A new season awaits F1 Academy as 2025 begins in Shanghai! F1 Academy Shanghai preview

Credit: Pauline Ballet

For the first time since September, F1 Academy goes racing this coming weekend, as the 2025 campaign is to get underway with the season opener taking place in the Chinese city of Shanghai.

It will be the very first time that f1 Academy will visit China and more importantly the Shanghai International Circuit, as the F1 Academy Championship acts as a support series this coming weekend for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.

Following pre-season testing at Shanghai, the new 18-car grid will take to the circuit for race weekend action this coming weekend, to kick start the seven-round 2025 championship.

The start of the season in China will begin the quest for all of the 17 full time drivers, who will aim to go and try to clinch the championship title just like Marta Garcia and Abbi Pulling previously have managed to achieve.

F1 Academy will also this weekend see the very first Chinese driver to compete in the championship, participate at the Shanghai International Circuit this coming weekend. Wei Shi, who will be backed by Juss Sports, is to take up the wildcard entry space at HItech TGR for the opening round of the 2025 season.

Shi will race with the number 24 on her car. Having previously won the Challenge Cup at the Chinese F4 Championship in Shanghai, Shi has also competed in the China Endurance Championship and the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR86 Cup on route to being selected as Wildcard Entry for this weekend's round.

A look at the track: Shanghai International Circuit - Round 1

Visiting another venue to create more history is the theme for F1 Academy this coming weekend, as they visit China for racing for the first time, with the championship taking a trip to the Shanghai International Circuit - home of the Chinese Grand Prix.

A circuit that first entered the Formula One World Championship in 2004, the Shanghai International Circuit has a long list of legendary and iconic moments. F1 Academy will be hoping that it can find some iconic moments for the championship here at this venue too.

The 2025 F1 Academy pre season testing was completed at the Shanghai International Circuit where this year's class of drivers were able to get a decent amount of lap times completed, which provided a chance for the rookies to get an idea for how the car operates and the different challenges that the car presents.

Shanghai International Circuit is one of various different challenges, with long and durable corners but also long straights which could provide great opportunity for overtaking if the drivers need to pass their rivals in order to elevate themselves into a higher position.

The circuit itself is made up of 16 corners and has a lap distance of 5.456km. Unlike the other support series championships of Formula One, like FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3, there is no DRS in this championship. Therefore, the drivers will have to use their own raw speed and benefit from slipstream to aid their chances of overtaking their rivals.

Due to no racing having occurred at Shanghai, in F1 Academy before, there is no lap record at this circuit for the championship to look back on.

As for the racing to come over the course of the season-opening weekend, there will be two races that will both have 13 laps each, which amounts to a race distance of 70.863km.

Free Practice in Shanghai begins on Friday - 09:10 local time in Shanghai!

2025 F1 Academy Championship: Round 1 - Shanghai session times

Track Times

• Free Practice 21/03: 09:10-09:50
• Qualifying 21/03: 14:05-14:35
  
• Race 1 22/03: 13:50-14:20
• Race 2 23/03: 10:45-11:15
  

UK Times

• Free Practice 21/03: 01:10-01:50
• Qualifying 21/03: 06:05-06:35
  
• Race 1 22/03: 05:50-06:25
• Race 2: 02:45-03:20
  

Brandon Whiteside
​Writer - F1 Journal