The storylines to watch out for as F1 ACADEMY heads to Singapore

A crucial weekend lies ahead for the 2025 F1 ACADEMY field as the series heads to Singapore to pay a visit to one of the toughest and most exhilarating tracks on the calendar.

The Marina Bay Street Circuit plays host to Round 6, providing drivers a chance to drive in the day and under the lights at the home of the original night race. After some drivers experienced a breakthrough weekend in Zandvoort, there’s lots to look forward to as the penultimate round unfolds…

Block's big moment

Fresh from her first taste of silverware following her P2 finish in Race 1 last time out, Lia Block arrives in Singapore hungry for more.

It’s a track she came close to the podium at last year, with two P4 finishes proving to be the high point of her rookie campaign. As she enters the final two rounds of her F1 ACADEMY journey, the Williams driver has to seize every chance she has if she wants to take her place on the top step and become the eighth different winner this season.

Welcoming two new faces

This weekend sees two new drivers make their debut, with Lisa Billard and Megan Bruce joining the Hitech TGR squad. Billard, who was just announced as the Singapore Wild Card entry, becomes the youngest driver to take up the one-off entry, having recently turned 16 years old and currently competes in the French F4 Championship.

Meanwhile, British racer Bruce steps into the TAG Heuer car in lieu of Aiva Anagnostiadis, who is unable to race after suffering a fracture to her left foot, off the back of a strong season in the GB4 Championship. Both she and Billard performed well in the series’ inaugural Rookie Test, with Billard only 0.092s off the top spot and Bruce close behind in fourth.

It’ll be interesting to see how the pair measure up to the full-time drivers considering the added challenge of a lack of testing in Singapore beforehand and the switch to Qualifying after sunset, as both look to put themselves on the radar for a seat on the 2026 grid.

Lloyd one year on

Now one of the series’ frontrunners, Ella Lloyd first stepped onto the F1 ACADEMY scene as the Wild Card entry for last year’s trip to the Singapore Grand Prix. Despite a technical issue leaving her with limited Free Practice running, the Welsh racer was unphased and qualified comfortably inside the top 10 for both races.

Delivering P9 and P7 finishes, the strong debut eventually led her on a path to joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme. Currently sitting fourth in the Standings with one reverse grid win and three further podiums, Lloyd will be looking to bring home that coveted main race win — and become the first rookie to win on Grand Prix Sunday this season.

Chambers out to avenge Zandvoort setback

Chloe Chambers entered the previous round in Zandvoort as Standings leader Doriane Pin’s nearest rival, but the Red Bull Ford driver enters this weekend staring straight at a 34-point deficit in third.

Her title hopes were dealt a huge blow after a technical issue prevented her from starting Race 2 and fighting for a potential podium. Although the events in the Netherlands have derailed her campaign, with the American admitting that the “misfortune has set my priorities in a different order now for the rest of the year”, Chambers can focus on pushing fully for wins whilst her rivals might opt for a more cautious approach.

Can Pin seal the deal one round early?

The favourite to be crowned the 2025 F1 ACADEMY Champion, Mercedes’ Doriane Pin has a chance to wrap things up one round early in Singapore.

In the Drivers’ Standings, her gap out front has remained unchanged at 20 points, but Maya Weug has resumed her place as Pin’s nearest rival after a dominant sweep of Race 2 in Zandvoort.

Although the top six of Pin, Weug, Chambers, Lloyd, Alisha Palmowski and Nina Gademan are all mathematically still in the fight, Pin only needs to outscore Weug and the remaining contenders by 20 points to guarantee her the title, with 39 points left up for grabs in the Las Vegas season finale.

It would be a big ask for the 21-year-old to pull it off, having only beaten Weug by more than 10 points once this season — outscoring her by 38 points in Montreal after the Ferrari driver was plagued by technical issues across the weekend.