2024 F1 Academy Zandvoort preview: timings, how to watch, and more

The sand dunes of the Netherlands coast will be the backdrop for F1 Academy’s return to action, at a circuit where nine of this years’ field raced last season. Hamda Al Qubaisi took two wins from the three races and Carrie Schreiner took her only win of last season after fending of eventual champion Marta García, both will be keen to replicate that form

In 2024, it’s Abbi Pulling who arrives in Zandvoort with a substantial lead in the drivers’ championship. With four wins and two second places from the first six races of the season her form in the opening half of the year was impressive. In the time since F1 Academy in Spain, Pulling has competed strongly in British F4, scoring a second-place finish at Zandvoort only a month ago. With this in mind, the Alpine Academy driver must surely be the favourite for another dominant weekend.

Pulling’s closest challengers are Doriane Pin and Chloe Chambers. Chambers is the most recent winner in F1 Academy after her victory in Catalunya, while Pin struggled that weekend with a couple of underwhelming performances compared to her blistering start way back in Jeddah at the beginning of the season. Pin has also been racing over the summer in FRECA after recovering from fractured ribs in the Spring.

Maya Weug also suffered a major downturn in form over the Spanish weekend. From podium finisher to tailender, the Dutch-Belgian-Spanish driver will be hoping to rectify that troubling trend at a track she knows well.

Who is F1 Academy's wildcard driver in Zandvoort?

At chosen races over the course of the 2024 F1 Academy, a wildcard driver will be selected to join the grid in a 16^th car run by the Prema team.

This weekend, Dutch racer Nina Gademan will represent The Netherlands in her home race as part of a collaboration with Female Quotient. The 20-year-old from Wijster made her single-seater debut earlier this year in British F4, where she has been racing alongside Abbi Pulling.

Following this announcement, Gademan said: “I believe the Wild Card entries present an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate what we are capable of in a field like F1 Academy. I am truly grateful for this chance and for the support I have received from the F1 Academy and the Prema Racing team.

“I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to The Female Quotient for their support of the Wild Card initiative in Zandvoort. I will give my utmost to showcase my abilities and make the most of this opportunity.”

Gademan is the third wildcard entrant in F1 Academy this season. Previously Reema Juffali and Courtney Crone had taken up the additional spot on the grid.

F1 Academy session format

The F1 Academy event schedule varies slightly from weekend to weekend. Some races feature two free practice sessions, others only one. At Zandvoort, where F1 Academy is set to stand as the sole single-seater support series, these 15 women will be afforded two 40-minute practice sessions on Friday before qualifying gets underway on Saturday morning.

Qualifying will set the grid for both races. Race one is set according to the drivers’ quickest lap times, but they will need to complete several hot laps, because the grid for race two is set according to their second fastest times.

Each race runs for 30 minutes, race 1 on Saturday afternoon, and race two on Sunday morning.

What is the F1 Academy points system?

The old saying that points are only given out on Sunday doesn’t apply here; the drivers who achieve pole position in race one and two will each score two points. If the same driver takes pole for both races, they bag four points.

On race day, F1 Academy follows the same points system as F1, with the top ten drivers receiving 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 respectively. The driver with the fastest lap takes an additional point providing they finish in the top ten.

When can I watch F1 Academy in Spain?

F1 Academy at Zandvoort kicks off with first practice at 09:10 UK time (10:10 local time) on Friday. The second practice session follows later at 16:30 (17:30). Qualifying opens the action on Saturday at 09:15 (10:15) to set the grids for both races before race one gets underway at 16:05 (15:05) on Saturday evening after F1 qualifying.

The final F1 Academy race of the weekend begins first thing on Sunday morning, with lights out at 09:40 (10:40).

UK viewers can watch F1 Academy in its entirety on Sky Sports F1 in 2024. Every session will also be streamed live on the F1 Academy YouTube channel.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.