The second season of the F1 Academy began in Jeddah, and the all-female single-seater category has deepened its ties with Formula One this season, as each team is assigned a driver, and all rounds will take place at the Formula One Grand Prix.

The departure of inaugural winner Marta Garcia means there will be a new name on the season-championship trophy at the end of the season, and Mercedes hotshot Doriane Pin dominated the opening weekend.

Pin secured pole position and won both races, however the second race ended cruelly. Pin didn’t realise Race 2 was over and kept pushing for a lap, taking the checkered flag twice. Her blunder resulted in a 20-second time penalty.

Alpine’s Abbi Pulling inherited the victory and the championship lead. It was a severe punishment levied on Pin, who demonstrated her star quality on the track.

Race 1 is live now!

Catch all the action right here #F1Academy #SaudiArabianGP https://t.co/SMdOIoBqgl

— F1 Academy (@f1academy) March 8, 2024