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PREVIEW: F1 ACADEMY gears up for Navarra in-season testing and Rookie Test

8 September 2026
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With two rounds still to go in the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season, the field head to the Circuito de Navarra in Spain for their final in-season test of the campaign.

However, they won’t be alone in hitting the track as 18 up-and-coming talents will be participating in this year’s Rookie Test. The inaugural test saw seven drivers graduate to full-time seats and this new cohort will be just as determined to prove they’ve got what it takes to deserve a place on the 2027 grid.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The three-day test runs from September 9-11, with two back-to-back events. The 2026 grid will have 12 hours of track time across the Wednesday and Thursday to clock in some valuable mileage ahead of Round 6’s trip to Austin next month, while the Rookie Test drivers will be in action for six hours on Friday.

On Day 1, the morning session will commence at 09:00 local time (UTC+2) until 12:00, followed by the afternoon session from 14:00 to 17:00. Day 2 and the Rookie Test on Day 3 will get underway slightly earlier at 08:30, before breaking for lunch at 11:30. On both days, running will resume at 13:00, with the chequered flag being waved at 16:00.

Each car will have five sets of tyres for the in-season test, whilst the Rookie Test will use four sets, including one set carried over from the previous two days of testing.

Palmowski earned her first F1 ACADEMY Grand Slam last time out in the Zandvoort Feature Race
Palmowski earned her first F1 ACADEMY Grand Slam last time out in the Zandvoort Feature Race

THE FIELD

  • Alisha Palmowski holds a 48-point lead in the Standings over Emma Felbermayr and could wrap up the title next time out in Austin.
  • The Red Bull Racing driver swept the last in-season test in Zandvoort, going fastest in all four sessions. However, it was fellow Briton Ella Lloyd who topped the timesheets in Navarra last year, clocking in a 1:46.259.
  • Ella Stevens was the driver to beat in the inaugural Rookie Test, beating Lisa Billard to the top spot by 0.092s with a 1:46.921.
  • After featuring in last season’s Rookie Test, Stevens, Lisa Billard, Payton Westcott, Megan Bruce, Rachel Robertson, Natalia Granada and Jade Jacquet all progressed to full-time seats.
  • The full line-up for this year’s Rookie Test is: Alexia Danielsson, Rosanne Den Drijver, Eva Dorrestijn, Victoria Farfus, Autumn Fisher, Zoe Florescu, Luna Fluxa Cross, Yana Kapoor, Kareen Kaur, Carmen Kraav, Ella Lähdemaa, Jordyn Martin, Sara Matsui, Ginevra Panzeri, Kokoro Sato, Milla Sjöstrand, Clara Stiebleichinger and Sofia Zanfari.
  • Luna Fluxa Cross, Victoria Farfus and Sara Matsui are all former F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE karters.
  • Danielsson, Dorrestijn, Fisher and Florescu will make their second Rookie Test appearances, while Fisher and Florescu have also featured this season as Wild Card drivers in Montreal and Zandvoort respectively.

KEEP UP TO DATE

In-season testing from Navarra will be covered on the official F1 ACADEMY website with end-of-day reports and reactions following the chequered flag on each of the three days. You can also enjoy behind-the-scenes content via the official F1 ACADEMY social media channels on Instagram, TikTok and X.