On November 21, 2025, Chloe Chambers turned the Las Vegas Strip Circuit into her personal qualifying playground, locking in her fourth pole position of the season — a feat that quietly cemented her as the most consistent qualifier in the 2025 F1 ACADEMY season. While the spotlight shone brightest on the championship decider, it was Chambers’ razor-sharp lap — captured in an onboard video released just after qualifying — that stole the show from the get-go. The race that followed wasn’t just about who crossed the line first. It was about who held their nerve when everything was on the line. And that, ultimately, was Doriane Pin, the Ferrari-backed driver who, despite finishing fourth, clinched the 2025 F1 ACADEMY title in the most dramatic fashion possible.
The Championship Comes Down to the Final Lap
The 2025 F1 ACADEMY season didn’t end with a coronation. It ended with a chess match on asphalt. Doriane Pin and Maya Weug entered the Las Vegas finale separated by just five points. Weug, driving for Red Bull Racing’s junior program, had been Pin’s shadow all season — aggressive, fearless, and always lurking. But in the final race, the tables turned. A Safety Car period, triggered by a spin from the midfield, bunched the field into a tight pack. That’s when Pin made her move. On the restart, she didn’t wait. She went for it. An outside pass on Weug through Turn 8, under braking, was the kind of move that gets replayed for years. It wasn’t clean? Maybe. But it was bold. And it worked. Weug briefly reclaimed the position, but Pin held her ground, and by Lap 12, the French driver had slipped past Palmowski — the Red Bull driver who’d been leading the charge — to take third. Weug, meanwhile, couldn’t quite shake off the pressure. She faded to fifth by the checkered flag.Chambers’ Qualifying Mastery
While Pin was fighting for history, Chambers was busy making it look easy. Her pole lap — a 1:48.321 — was nearly half a second faster than her nearest rival. The video, published on the F1 ACADEMY YouTube channel, shows her threading the needle through the tight corners of the Las Vegas Strip, braking late, and carrying obscene speed through the long left-hander before the hotel complex. This wasn’t luck. It was the fourth pole of her season — and the third in the last four races. She didn’t win a race all year. But she started from the front more than anyone else. That’s a different kind of dominance. "She’s got nerves of steel," said one team engineer off-camera after qualifying. "She doesn’t just drive fast. She drives clean. And that’s what wins championships — eventually."
The Ripple Effect: Who Else Made History?
Behind the title fight, the rest of the grid delivered a masterclass in resilience. Alba Larsen, whose team affiliation remains unconfirmed in official sources, started strong but lost ground after a poor restart, dropping to fifth. Ella Lloyd, representing McLaren, held sixth — her best finish of the year — ahead of Nina Gademan and Tina Hausmann. The final points scorers — Rafaela Ferreira and Aurelia Nobels — completed the top ten, each earning their first points of the season in a race where every position mattered.It’s easy to forget that F1 ACADEMY isn’t just about trophies. It’s about pathways. For many of these drivers, this season was their first taste of Formula 1 weekend infrastructure — the same pit lanes, the same media center, the same global broadcast. And for the first time, they weren’t just racing each other. They were racing against the clock of opportunity.
What This Means for the Future
With the 2025 season closed, the F1 ACADEMY organization is now turning its attention to 2026. Driver announcements are expected by late January, and early signs suggest a significant expansion — possibly adding two new teams and extending the calendar to eight rounds. Pin’s victory, coming as the first driver to successfully defend her F1 ACADEMY title, sets a new benchmark. Chambers’ pole record, meanwhile, proves that qualifying prowess is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. And for the first time, the series is being watched not just by scouts, but by sponsors. Tommy Hilfiger, which sponsored one of the top drivers, reportedly doubled its investment for next season.The bigger picture? This wasn’t just a race. It was a statement. Female drivers aren’t just participating in motorsport’s future — they’re shaping it. And Las Vegas, of all places, became the stage where that truth rang loudest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Doriane Pin win the championship without winning the race?
Pin won the 2025 F1 ACADEMY title by accumulating the most points across all 10 races, not by winning a single event. She finished in the top five in eight of those races, including three podiums. Even though she came fourth in Las Vegas, her consistent performance — especially in the final five rounds — gave her a five-point lead over Maya Weug that couldn’t be overturned. This mirrors how Formula 1 championships are decided: consistency beats single-race brilliance.
Why is Chloe Chambers’ four pole positions significant?
No other driver in the 2025 F1 ACADEMY season secured more than two poles. Chambers’ ability to extract maximum performance from qualifying — often in high-pressure, high-stakes sessions — shows exceptional car control and racecraft under pressure. Her record suggests she’s one of the most naturally gifted qualifiers in the series’ history, and teams are already circling her for 2026. She may not have won a race, but she controlled the grid more than anyone else.
What role did the Safety Car play in the championship outcome?
The Safety Car on Lap 7 bunched the field, wiping out the gap between Pin and Weug. Without it, Weug likely would’ve stayed ahead of Pin on the restart. But the neutralization allowed Pin to attack aggressively on the re-start, targeting Weug’s outside line — a move that wouldn’t have been possible if the gap had remained. It turned the race from a defense into an opportunity — and Pin seized it.
How does F1 ACADEMY differ from other junior racing series?
Unlike other junior categories, F1 ACADEMY runs exclusively as a support series to Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends, giving drivers exposure to the same media, logistics, and fan engagement platforms as F1. Drivers train with F1 engineers, use identical Dallara F3 cars, and compete on the same circuits as the main event. This integration — not just the racing — makes it the most direct pipeline for female drivers aiming for F1.
Where will the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season likely be held?
While official calendar details aren’t released yet, sources suggest the 2026 season will include races in Japan, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia — all new venues for the series. The addition of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit as a permanent fixture is also under review, given its success in 2025. The series is aiming for a global footprint, with at least one race on every continent except Antarctica.
Who are the top prospects for the 2026 F1 ACADEMY grid?
Beyond Pin and Weug, the standout names include Chloe Chambers — widely tipped for a step up to Formula 3 — and Alba Larsen, whose raw speed in wet conditions impressed multiple F1 team scouts. Also in contention are rising stars from the W Series, including a German driver who tested with Alpine’s junior program in October. Expect at least four new drivers from the Asian and Latin American regions to join the grid next year, as F1 ACADEMY expands its global outreach.