© Getty ImagesAlisha and Chloe secure podium finishes in JeddahThe Bulls banked another brace of podiums in Round 2 of F1 Academy 2025
AlishaPalmowskirosefromfifthtothirdinSaturday’sopeningraceattheJeddahCornicheCircuitandChloeChambersdeliveredasuperbshowofpacetoclawbackafive-secondpenaltyandtakeP2inSunday’srace.
The foundations for the duo’s strong weekend were laid in qualifying, with Chloe taking her first F1 Academy pole position with a superb late lap of 2:04.320 that proved untouchable. Mercedes’ Doriane Pin qualified second ahead of Scuderia Ferrari racer Maya Weug and 2025 rookie Alisha once again proved she can mix it with the best by taking P4 on the qualifying timesheet.
That left Alisha in P5 for Saturday’s reverse grid race and when the lights went out, the Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme driver made a flying start, powering around the outside to pass both Tommy Hilfiger-supported Alba Larsen and Aston Martin-supported Tina Hausmann to take third place by the time they’d exited Turn 1.
Ahead, McLaren’s Ella Lloyd had stolen the lead from pole sitter Emma Felbermayr and the Sauber driver was next in Alisha’s sights. And at the end of lap two, she struck, diving down the inside into the final corner to steal second place.
Round 2 of F1 Academy 2025© Getty Images
However, on lap four, the Safety Car was released when Charlotte Tilbury driver Chloe Chong crashed, which closed the field up. Alisha managed her restart well to hold on to second, and over the following five laps, she tried to find a way past Ella. However, her attacks were hampered by the presence of Maya, who had climbed to third. And at the start of the penultimate lap, the Ferrari driver used the slipstream on the pit straight to pass the Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme driver. Alisha tried to fight back through the first sector but in the end settled for a fine third place and her second podium in three races.
“It was a very positive race,” she said afterwards. “It’s always nice to go forwards from your starting position, so the podium was the aim for us before the race started. To come away with a P3 and solid points ahead of tomorrow [is great].”
For Chloe, race one was a case of banking a couple of valuable points. Mired in her starting eighth place for much of the race, she eventually managed to ease past the backsliding Emma Felbermayr to take the flag in P7.
Round 2 of F1 Academy 2025© Getty Images
Sunday’s race, however, was a completely different story for the American driver. Starting from pole position, she got away well at lights out to take the lead ahead of Maya, who had passed Doriane.
Maya was straight away on the attack, and with a strong slipstream, she forced her way past Chloe at the start of lap three. Soon after, though, the Ferrari driver went wide, and Chloe pounced to draw alongside. There was brief contact and Maya dropped back to third as Chloe once again took the lead.
However, her lead did not last long as she was handed a five-second time penalty for forcing Maya off track.
Round 2 of F1 Academy 2025© Getty Images
With the gaps tight, it meant that she faced a drop down to sixth at the flag, but the American was determined to salvage something and over the final five laps, she delivered a stunning show of pace to almost erase the penalty. Though she couldn’t shake Maya, Chloe went into the last lap with a 4.5s gap back to third-placed Doriane. If she could find another half second on the final lap, she’d only drop one place.
And with a superb fastest lap of the race, she did just that, so that when the penalty was applied, she took second, just 0.065s ahead of Doriane.
It was a quieter race for Alisha with the Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme car starting fourth and holding onto the position all the way to the flag.
The results mean that Chloe is now third in the title standings with 47 points, just five behind Pin and 12 adrift of standings leader Maya. Alisha’s 18 points from the weekend mean that she heads towards the next round in Miami in fourth place overall with 36 points.
