr Holds On as Chaos Unfolds Behind
Doriane Pin, starting from P6, climbed to P4, shadowed by both Campos cars, with Chambers and Palmowski pressuring her throughout. Chambers’ race unravelled after a collision with Pin that dropped her to the back — her second consecutive setback of the weekend.
Alba Larsen delivered one of the drives of the day, surging from P11 to finish just outside the podium places, showing relentless pace and confidence throughout.
Maya Weug initially showed signs of recovery, climbing into the points by Lap 10 as her car issues appeared to be resolved — only to be taken out of contention after contact with Aurelia Nobels. ART’s Lia Block took full advantage, passing both and finishing P6.
Nicole Havrda brought out a late yellow flag after spinning off following light contact with Aiva Anagnostiadis at Turn 10. The incident triggered a brief Safety Car, setting up a one-lap shootout to the flag. And, post-race, Havrda was handed a grid penalty for Race 3 for causing the collision that ended Anagnostiadis’ race.
Felbermayr held firm under pressure to seal her first win, with Lloyd collecting her second P2 of the weekend and Gademan scoring her first-ever podium for Alpine in P3. It was a clean sweep of personal milestones — and a thrilling show of how far the grid has progressed mid-season.
RACE 2 – TOP 5 RESULTS
P1: Emma Felbermayr (Rodin Motorsport) – 29:48.046
P2: Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) – 29:48.251
P3: Nina Gademan (PREMA Racing) – 29:48.339
P4: Doriane Pin (PREMA Racing) – 29:48.425
P5: Alba Larsen (MP Motorsport) – 29:48.589
Chambers Claims First Win in Fitting Finale
Chloe Chambers ended her rollercoaster Canadian weekend with a long-awaited first victory of the season, finally converting pole into a win in Race 3.
After early heartbreak and a birthday to forget on Saturday, the Red Bull Ford driver bounced back in commanding style on Sunday, holding firm through multiple Safety Car interruptions and pressure from behind to break the pole curse — becoming the first driver this year to win from P1.
The final race took place on a historic date — 67 years to the day since Maria Teresa de Filippis became the first woman to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix. It proved a fitting backdrop for a field of rising talents.
The drama began early when Palmowski spun out after contact with Ella Lloyd at the start, dropping the Campos driver to the back of the pack. Shortly after, Wild Card Mathilda Paatz collided with Aiva Anagnostiadis, triggering the first of three Safety Cars.
Chambers nailed the first restart and never looked back, while Doriane Pin clawed her way through the field. The Mercedes junior overtook both Hausmann and Gademan to move into P3, continuing her ultra-consistent form. But her title rival Maya Weug also mounted a remarkable recovery, climbing from P15 to finish sixth — finally showing pace after two punishing days of technical issues.
Safety Car Seals It After Midfield Chaos
Midfield mayhem struck again when Lia Block misjudged a braking point and hit Rafaela Ferreira, with Nobels caught up in the aftermath. Gademan, meanwhile, received a 10-second penalty for earlier contact with Felbermayr, who was spun out of the top five in another cruel blow after her Race 2 triumph.
The final laps saw a third and final Safety Car following a spin from Courtney Crone after contact with Felbermayr, neutralising the race to the flag.
Chambers took the win under Safety Car, with Lloyd once again finishing second — making it three-for-three on the podium in Montréal. Pin completed the top three, while Tina Hausmann claimed P4 just ahead of Chloe Chong in P5, their best result of the season, and Weug’s impressive P6 charge.
RACE 3 – TOP 5 RESULTS
P1: Chloe Chambers (Campos Racing) – 32:49.949
P2: Ella Lloyd (Rodin Motorsport) – 32:50.226
P3: Doriane Pin (PREMA Racing) – 32:50.664
P4: Tina Hausmann (PREMA Racing) – 32:50.968
P5: Chloe Chong (Rodin Motorsport) – 32:51.300
With the 2025 F1 Academy Canadian GP now in the rearview mirror, the all-female series hits the halfway point of its season — and the title fight is heating up.
Doriane Pin leaves Canada on top with 109 points, pulling clear after a weekend of damage control and consistency. Chloe Chambers climbs to second on 89 points, finally rewarded for her pace, while early leader Maya Weug slips to third on 72 after a weekend plagued by technical gremlins. Just behind, Ella Lloyd surges into fourth with 67 points, and Alisha Palmowski rounds out the top five on 53.
With momentum shifting and confidence building across the field, all eyes now turn to Zandvoort in late August — but until then, The Paddock Chronicle will keep you close to the story.
Feature Image Credit: Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
[…] wasn’t just F1 Academy that had an thrilling conclusion to its racing action on Sunday. Formula 1 in Canada rarely disappoints and for a multitude of reasons, the 2025 F1 Canadian Grand […]