ZANDVOORT PREVIEW: Talking points ahead of Round 5

Thrilling action awaits as the 2025 F1 ACADEMY campaign is set to get back underway with a trip to the seaside at the Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

The only venue to have featured across all three seasons, the drivers and teams will be banking on success at a track that although familiar, always manages to add a splash of the unexpected.

Doriane Pin comes into the weekend with a healthy 20-point lead over Chloe Chambers in the Drivers’ Standings, but events have already shown how quickly title fortunes can shift. Despite over two months away from racing, there are plenty of noteworthy storylines to look forward to in Round 5…

CAN HOME TURF REIGNITE WEUG’S CAMPAIGN?

If there’s one driver that will be glad to see the back of Montreal, it’s Maya Weug. The Ferrari driver endured a torrid time at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, little of which was within her control.

Plagued by technical issues from the get-go, the weekend marked both her first retirement and non-scoring points finish since Round 3 in Barcelona last year. Without it, the title picture could have looked completely different — with her one point lead post-Miami replaced with a 37-point deficit.

Yet all is not lost for Weug as Zandvoort has been a track that’s served her well in the past. A double podium in 2024 breathed new life into her season, whilst she was the only driver to set a sub-1:37s time during in-season testing there last month.

READ MORE: TEAM TALK: Getting to know MP Motorsport teammates Weug, Larsen and Ciconte

Arguably having the strongest start out of the top three title contenders, with four podiums in the first four races including one win, Weug knows she has the pace to turn things around. Galvanised by the support of her home crowd, expect the Dutch driver to come back fighting.

LLOYD OUT TO PROVE THE ROOKIE THREAT

Ella Lloyd arrives into Zandvoort off the back of her most successful F1 ACADEMY weekend. Three P2 finishes in Montreal have propelled the McLaren driver up to fourth in the Standings, leapfrogging Red Bull Racing’s Alisha Palmowski for the top rookie spot.

Demonstrating clear signs of progress and consistency, last time out was proof of the potential Lloyd’s always believed she had. Breaking into the top three in Qualifying remains the Welsh racer’s biggest hurdle and one she needs to overcome if she hopes to come out on top on Grand Prix Sunday.

Her recent British F4 podium finish in Zandvoort should instil Lloyd with the belief that her race pace can put her in contention for wins this weekend and perhaps even become an outside contender for the title — or at least give the top three a run for their money.

NOBELS NEEDS TO REDISCOVER FORM

As Aurelia Nobels’ sophomore campaign continues on, her results have struggled to come close to the expectations many envisioned for her after the 2024 season. A chance for a podium finish slipped out of her hands in Montreal Race 1, after the PUMA driver sustained a damaged front wing in her attempt to overtake Doriane Pin.

READ MORE: Career Spotlight: Mia Bickerton-Jones, Junior Engineer at Hitech TGR

Languishing down in 13th with only five points to her name so far, Nobels has to put those missed opportunities behind her and where else better than at Zandvoort, a track at which marked the high point of her rookie season.

Forecasts are predicting a high likelihood of rain across all three days, but the wet weather should give Nobels a sense of optimism rather than trepidation. Qualifying in the wet last year, the Brazilian delivered two top-five worthy times and following a P7 finish in Race 1, she earned her series-best result of fifth, despite sustaining contact from Nina Gademan.

If Nobels and ART Grand Prix can rediscover their recipe for success, the weekend should welcome a more competitive outing and put her first piece of F1 ACADEMY silverware within reach.

KOSTERMAN SEARCHING FOR FIRST WILD CARD POINTS

Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman will become the 38th and newest F1 ACADEMY driver when the Wild Card entry takes to the track this weekend. This season, the four Wild Cards have left empty-handed, with Mathilda Paatz’s P11 finish in Montreal Race 2 the highest finish so far.

It was a similar tale heading into Zandvoort last year until Nina Gademan burst on to the scene, finishing fourth in Race 1. Although it’ll be hard for the 20-year-old to repeat her compatriot’s feat, it’s a track Kosterman knows well.

With both testing and a British F4 appearance there under her belt alongside two valuable Free Practice sessions to aid her quest, Kosterman has all the makings of a strong weekend but we’ll have to wait and see what her lap times deliver.