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The 2026 F1 ACADEMY season reaches a significant checkpoint this week, with the field returning to Circuit Zandvoort for two days of in-season testing on July 16–17. With more than half the campaign completed, the test offers drivers and teams an important opportunity to assess what they have learned and prepare for the championship’s return to the Dutch circuit for Round 4 in August.
Running will be divided across morning and afternoon sessions on both days. Thursday’s schedule begins at 09:00 local time (UTC+1), continuing until 12:00 before the afternoon session runs from 14:00 to 16:55. Friday’s first session starts at 08:30 and ends at 11:30, with the final running scheduled from 14:00 until 16:00.
Tyre allocation will be closely managed across the test. Each car will have five sets of dry-weather tyres available for the two days, alongside two sets of wet-weather compounds if conditions require them.
Zoe Florescu will also make her first appearance ahead of her role as the Zandvoort Wild Card with Dirt Is Good, the series’ Official Laundry Detergent Partner. Her participation adds another point of interest to a test that will provide valuable track time before the championship returns to the venue later in the season.
Alisha Palmowski arrives as the driver to beat after taking three victories from the first seven races. She has extended her advantage over Emma Felbermayr to 30 points, while Nina Gademan holds third place, 11 points clear of rookie Megan Bruce and McLaren’s Ella Lloyd. Lloyd enters the test after securing her first podium of the season in the Silverstone Reverse Grid Race.
Campos Racing has also opened a clear advantage in the Teams’ Standings, leading Rodin Motorsport by 53 points. Rodin, meanwhile, has moved ahead of PREMA Racing into second.
Zandvoort is the only circuit to have appeared in every F1 ACADEMY season since the inaugural campaign. Previous winners include Hamda Al Qubaisi, Carrie Schreiner, champions Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin, as well as Nina Gademan and Maya Weug, who both won on home soil last year. Al Qubaisi still holds the series’ fastest lap at the 4.259-kilometre circuit, with a 1:35.926 set in 2023.
The latest F1 ACADEMY talent has also drawn attention, with Chiara Bättig’s standout debut underlining the depth of the current field.
Ciara is a Dublin native, award-winning film producer, podcaster and writer with 20 years of storytelling experience. A lifelong Leinster and Ireland rugby fan, she turned her attention to the grid after moving to Berlin and co-founding Formula Live Pulse. Now, she applies her producer’s brain to Formula 1, navigating the highs of Oscar Piastri’s rise and the unique stress of being an adopted Ferrari fan. She loves talking and talking about F1, if you give her the chance!