The storylines to get excited about as the F1 ACADEMY battles reignite in Zandvoort

It is not just Formula 1 that is straight back up to speed after the summer break, as the F1 ACADEMY action resumes with a visit to the not-so sunny seaside at Zandvoort.

The stakes are raised and the title fight gets even fiercer, as the 2026 campaign reaches over the halfway mark. With plenty of twists and turns ahead, here is everything you need to watch out for in Round 4…

Three down, three to go

It’s been a long summer break for the field since Round 3 at the start of July, but it’s certainly not been a quiet one. Alongside in-season testing last month, several of the drivers have been keeping their racing skills sharp with appearances in British, French, Italian and CEZ Formula 4.
The end is in sight with Zandvoort followed by October’s trip to Austin, ahead of the season finale under the bright lights of Las Vegas. However, a lot can happen between now and then, and with a maximum of 143 points to play for, nobody’s spot in the standings is safe.

What can the newest Wild Card do?

Last time out in Silverstone, Chiara Battig set a very high benchmark, becoming the series’ youngest polesitter and the first Wild Card driver to qualify inside the top three and finish on the podium.

Now Zoe Florescu will take on the challenge in the #15 Dirt Is Good car. The Romanian driver has a solid record behind her, beating out the likes of now full-time drivers Lisa Billard and Mathilda Paatz to win the 2022 FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars junior shoot-out. After scoring top-10 times in the inaugural F1 ACADEMY Rookie Test last year, she stepped up to race in Spanish F4 this year, achieving a best finish of P13.

While Battig had the advantage of racing at Silverstone in British F4 prior to her F1 ACADEMY debut, Florescu will be diving straight in. In-season testing will have helped her get acquainted with the car and if she can break into the points, she should consider it a job well done.

Larsen looking to end her podium drought

Touted as a pre-season title contender, Alba Larsen is 22 races into her F1 ACADEMY journey but has yet to score a podium. The Ferrari Driver Academy racer initially finished third in the Reverse Grid Race in Montreal but was given a post-race penalty for contact with Emma Felbermayr on the opening lap, which dropped her to 11th.

Sitting ninth in the standings and 84 points behind leader Alisha Palmowski is not the position Larsen would have imagined she’d be in at this stage.

Zandvoort could be her best chance yet at bringing home some silverware. The 17-year-old achieved her first British F4 podium at the Dutch circuit, which gave her a boost of confidence into in-season testing, where she clocked in the second-fastest time in two of the four sessions. If she was going to achieve it anywhere, her MP Motorsport team’s home venue would be a pretty perfect place.

Can Felbermayr or Gademan catch Palmowski?

Seven races to go and a maximum of 143 points are still to play for. Felbermayr and Nina Gademan will be hoping that the lion’s share comes their way as they each look to reel in leader Palmowski.

With 108 points, the Red Bull-supported driver has a 30-point advantage over Felbermayr, with Gademan a further 28 points behind. Having three wins to her name already, Palmowski will have her eye on a fourth, particularly after comfortably sweeping in-season testing.

Felbermayr has the best chance of catching her, with the Audi-backed driver the only one on the grid to have finished inside the points in every race so far. Meanwhile, Zandvoort has previously been a happy hunting ground for Gademan, who became the first Wild Card to score points there in 2024 and delivered her first single-seater victory on home turf last season.

Crucial to both her and Gademan’s chances will be Qualifying. Six of the seven F1 ACADEMY races at Zandvoort have been won by the driver starting from the highly-coveted P1 spot. Adding to that the likelihood of rain, the unpredictability could open up opportunities for them to put Palmowski’s lead on more shaky ground.