Lloyd and Weug Take Victories in F1 Academy 2025 Round 2 in Saudi Arabia

Round 2 of the F1 Academy 2025 season got underway last weekend, with Round 2 in Jeddah as part of the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. Ella Lloyd took her maiden victory in Race 1, with Ferrari driver Maya Weug taking her first F1 Academy win of the 2025 season.

Maya Weug, Ella Lloyd, Chloe Chambers and Alba Larsen were stand-out performers from Jeddah, with Ella Lloyd taking the win in Race 1 and Maya Weug inheriting the win in Race 2 after Chloe Chambers received a five-second time penalty.

Round 2 of the 2025 F1 Academy season saw the 2025 drivers take to the track in Jeddah for the second year in a row, with Saudi Arabian driver Farah AlYousef joining as the Wild Card driver.

Chloe Chambers Pole Position

Maya Weug gained her first F1 Academy victory of the 2025 season

Maya Weug stood on the top step of the podium for the first time this year, taking the victory in Race 2, after Chloe Chambers received a five-second time penalty.

Weug set up her weekend in the practice session by taking the fastest lap with a time of 2m 05.357. She followed it up by setting the third fastest time in qualifying with a 2m 04.844. Weug started Race 1 lining up in sixth, but she managed to make her way through the field and finish Race 1 in second place. 

Weug did one better in Race 2, taking the victory after starting in third place. Weug overtook Doriane Pin for second place off the starting line and chased down pole sitter Chloe Chambers in a tough battle. Chambers received a five-second time penalty for forcing Weug off the track and gaining an advantage.

Weug finished the weekend with a double podium, a race win and as the leader of the drivers standings.

“Race 1 was really good from P6 to P2. Today, again, the pace was really nice in the first couple of laps and I managed to make up the place on Doriane in Turn 1. After that, I caught up to Chloe, overtook her, had a small touch here and there and then had to do the job again”, says Weug.

“Having to overtake again left my tyres a bit more destroyed than I would have liked in the end, but I knew Chloe had the five seconds. Then I could just stay calm, try to get the fastest lap. It didn’t quite work out because I was struggling in the last couple of laps, but really good pace and looking strong for Miami.”

Maya Weug Race 2 winner

Ella Lloyd wins the reverse grid race

Ella Lloyd qualified seventh for Race 1, which gave her a starting position of second on the grid for Race 1. Lloyd overtook pole sitter and teammate Emma Felbermayr on the first corner, defended well during the Safety Car restart and stayed up front all the way to the chequered flag. The rookie finished eighth in Race 2.

“I’m feeling pretty good. My plan was to lead into Turn 1 and that’s what I’ve done, pretty happy with myself for that. Then just be consistent and I think my race was pretty consistent,” said Lloyd, satisfied by a job well done.

Ella Lloyd Race 1 winner

Chloe Chambers shines despite penalty 

Chloe Chambers started her weekend with the fourth fastest time in the free practice session with a lap time of 2m 05.625, but she didn’t let that ruin her weekend. 

Chambers set the fastest lap time in the qualifying session, setting a lap time of 2m 04.320 under the lights around the streets of Jeddah, taking pole position for Race 2 on Sunday.

Chambers finished seventh in the reverse grid of Race 1, but her eyes were on Race 2. After starting on pole position, the Red Bull Ford driver finished first on the road but was demoted to P2 after receiving a five-second time penalty for her battle with race winner Weug in the opening stages of the race. Chambers tried to extend her advantage out in front to salvage a podium and took P2, finishing just one-tenth ahead of Doriane Pin.

“I mean, I can still take a lot of positives from the race,” Chambers explained. “The pace was really strong at the end – to be able to pull a five-second gap to Doriane in third is something to still be proud about.

“Fastest lap at the end as well, so I tried to make the most out of what I could. We were just lacking some pace at the beginning. The different aero set-ups that everybody had made the racing a bit difficult for me, so it was a little bit more difficult than what I thought it would be yesterday.”

Chambers and Weug

Rookie Alba Larsen continues consistent performance

Alba Larsen didn’t leave Shanghai or Jeddah with any silverware. However, she has shone in the first two rounds with lots to celebrate.

In Jeddah, Larsen qualified in fifth position, meaning she started fourth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2. Larsen finished Race 1 in fifth position and Race 2 also in fifth place. Larsen’s consistency has allowed her to gain 28 points from Round 1 and 2, placing her fifth in the championships standings after two rounds.

Alba Larsen

Farah AlYousef makes Wild Card appearance

Farah AlYousef made her Wild Card debut in Round 2 at her home race.

"Racing as a Wild Card entry in the F1 ACADEMY on home soil here in Jeddah is truly a dream come true,” the Saudi Arabian driver said. 

“Motorsport has been my passion for as long as I can remember, and to line up alongside some of the most talented young drivers in the world at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is an incredibly proud moment.

“I hope my participation inspires young girls across Saudi Arabia to believe in themselves and chase their dreams. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but moments like this remind me why I love racing. I’m ready to give it my all and represent my country with pride."

Race Results

Qualifying: 1) Chloe Chambers 2m 04.320

2) Doriane Pin 2m 04.575

3) Maya Weug 2m 04.844

Race 1: 1) Ella Lloyd

2) Maya Weug +0.176

3) Alisha Palmowski +1.823

Race 2: 1) Maya Weug

2) Chloe Chambers +2.784

3) Doriane Pin +2.849

2025 Season Standings After Round 2

1. Maya Weug - 59 points

2. Doriane Pin - 52 points

3. Chloe Chambers - 47 points

4. Alisha Palmowski - 36 points

5. Alba Larsen - 28 points

6. Ella Lloyd - 23 points

7. Tina Hausmann - 11 points

8. Emma Felbermayr - 10 points

9. Rafaela Ferreira - 8 points

10. Nina Gademan - 8 points

11. Lia Block - 2 points

12. Joanne Ciconte - 2 points

13. Avia Anagnostiados - 1 point

14. Chloe Chong

15. Aurelia Nobels

16. Courtney Crone

17. Shi Wei (WCD)

18. Nicole Havrda

19. Farah Alyousef (WCD)

F1 Academy is back for Round 3 in Miami, United States, on May 2-4, alongside the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix weekend.

All images are credited to F1 Academy Limited.