PREVIEW: F1 Academy is back in Zandvoort for the fourth time

F1 Academy is back for Round 4. The series returns this weekend (21-23 August) in the Netherlands, with drivers racing around MASCOT Circuit Zandvoort for the fourth time as part of the iconic Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix race weekend.

Round 2 of the F1 Academy season took place in Montreal in May. Alisha Palmowski took her second F1 Academy victory of the season in the Opening Race, with Mathilda Paatz taking her and Aston Martin's first-ever F1 Academy victory in the Reverse Grid Race. Palmowski rounded off her incredible weekend of racing with the Feature Race win and set the biggest winning margin in F1 Academy history, finishing a massive 10.955s ahead of her closest rival.

Round 3 took place in Silverstone in July. Emma Felbermayr took her second victory of the season in the Reverse Grid Race, with Palmowski back on the top step with a win in the Feature Race.

The drivers also completed two days of in-season testing at Zandvoort in July, where Palmowski took the fastest lap on both days. Alba Larsen and Emma Felbermayr also found incredible speed around the circuit.

This weekend, keep an eye on Nina Gademan, who took her first-ever victory in Zandvoort last year, along with Palmowski, who has also finished on the Zandvoort podium.

So let's have a look at the drivers, the race weekend format, and what to expect from Zandvoort.

Alisha Palmowski in Silverstone

Silverstone recap

Round 2 of the 2026 F1 Academy season saw the 2026 drivers head to the iconic Silverstone for the first time, with Swiss driver Chiara Bättig joining as the wild card. Drivers faced both hot and cool track conditions, with plenty of action across the two races.

Palmowski, Bättig and Felbermayr were the standout performers of the weekend. Bättig made history by taking pole position and a podium as a Wild Card driver, earning Hitech its first F1 Academy podium.

Read our complete round-up of the F1 Academy Round 3 at Silverstone.

Silverstone Feature race Podium

Who is on the grid this year?

Six teams are joining the series once again, with MP Motorsport, Hitech, Rodin Motorsports, PREMA Racing, Campos Racing, and ART Grand Prix all back on the grid.

Find out more about the ART Grand Prix and Hitech drivers here. Discover the MP Motorsport and Rodin Motorsport drivers here. Campos Racing and PREMA Racing drivers are listed here.

F1 Academy 2026 weekend format

The 2025 season introduced a change to the weekend format, which continues for 2026, with racing split into three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

There can be up to two practice sessions on Friday, each lasting up to 40 minutes. A 30-minute qualifying session will take place on either Friday or Saturday, depending on the number of practice sessions allocated.

Saturday will host the Reverse Grid Race, following last season's Sporting Regulations reform.

The Reverse Grid Race (previously known as Race 1) means that the top eight drivers from qualifying will be reversed on the grid, while the drivers that finish between P9 and P18 will start from the position they qualify in. In this race, only the first eight drivers will earn points, and the driver who records the fastest lap and finishes in the top eight will score an extra point.

Reverse Grid Race points allocation:

• P1 - 10 points

• P2 - 8 points

• P3 - 6 points

• P4 - 5 points

• P5 - 4 points

• P6 - 3 points

• P7 - 2 points

• P8 - 1 point

The Feature Race (previously known as Race 2) has no changes from previous seasons, with drivers starting from the positions they qualified for. The first 10 drivers to cross the chequered flag will earn points on a sliding scale from 25 points to the winner and down to one point to the driver finishing in P10.

The driver who earns pole for Race 2 will earn two extra points. The driver who sets the fastest lap will earn an additional point if they finish the race within the top 10.

Feature Race points allocation:

• P1 - 25 points

• P2 - 18 points

• P3 - 15 points

• P4 - 12 points

• P5 - 10 points

• P6 - 8 points

• P7 - 6 points

• P8 - 4 points

• P9 - 2 points

• P10 - 1 point

For Montreal and Austin, there will be a third race, otherwise known as the Opening Race, to ensure that the two cancelled races from Jeddah still take place. This will be the first race of the weekend, with the grid being decided from the drivers’ second-fastest lap times.

Opening Race points allocation:

• P1 - 25 points

• P2 - 18 points

• P3 - 15 points

• P4 - 12 points

• P5 - 10 points

• P6 - 8 points

• P7 - 6 points

• P8 - 4 points

• P9 - 2 points

• P10 - 1 point

Two points will be awarded for the pole position for the Feature Race, but not the Opening Race or the Reverse Grid Race.

A point will be awarded for the fastest lap of all three races, provided they finish within the top eight for the Reverse Grid Race or the top 10 for the Opening Race and Feature Race.

What's the schedule for the Zandvoort race weekend?

Round 4 begins on Friday, 21 August, with practice at 13:00.

The Qualifying and the Reverse Grid Race will take place on Saturday, 22 August, with Qualifying starting at 08:20 and the Reverse Grid Race starting at 13:35.

The Feature Race will take place on Sunday, 23 August at 09:40.

All times are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).

Who is the F1 Academy Zandvoort wild card entry?

Zoe Florescu has been selected as the Wild Card entry for Round 4 in Zandvoort. The 17-year-old Romanian-American driver will make her debut in the #15 car, operated by Hitech, representing the series' partnership with Dirt Is Good in a bespoke livery and race kit inspired by Wonder Wash Max.

Florescu took part in and impressed at the F1 Academy Rookie Test last year and is currently competing in the Spanish F4 Championship.

Zoe Florescu

Everything you need to know about MASCOT Circuit Zandvoort

2026 marks the fourth time F1 Academy will race at the iconic MASCOT Circuit Zandvoort as part of the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.

Silverstone is 4.259km long, with 18 corners and is located in Zandvoort, the Netherlands. The two races will cover 72.403km over 17 laps.

Hamda Al Qubaisi (MP Motorsport) holds the fastest lap of 1:35.926, set in 2023.

2026 Season Standings After Round 3

1. Alisha Palmowski - 108 points

2. Emma Felbermayr - 78 points

3. Nina Gademan - 50 points

4. Megan Bruce - 39 points

5. Ella Lloyd - 39 points

6. Payton Westcott - 36 points

7. Mathilda Paatz - 35 points

8. Rafaela Ferreira - 27 points

9. Alba Larsen - 24 points

10. Natalia Granada - 23 points

11. Chiara Bättig - 22 points

12. Lisa Billard - 15 points

13. Kaylee Countryman - 14 points

14. Rachel Robertson - 13 points

15. Ava Dobson - 7 points

16. Ella Stevens - 4 points

17. Esmee Kosterman

18. Autumn Fisher

19. Jade Jacquet

20. Shi Wei (WCD)

The F1 Academy qualifying session, Race 1 and Race 2 throughout the season can be streamed on F1 Academy's YouTube, X Channels, F1 TV and Sky Sports F1.

All images are credited to F1 Academy Limited.