F1 ACADEMY heads to Navarra for final 2026 in-season test and Rookie Test

Navarra hosts a decisive three-day test

With two rounds remaining in the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season, the championship field arrives at Spain’s Circuito de Navarra for the final in-season test of the campaign. The event will also provide 18 emerging drivers with their opportunity to make a case for a place on the 2027 grid in this year’s Rookie Test.

The significance of that opportunity is clear. Seven drivers from the inaugural Rookie Test went on to secure full-time seats, giving this year’s candidates a direct example of what can follow a strong performance. The drivers will therefore share the circuit with the 2026 grid, but their objectives will be distinct: preparation for the established field and evaluation for the next generation.

Schedule and tyre allocation

The three-day programme runs from September 9-11, with the 2026 grid completing 12 hours of running across Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Round 6’s journey to Austin next month. The Rookie Test follows on Friday, with six hours of track time.

Day 1 is scheduled to run from 09:00 to 12:00 local time (UTC+2), before resuming from 14:00 to 17:00. Day 2 and Day 3 begin at 08:30, pause at 11:30 and restart at 13:00, with the chequered flag due at 16:00.

Each car will receive five sets of tyres for the in-season test. The Rookie Test drivers will use four sets, including one carried over from the preceding two days of running. That allocation will make every lap particularly valuable as teams and drivers balance mileage with preparation.

Championship leader and rookie benchmark

Alisha Palmowski arrives with a 48-point advantage over Emma Felbermayr and could secure the title at the next round in Austin. The Red Bull Racing driver also dominated the previous in-season test at Zandvoort, setting the fastest time in all four sessions.

Navarra’s recent benchmark, however, belongs to Ella Lloyd, who topped last year’s running with a 1:46.259. In the inaugural Rookie Test, Ella Stevens led Lisa Billard by 0.092 seconds with a 1:46.921.

Stevens, Billard, Payton Westcott, Megan Bruce, Rachel Robertson, Natalia Granada and Jade Jacquet all progressed from last season’s Rookie Test to full-time seats. The new 18-driver field includes Alexia Danielsson, Rosanne Den Drijver, Eva Dorrestijn, Victoria Farfus, Autumn Fisher, Zoe Florescu, Luna Fluxa Cross, Yana Kapoor, Kareen Kaur, Carmen Kraav, Ella Lähdemaa, Jordyn Martin, Sara Matsui, Ginevra Panzeri, Kokoro Sato, Milla Sjöstrand, Clara Stiebleichinger and Sofia Zanfari.

Luna Fluxa Cross, Victoria Farfus and Sara Matsui are former F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE karters. Danielsson, Dorrestijn, Fisher and Florescu will make their second Rookie Test appearances, while Fisher and Florescu have also competed as Wild Card drivers in Montreal and Zandvoort.

For wider coverage of the Austin weekend, see our 2026 Spanish Grand Prix guide. Official F1 ACADEMY reports and reactions will follow each day, with additional behind-the-scenes content available on Instagram, TikTok and X.