The storylines to get excited about as the F1 ACADEMY title fight ramps up in Zandvoort

Putting the summer break behind them and dusting off their race suits, the F1 ACADEMY grid reunite for an all-important visit to Zandvoort.

The only venue to have featured across all three F1 ACADEMY seasons so far, and following testing there last month, the field should be well-acquainted with what to expect.

Yet with title fights and maiden podiums at stake, we’ll be waiting to see who comes out swinging in Round 5.

Pin hits the front

Picking up her third win of the campaign in Montreal, Doriane Pin not only became 2025’s first repeat winner but, crucially, regained the lead of the Drivers’ standings after a two-round break.

It’s not only the top spot that has changed, as Chloe Chambers has become her nearest rival, 20 points behind the French racer. Contact from her Campos Racing team mate Alisha Palmowski cost the Red Bull Ford driver a chance at victory in Montreal Race 1, but Chambers’ mood was improved after she scored her first victory of the year with a controlled performance from pole.

Dropping to third, Maya Weug endured a nightmare weekend in Canada, with technical issues denying her a chance to fight for meaningful points. Race 3 proved to be the Ferrari driver’s only silver lining, as she gained nine places to go from 15th to sixth, but she is left 37 points adrift of Pin.

A very competitive outing in Zandvoort last year saw Pin earn her first clean sweep, securing pole position, fastest lap and the win in Race 2.

If she outscores Chambers by more than 19 points, she’ll move over a maximum weekend points haul clear of the American – with 39 points up for grabs this weekend.

The most Pin has outscored Chambers by so far is 12, but she has a golden opportunity to head into the final two rounds in Singapore and Las Vegas with the title within touching distance.

Palmowski ready to redeem herself after Montreal setbacks

Alisha Palmowski will be looking to get back on form after a disappointing time in Canada. That’s not to say the Red Bull Racing driver wasn’t quick, netting a second consecutive front row start in Qualifying.

Yet her high hopes dissolved on the opening laps, with a brave move into Turn 1 causing contact with Chambers in Race 1, and a tangle with McLaren’s Ella Lloyd in Race 3 costing her a chance at the podium.

Relinquishing the top rookie spot to Lloyd – who claimed three consecutive P2 finishes – Palmowski is still firmly inside the chasing pack in fifth.

Fortunately, the forecast looks optimistic for Palmowski. With rain expected across the weekend, the weather could play to her strengths as the Briton relishes the wet conditions. Combined with strong performances during in-season testing at Zandvoort, her return to silverware shouldn’t take long.

PREMA back to old ways

Although PREMA Racing are two-time Teams’ Champions, they haven’t always looked like the squad to beat this year. Following Round 3 in Miami, PREMA were stuck down in third, 20 points behind leaders Campos Racing and six behind MP Motorsport.

One round later and the Italian team now hold a 27-point lead over Campos, outscoring their rivals by 47 points.

Pin’s victory and P3 finish in Race 3 were complemented by Alpine driver Nina Gademan’s double podium and Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann matching her best result in F1 ACADEMY with a P4 finish in Race 3.

By contrast, Campos missed out on four points-scoring opportunities in Montreal, two more than they’d lost out on across the previous three rounds. Marking the first time they’ve sat top of the Teams’ Standings all season, can PREMA keep up the pace or will we see a resurgence from Campos?

Larsen looking for the top step

Sitting in sixth, Tommy Hilfiger’s Alba Larsen remains the highest-placed driver yet to score a podium. Her best result came courtesy of a P4 finish in Race 2, in what was a stellar debut weekend in Shanghai. Since that point, the Dane has kept consistent, delivering four further top-five finishes.

Interestingly, following Emma Felbermayr’s win in Montreal Race 2, 2025 has witnessed three of the top-five youngest race winners. Crucially, the Kick Sauber driver was only a month older than Bianca Bustamante was when she set the record aged 18 years, 3 months and 18 days at Valencia Race 2 in 2023.

As a result, only Larsen, her MP Motorsport team mate Joanne Ciconte and TAG Heuer’s Aiva Anagnostiadis are eligible to beat that record by the end of the season.

Based on their performances up to this point, wins and podiums don’t seem too far away for Larsen, and with her getting picked up by the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy for 2026, she’s certainly one to take note of.