Chloe Chambers secured her first win of the 2025 F1 Academy season. It was a heavily disrupted Race 3 of the Canada GP weekend, which featured three safety car periods and five retirements. Chambers led all 17 laps from pole position. She navigated three restarts with composure, ultimately taking the chequered flag under the safety car.
Opening Lap Drama Shakes Up the Grid
The race started with drama right off the line. Chambers made a clean getaway from pole position. The chaos erupted behind her as second-placed Alisha Palmowski made contact with Ella Lloyd in Turn 1.
“I’m not sure what happened there.” Palmowski radioed.
Doriane Pin, starting third, skilfully avoided the incident and slotted into fifth. Moments later, wildcard entry Mathilda Paatz and Aurelia Nobels’ teammate Avia Anagnostiadis collided at the Wall of Champions bringing out the first safety car.
Both cars were stranded on track, ending their races prematurely. Palmowski and Avia were able to continue after their collisions despite front wing damage. Palmowski had to pit at the end of the lap and rejoin the race at the back.
Chambers Controls First Restart
The race remained neutralised until Lap 7, during which time Lloyd was cleared of any wrongdoing in the opening-lap incident. At the end of Lap 7, Chambers expertly timed the restart out of the final chicane to hold the lead. Behind her and Lloyd, Pin moved up to fourth, passing a strong-starting Nina Gademan, who had climbed to P4 during the chaotic opening lap.
Midfield Battles and Recoveries
The next few laps pictured hard-fought racing, with Emma Felbermayr passing Chloe Chong for sixth, only to lock up and spin moments later, dropping her all the way to the back. Pin capitalised on the confusion and climbed into the top three. Maya Weug, having started 15th, also made impressive progress, breaking into the top eight.
Lloyd was relentless in her pursuit of Chambers, shadowing her through Laps 9 and 10 but unable to make a move stick. Meanwhile, Pin set the fastest lap of the race (2:14.187) as she continued her charge.
Second Safety Car Adds to the Chaos
The second major incident came on Lap 10, when Lia Block and Rafaela Ferreira tangled, with Nobels also caught up in the collision.
“She just braked into me!”– Lia Block
Block’s car was left stranded on the track, triggering a second safety car. Nobels had to retire the car, for an incident she didn’t caused. Gademan received a 10-second penalty for an earlier infringement. She had to finish the race to serve it and avoid a post-race escalation.
“She squeezed me all the way to the inside.”– Nina Gademan
Late Restart and Final Incident
With just six laps remaining, the field prepared for another restart. Once again, Chambers judged it perfectly, accelerating through the chicane to defend from Lloyd. Behind them, Weug climbed to sixth, Palmowski to seventh, and Felbermayr recovered to 12th.
Lap 14 brought yet more disruption. Courtney Crone spun after the Wall of Champions, possibly after contact with Ferreira, who dropped down the order. The third safety car of the race was deployed, effectively neutralising the remaining laps. With five cars retired and limited time left, the decision was made to finish the race under caution.
Victory Under Yellow
Chambers crossed the line under the safety car to claim a well-earned victory, followed by Lloyd—her third second-place finish of the weekend—and Pin in third, who secures the championship lead with a 20-point advantage. Chambers’ victory moves her up to second in the standings, with Weug, who finished sixth today, in third overall.
Despite the anticlimactic finish under yellow, Chambers’ calm under pressure and strategic restarts stood out in a race filled with attrition. F1 Academy leaves the weekend with Pin leading the championship, Chambers closing in, and Lloyd proving to be a consistent podium presence in her first full season.