F1 Academy Las Vegas: Pin Clinches Championship

F1 Academy makes its debut on the renowned Las Vegas Strip, holding the final round of the 2025 season on a new street circuit. While it was the third time Las Vegas had hosted a Formula 1 race, it was the first for F1 Academy.

Under the neon glow of the world’s most famous boulevard, the championship reached its decisive conclusion as Mercedes driver Doriane Pin and Ferrari Academy rival Maya Weug went head-to-head in a title showdown that would determine the 2025 F1 Academy champion.

The stakes were higher than ever since the inaugural Las Vegas weekend served as both the season finale and the championship decider. For drivers who were new to the Strip Circuit, cool desert evenings, a quickly changing surface, and harsh braking zones presented a special challenge. Tyre warm-up, energy deployment, and brake stability in cold temperatures became defining elements in both races.

Friday Free Practice: Pin Sets the Benchmark in Las Vegas Debut

On the championship-deciding weekend, Pin showcased her dominance on the
neon-lit Las Vegas Strip Circuit. In a closely contested session, the PREMA Racing driver set the benchmark by topping the timesheets with a time of 2:07.967. Despite a late red flag that limited any last-minute gains, her late lap demonstrated outstanding tyre warm-up and stability through the flowing high-speed portions.
Championship rival Weug showed determination and a good early-sector performance by finishing just 0.281 seconds behind for MP Motorsport. She did, however, lose time through the Turn 10-11 braking zone on the colder track surface. With a time of 2:08.384, Chloe Chambers finished third for Campos Racing, demonstrating remarkable consistency over longer stints that might make her a danger in both races.

The session began cautiously, with Lia Block first establishing a 2:19.431 benchmark before progressively improving to 2:15.321 when track temperatures dropped below 17.6° Celsius. As the circuit progressed, grip improved, and drivers gradually increased the pace. Alba Larsen, Alisha Palmowski, and other contenders momentarily led the timings before Pin re- established herself, passing into the 2:12s and 2:10s before setting the session’s fastest lap.

While MP Motorsport concentrated on traction for Weug out of slow corners, Mercedes worked to stabilise Pin’s rear grip under load. Tyre preparation was critical; drivers who pushed too early suffered from poor performance later.

Larsen, Palmowski, and Tina Hausmann completed the top six, while Ella Lloyd, Nina
Gademan, Rafaela Ferreira, and Chloe Chong completed the top ten. Chong’s front-right suspension breakdown caused her to crash as she approached Turn 1, ending the session dramatically and raising the red flag that stopped any more late improvements.

Pin’s dominant performance, Weug’s competitive edge, and the close margins among the top drivers set the stage for an exciting qualifying session later that evening.

Top Ten – Friday Free Practice:

Saturday Qualifying: Chambers Takes Pole, Championship Leader Pin Ahead of Weug

Qualifying in Las Vegas delivered both drama and strategic intrigue. Chambers claimed pole with a 2:06.538, narrowly edging out teammate Palmowski (2:06.918) and Larsen (2:06.935) in a tightly contested session. The Campos Racing duo showed a perfect balance between speed and precision, taking full advantage of the long straights while carefully managing tyre temperatures through the tight urban corners.

Championship leader Pin qualified fourth (2:06.978), just ahead of title rival Maya
Weug (2:07.194). While Pin did not top the timesheets, her position ahead of Weug was crucial: finishing in front of her rival in Race 2 would be key to securing the championship.

Pin’s laps demonstrated her ability to extract maximum performance under pressure, balancing aggressive entry braking with controlled mid-corner rotation.
Weug struggled to find the perfect balance on her final runs, losing fractions of a second through Turn 4 and slightly over-rotating in the high-speed leading to Turn 5. With the championship on the line, every hundredth of a second mattered, and Pin’s ability to stay ahead gave her both a psychological and strategic advantage heading into the weekend’s decisive races.

The session also highlighted the unique challenges of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit: tight, unforgiving corners, long sweeping straights, and a surface with inconsistent grip. Track evolution was critical, with lap times steadily dropping as more rubber was laid down, forcing drivers to adapt braking points and racing lines with each run. Engineers monitored tyre temperatures and rear stability closely, knowing that qualifying data would directly influence tyre strategy and energy deployment during the two high- stakes races.

The session was further complicated by Aurelia Nobels receiving grid penalties for both Race 1 and Race 2. The PUMA driver was found to have impeded Lloyd at Turn 17 while on a cool- down lap, forcing Lloyd, who was on a push lap, to slow down. The Stewards determined Nobels had unnecessarily blocked Lloyd and imposed a three-place grid penalty for both races, meaning the #22 car will start from P16 in Las Vegas.

For the championship contenders, the stakes could not have been higher. Pin’s fourth place put her in an ideal position to control her own pace, avoid unnecessary risks, and respond strategically to Weug’s moves in Race 2.

While Chambers and Palmowski battled for the race win, all eyes remained on the
Mercedes-Ferrari duel, with the championship potentially decided by a single overtake, a mistake, or a perfectly timed Safety Car.

Race 1: Championship Leader Pin Dominates Amid Wet Chaos and Weug Crash

The reverse-grid Race 1 at the Las Vegas Strip saw championship leader Doriane Pin start from P8 and immediately begin her charge through the field, moving to the brink of securing the 2025 F1 Academy title. The race was instantly shaken when title rival Maya Weug crashed on the formation lap, preventing her from starting. This gave Pin a significant psychological and points advantage heading into the finale.

Rain swept across the Nevada streets before the start, forcing all drivers to switch from slicks to wet tyres on the grid. Polesitter Gademan also required a last-minute front wing change, while Emma Felbermayr was stranded on the front row with a clutch issue. During the formation laps, Weug collided with Hausmann, retiring instantly, promoting Pin to second place before the race officially began.

When the green flag dropped on Lap 4, Larsen briefly passed Pin for the lead with a daring move around Turn 10, but her charge ended abruptly after a subtle brush with the wall caused suspension damage, sending her into a spin at the final corner.

Lap 6 brought further drama as Lloyd, climbing from 10th to 5th, slid off the dry line at Turn 5, triggering a Safety Car period. Once racing resumed on Lap 9, Pin made a decisive move on Gademan along The Strip, taking the lead cleanly before the braking zone. Behind the leaders, Palmowski closed in on Chambers, with the pair making contact at the Turn 14–15 chicane; Chambers retired, while Palmowski held on to finish third.

Pin executed flawless overtakes throughout the 12-lap sprint, carefully managing tyre wear and brake temperatures on the demanding street circuit. She recorded the fastest lap of 2:20.416, while teammate Gademan finished just 0.543 seconds behind in P2. Nobels completed the top five alongside Rachel Robertson, with Block, Wild Card entry Payton Westcok, and Courtney Crone rounding out the points-paying positions.

The victory and fastest lap strengthened Pin’s championship lead, giving her a 20-point advantage over Weug and helping Prema Racing clinch the Teams’ title for the third consecutive year. With Pin starting fourth in Race 2, one place ahead of Weug, the Mercedes driver holds the ideal position to seal the 2025 F1 Academy crown in the season finale.

Race 2: Pin Clinches F1 Academy Title as Chambers Wins and Weug Falls Short in Las Vegas Finale

The 2025 F1 Academy season reached its climax on the Las Vegas Strip, with Pin
crowned champion after finishing fifth in a thrilling finale, while Chambers led every lap to take a commanding victory. After finishing runner-up last year, Pin’s triumph this season marks the perfect conclusion to her final F1 Academy campaign, showcasing her growth, consistency, and strategic brilliance.

Rain-soaked street conditions continued to challenge the field. Polesitter Chambers
launched perfectly off the line, immediately controlling the race, while Palmowski held P2. Sixteen-year-old Larsen went wide on the opening lap, allowing Pin to close in and fight for third. Early drama unfolded as title rival Weug attempted a bold pass around Pin on Lap 2, but the Mercedes driver defended with composure, focusing on securing championship points rather than risking a race win. Further down the field, Joanne Ciconte and Westcok collided, prompting a Safety Car. Racing resumed on Lap 5, with both Pin and Weug executing skillful overtakes on Larsen to intensify the title fight.

As laps ticked down, Weug briefly passed Pin for fourth before climbing to P3 behind
Palmowski. A tense battle for second saw Palmowski reclaim her position, while Pin held fifth, enough to outscore Weug in the standings and secure her first F1 Academy crown.

Chambers crossed the line over four seconds ahead of Palmowski, completing a dominant lights-to-flag victory. Larsen finished fourth, with Pin rounding out the top five. Lloyd, Gademan, Hausmann, Ferreira, and Nobels completed the points-paying positions.

For Ferrari and Maya Weug, it was another heartbreak, as the team came agonisingly close to their first Drivers’ title but ultimately fell short, highlighting the fine margins of championship racing.

Pin’s remarkable turnaround from last year’s runner-up to this year’s champion underscores her evolution as a driver and caps her final F1 Academy season with the third-ever Drivers’ title, while Prema Racing had already secured the Teams’ championship.

Pin Secures the 2025 F1 Academy Championship

Pin’s journey to the 2025 F1 Academy title was a masterclass in consistency,
strategy, and composure under pressure. After finishing runner-up in her maiden F1
Academy season in 2024, Pin returned stronger than ever in her final campaign,
demonstrating remarkable growth as a driver.

The championship battle came to a head in Las Vegas, where a dramatic Race 1 victory and a calculated fifth-place finish in Race 2 proved enough to secure the Drivers’ Championship.

Pin’s Race 1 win gave her a significant points buffer over title rival Maya Weug, who suffered misfortune on the formation lap. In the finale, Pin focused on smart, clean racing, defending positions against Weug and maintaining the pace required to clinch the crown.

As she signs off on her time in F1 Academy, with a vice-championship in her debut season and the Drivers’ Championship in her final year, Pin’s journey in motorsport is only just beginning. Her strategic brilliance, resilience, and skill on the track indicate that many more successes lie ahead as she progresses up the motorsport ladder.

Drivers Concluding Their F1 Academy Campaigns

By the end of the 2025 season, several drivers had completed their maximum two-season campaigns in F1 Academy, closing a significant chapter in their junior single-seater careers.

This group included:

• Doriane Pin
• Maya Weug
• Lia Block
• Chloe Chambers
• Courtney Crone
• Nina Gademan
• Tina Hausmann
• Ella Lloyd
• Aurelia Nobels
• Alisha Palmowski

Each of these drivers contributed to some of the season’s most memorable battles,
showcasing skill, determination, and growth over their two-year journey in the series.
Additionally, Chloe Chong returned to F1 Academy as a full-time competitor in 2025 after previously racing in 2023, completing her second season overall. For many of these drivers, including champion Pin, this marked the conclusion of their F1 Academy careers, and the experience they’ve gained will serve as a springboard for the next step in their racing journeys, whether that be F1 feeder series or other high-level motorsport categories.

What’s Next?

With the 2025 F1 Academy season concluded, the series now looks ahead to its 2026
campaign, promising another thrilling chapter of racing with returning teams, drivers, and fresh sponsorship opportunities. The same six teams from 2025 will compete in 2026.

The Lego Group will make its debut as a sponsor, and the Cadillac Formula 1 team is set to join as a sponsor in 2027. All ten existing Formula 1 teams will continue to support a livery and driver in the all-female series, ensuring strong backing and continued development opportunities for emerging talent.

As several drivers conclude their two-season campaigns, the focus will shift to the next stage of their motorsport careers, with many moving up to higher-level single-seater championships and carrying forward the experience, skill, and race craft honed in F1 Academy.

Meanwhile, returning drivers and newcomers will face the challenge of competing in a series now defined by high drama, tight championship battles, and continued support from Formula 1 teams and sponsors. Fans can expect faster races, closer battles, and rising stars challenging for the championship in what has become one of motorsport’s most exciting junior series.

Written by Zoha.

Edited by Alexandra.

Featured image credit: formulascout.com

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