PREVIEW: F1 Academy primed for season finale in sensational Las Vegas
- Anny Wooldridge
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
F1 Academy returns this weekend (November 20-22) for the final round of the season, where they will get to experience the spectacular streets of Las Vegas for the first time. Taking on the high-speed, iconic track, drivers will head into the unknown in the championship-deciding weekend.
After six rounds, the title battle has come down to the final round, with Doriane Pin leading the championship by just nine points from Maya Weug; either of them could take home this year’s spoils with 39 points on offer across the weekend. Whoever comes out on top, it will be an emotional weekend for both drivers, as they say goodbye to F1 Academy after competing for the maximum of two years in the series.
Just behind the championship leaders, the rest of the field is tight, especially with Ella Lloyd and Chloe Chambers separated by just two points. Alisha Palomowski is currently in fifth place, just 26 points behind Chambers.
No matter what happens, Vegas is going to throw some incredible stories, fierce battles and exciting racing, where anything can happen.
Singapore recap
The series visited Marina Bay Street Circuit for the third time, with Lisa Billard joining as the wild card.
Lia Block and Weug were the standout performers of the weekend. However, we can’t not mention Lloyd, who finished on the podium once again in Race 2 with a third-place finish. This moved her into third place in the championship, just two points ahead of Chambers.
Drivers faced extremely humid conditions, a rain-soaked race, a delayed start, and a qualifying session covered by less than two-tenths.
Read our complete round-up of the F1 Academy Round 6 in Singapore.
F1 Academy Las Vegas weekend format
The 2025 season introduced a change to the weekend format, which is now split into three days. For Las Vegas, the race weekend will take place over Thursday, Friday and Saturday, in line with the F1 weekend. There will be one practice session lasting 40 minutes on Thursday. A 30-minute qualifying session will also take place.
Friday will host Race 1 and, following this season's reform of the Sporting Regulations, it will be a reverse-grid race.
Race 1 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
Race 2 has no changes from previous seasons, with drivers starting from the position that they qualified in. 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.
Race 2 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
What’s the schedule for the race weekend?
Round 7 begins on Friday, 21 November, with practice at 02:00 and qualifying at 05:30.
Race 1 will take place on Saturday, 22 November, at 02:15 and Race 2 will take place on Sunday, 23 November, at 00:20.
All times are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Who is the wild card entry?
American driver Payton Westcott will make her F1 Academy debut in Las Vegas. Westcott will be driving car number 15, sporting a custom Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (Visit Las Vegas) livery to celebrate the city’s vibrant energy and unrivalled status as a global sports and entertainment capital. Westcott had recently taken part in the F1 Academy Rookie Test.Â
She is a rising American talent and was selected for the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy Program. She has also competed in the Formula Winter Series and Italian F4, achieving numerous wins and podiums.
Aiva Anagnostiadis to miss Round 7 due to injury
Anagnostiadis sustained a fracture in her left foot and withdrew from the Singapore and Las Vegas race weekend. British driver Rachel Robertson was announced as her stand-in for the race weekend, driving the TAG Heuer car.
Robertson got into karting three years ago and has progressed quickly. She was awarded a factory drive with Radical Motorsport for the 2025 Radical Cup UK campaign, where she finished third overall. The British driver took part in the F1 Academy Rookie Test and achieved back-to-back top-five finishes around Circuito de Navarra.
Everything you need to know about the Las Vegas Strip Circuit
This will be the first F1 Academy race around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit as part of the F1 race weekend.
The circuit length is 6.201km, with 17 corners and each race will consist of 13 laps.
The Las Vegas Strip Circuit encompasses large areas of the Las Vegas Strip, winding past iconic locations like Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian. The track has high average speeds similar to Monza, with plenty of overtaking opportunities.
2025 Season Standings After Round 6
Doriane Pin - 151 points
Maya Weug - 142 points
Ella Lloyd - 101 points
Chloe Chambers - 99 points
Alisha Palmowski - 73 points
Nina Gademan - 60 points
Alba Larsen - 58 points
Tina Hausmann - 46 points
Emma Felbermayr - 37 points
Lia Block - 33 points
Chloe Chong - 18 points
Rafaela Ferreira - 15 points
Aurelia Nobels - 10 points
Joanne Ciconte - 8 points
Esmee Kosterman (WCD) - 6 points
Avia Anagnostiados - 5 points
Nicole Havrda - 1 point
Courtney Crone - 1 point
Megan Bruce
Lisa Billard (WCD)
Mathilda Paatz (WCD)
Ava Dobson (WCD)
Shi Wei (WCD)
Farah Alyousef (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.