Written by Sophie Harvey and Ellie Nicholls
With no Feeder Series action since September, you will be glad to hear F1 Academy and Formula 2 are back with a doubleheader! With champions still to be crowned in both series and plenty of racing action to resume, Sophie and Ellie preview the weekend ahead.....
Culminating in Qatar’s racing capital, Lusail International Circuit is located north of Doha. It was primarily designed to accommodate motorcycle racing, but since its construction it’s held numerous four-wheeled spectacles — Speedcar, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and of course, F1.
Known for its relentlessly hot climate and hostile driving conditions, racing is no easy feat in Qatar. Last year’s F1 race saw a concerning amount of heat-related illness — from drivers experiencing dizziness, mid-race vomiting, dehydration and heatstroke, the decision to bring young and upcoming drivers to this track at this time of year has been understandably controversial.
The track itself is 5.4-kilometres of fast and flowing clockwise action, dominated by high-speed corners over little elevation change. It’s said to be reminiscent of Circuito del Jarama, a former location of the Spanish Grand Prix, just north of Madrid.
F1 Academy
Moving our focus to this weekend’s F1 Academy races, what should you be watching out for? Let’s get straight to the biggest storylines developing in Qatar.
First of all, Alisha Palmowski will join the PREMA Racing squad for this weekend only, taking to the track as Qatar’s wildcard driver.
If you haven’t been following F1 Academy this year, wildcard drivers are young talents specifically picked to demonstrate their talent — for one round only. However, previous wildcard drivers Ella Lloyd (Singapore) and Courtney Crone (Miami) have already impressed the masses. This is evidenced by the fact both have secured the backing of F1 Teams, McLaren and Haas respectively — alongside full-time seats next season.
If Palmowski pulls off an impressive weekend, she could see herself in the exact same position. Currently GB4 Vice-Champion, the 18-year-old took three wins, two pole positions and a whopping eleven podiums this year — more than any driver on the field, and in turn, making her the most successful female driver in the series to date. Hence, the pressure is on for the Derbyshire teenager.
Elsewhere on the grid, Abbi Pulling has one hand on the F1 Academy title. Potentially taking home the title as soon as this weekend’s first race, as all the Alpine driver needs is 18 points across the double header. With seven wins and seven poles so far, that shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Further down the standings, Doriane Pin sits almost 100 points behind the Brit. Whilst the Mercedes junior should have P2 in the bag, Maya Weug, Chloe Chambers and Nerea Martí aren’t giving in easily — the trio have squabbled over the last top-three spot all season long, and a bad weekend for any of them could really put their campaign in jeopardy.
With a hot P3 battle and a closely-packed midfield, this weekend will be pivotal. If anything is certain, F1 Academy’s Qatar duel will definitely be worth a watch.
Weekend Schedule (GMT)
Friday, 29th November
Practice 1: 10:00 - 10:40
Practice 2: 15:00 - 15:40
Saturday, 30th November
Qualifying: 12:20 - 12:50
Race 1: 20:05 - 20:35
Sunday, 1st December
Race 2: 11:00 - 11:30
Formula 2
Meanwhile in Formula 2, the championship battle continues to heat up, as last time out the lead swapped hands once more - with Gabriel Bortoleto now four and a half points ahead of second-placed Isack Hadjar after a strong weekend in Baku.
Will the rapid rookie uphold his impressive recent form in Qatar and hold onto the lead going into the final race of the 2024 season? Or can Hadjar find more luck this weekend to reclaim his place at the top of the standings?
There is still everything to play for going into the penultimate round of the 2024 season - and with this year’s field being so competitive, even drivers lower down the standings such as Zane Maloney in third and Paul Aron in fourth can't be counted out.
One good weekend - or one bad weekend - for any of the top drivers could mean the difference between claiming the title, and settling for runner-up.
F1-bound Bortoleto has shown incredible pace recently, rising up to first place in the standings after a difficult start to the season. | Image credit: Formula 2
Even though it’s been over two months since Formula 2 last went racing, the action hasn’t really stopped since then, with mid-season driver changes being announced across the grid throughout the break.
In Baku, the most recent Formula 2 debutants Christian Mansell and Gabriele Mini scored points in their first race - with the latter narrowly clinching third place to claim a podium on debut.
This weekend in Qatar, there are four new rookies to look out for: Dino Beganovic at DAMS, Max Esterson at Trident, Cian Shields at AIX Racing and John Bennett at VAR. Each of the debutants will be hoping to impress this weekend, aiming to secure their spot on the 2025 grid.
Both rookies and experienced drivers will be thrown into the deep end this weekend, having to familiarise themselves with the track and adapt to the harsh heat of the desert. Bravery and commitment will be greatly rewarded in what promises to be an unmissable round of racing action…
Weekend Schedule (GMT)
Friday, 29th November
Practice: 11:05
Qualifying: 16:10
Saturday, 30th November
Sprint Race: 16:20
Sunday, 1st December
Feature Race: 12:20
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