For the first time since 2016, there are no Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) drivers in Prema for the season. A simple coincidence or a sign of a deeper issue between the two teams?
Ferrari and its academy always send their drivers to Prema Powerteam in the feeder series. However, this is the first time since 2016 that this situation occurred, when they had half of the academy with the team last year. Oliver Bearman moved to Formula 1 with Haas, so he’s not counted anymore, while Dino Beganovic, Maya Weug and Rafael Câmara all moved to different teams.
Lack of results in F2
In Formula 2, the results might speak for themselves. 2024 marked the third consecutive year of Prema Racing not winning the team’s championship. With the new regulations, everyone expected the card to be redistributed, but they were the only top team that didn’t really manage to improve. They finished fifth in the championship and made a lot of mistakes during the season, costing a lot of points to their drivers. It’s no secret that the Italian team is one of the most expensive in Formula 2. Take all of these into account, it may not be worth it to put your driver there when much cheaper teams are doing the job.
Dino Beganovic also doesn’t have that much money for a seat so Hitech TGR was probably the best option for him. He was rumored to be dropped by the FDA after his Formula 3 season, which turns out to be false as he even made his Formula 1 debut in secret during the Ferrari test last week.
The driver’s championship issue in F3
It’s more tricky in Formula 3 because Prema Racing won the team’s championship by a great margin. The car was great and the team didn’t seem to have a problem. The only negative points is them losing the driver’s championship for the third time in a row, and twice by a Trident driver. That’s also where Rafael Câmara is heading for 2025. Was it his choice or the FDA’s ? For now, there is no information on the matter.
Tuukka Taponen would have been Prema’s greatest choice in the FDA to put in their line-up as well, even though he’s not been part of the team since 2023. But the Finnish driver that made his F3 debut with ART Grand Prix remains with the French team for this season.
Choosing between drivers in F1a
For F1 Academy, as it’s a new championship, there isn’t much data to rely on. Prema won the team’s championship and chose to remain with the star driver Doriane Pin. Aurelia Nobels started with ART Grand Prix so she remains there. As for Maya Weug, despite her great season, she’s switching to MP Motorsport. She’s Dutch and so is the team so it might be easier for her to work with them. It will most likely also be easier for her if she’s fighting for the championship as she will most likely be the priority of the team, which wouldn’t have been the case with Prema Powerteam.
