2024 F1 Academy Qatar preview: Timings, how to watch and more

F1 Academy carried out a mid-season test in Qatar two weeks ago, so all the drivers will be well dialled into this Lusail circuit. It was Pin who set the fastest time over three days on track, beating Pulling and Hamda Al Qubaisi to the top of the time sheets by less than a tenth of a second.

It’s difficult to look any further than Pulling in the conversation for victories this weekend. She’s won seven of the ten races this season, and finished on the podium all season long. It’s been a stellar performance from the Alpine junior who will be eyeing that GB3 drive.

At this point, you have to wonder whether Pulling will be in line for a promotion to Formula 3. Her affiliation with Alpine is bound to provide substantial leverage, while her performances in F1 Academy and British F4, where she became the first female winner in the series this summer, has proven her pace.

The battle behind remains an interesting one, as several drivers prepare to complete their final few races in F1 Academy before they’re forced to move on to pastures new. Marta García, Hamda and Amna Al Qubaisi, Bianca Bustamante, Carrie Schreiner, Lola Lovinfosse, Emely de Heus and Jass Edgar will all have completed their allotted two seasons in the series, so the next four races will be crucial for them to put themselves in the shop window for new opportunities in 2025.

Who is F1 Academy’s wildcard driver in Qatar?

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.

2024 GB4 runner-up Alisha Palmowski has been awarded the opportunity to mix it with the F1 Academy grid this weekend. Her performances this season have yielded three wins and eight further podiums.

Ahead of her wildcard appearance, Palmowski said: “I’m very excited to be the wildcard entry in Qatar, it’s an incredible opportunity and one I never could have dreamt of 12 months ago.

“This will be my first race outside of the UK, and for it to be on the F1 Academy grid as a support series to Formula 1 is a dream come true.”

The 18-year-old British driver will be racing in a ‘Discover Your Drive’ liveried car, highlighting the success of F1 Academy’s grass roots talent programme.

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. F1 Academy will be joined by Formula 2 and the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East on the support schedule for the Qatar Grand Prix, and drivers will have the luxury of two practice sessions on Friday before qualifying gets underway on Saturday.

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 approximately 30 minutes, race 1 on Saturday, and race two on Sunday.

What is the points system in F1 Academy?

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 Qatar?

F1 Academy in Qatar kicks off with first practice at 11:00 UK time (14:00 local time) on Friday, with second practice following at 16:00 (19:00). Qualifying at 13:20 (16:20) will set the grids for both races.

Race one gets underway on Saturday evening at 21:05 (00:05) following F1 qualifying, and the F1 Academy schedule comes to an end with lights out for race two on Sunday at 12:00 (15:00).

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.

Race images courtesy of Motorsport Images.