The storylines to get excited about as F1 ACADEMY returns in Jeddah

The 2025 F1 ACADEMY field has traded Shanghai’s expansive layout for the fast-paced, tight and twisty Jeddah Corniche Circuit as the grid prepares for Round 2 of the season.

Whilst in-season testing earlier this month allowed the 18 drivers to get acquainted with the Saudi Arabian venue, even bigger tests lie in store on for the Grand Prix weekend…

Weug’s out to avenge Shanghai disappointment

The frustration was evident from Maya Weug in China after the Ferrari driver failed to convert her pole position into victory in Race 2. Speaking post-race, she rued her cautious approach of trying to avoid making a mistake on the rolling start which left her vulnerable to be overtaken by Doriane Pin.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 06: Maya Weug of Netherlands and MP Motorsport (64) during F1 Academy — Maya Weug will hope to bounce back as she lost out to Doriane Pin in Shanghai's Race 2

Although she believes she should have been leading the Drivers’ Standings, the reality is she has a five-point deficit to Pin heading to a track that favoured the Mercedes junior last year. Whilst Pin seized both pole positions and would have been on course for back-to-back wins if not for a post-race penalty in Race 2, Weug finished five seconds behind her on track.

During the in-season test at Jeddah, Weug acknowledged that there were things she was doing wrong last year that she’s addressing. If she can master her one-lap pace and seal a second consecutive pole, the limited overtaking opportunities around Jeddah should play in her favour.

Leading contenders start to emerge

Pin might be sitting pretty at the top of the Drivers’ Standings, but the French racer hasn’t got much breathing room from the pack behind. Two points behind second-place Weug, Chloe Chambers delivered back-to-back podiums in Shanghai but knows she needs to nail her Qualifying on a regular basis, a feat that proved to be a struggle last season.

Alisha Palmowski is the leading rookie in fourth and is brimming with confidence after winning the reverse grid Race 1 last time out. Despite this, the Red Bull Racing driver felt that the trip to the Chinese circuit would be one of her weakest weekends of the year.

Based off her efforts in testing, the Briton seems happier with the set-up direction as she set the fastest time across the three days of running.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 17: Alisha Palmowski of Great Britain and Campos Racing walks the — Alisha Palmowski is the leading F1 ACADEMY rookie so far this year

She leads the quintet of rookies inside the top-eight, with herself, Alba Larsen, Emma Felbermayr, Ella Lloyd and Rafaela Ferreira all separated by 10 points. Larsen put together an impressive performance in Shanghai, qualifying in third and only losing that spot on the podium in the latter stages of Race 2 to Chambers.

Block needing to bounce back

One driver who was down but far from out after Shanghai was Lia Block. Contact from Ferreira in Practice left the Williams driver out of Qualifying with damage, but she did manage to salvage a P9 finish in Race 2.

Picking herself back up and setting her sights on pole, Block returns to the track she made her debut at last year and will be desperate to demonstrate the potential that went untapped in China.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 17: Lia Block of United States and ART Grand Prix talks with Victor — Lia Block will be hoping for a smoother weekend in Jeddah

Feeling the heat

The smoother track surface might make tyre degradation less of a concern for the drivers, but the Jeddah Corniche Circuit will be a monumental test of their mental agility.

Darting in between the high-speed corners with the walls close at hand, the room for error is minimal. To add to the task, temperatures will reach beyond 30C across Practice and both races, with focus then switching to Qualifying under the floodlights.

Balancing all these variables will be a demanding job for the drivers and their teams, which could provide those who missed out points in Shanghai a much-needed chance to shake up the order.