Back to the dunes: F1 ACADEMY returns to Zandvoort
Round 4 – Zandvoort – Preview
Six weeks after the last round of F1 ACADEMY, Hitech returns to action this weekend as the championship heads to Zandvoort for Round 4.
The break follows a landmark Silverstone weekend at the British Grand Prix in July, where Swiss driver Chiara Bättig made history on her F1 ACADEMY debut. The Wild Card driver topped Free Practice, became the first Wild Card entrant to take pole position and secured a fantastic second-place finish in the Feature Race.
American driver Ava Dobson and Scottish racer Rachel Robertson also enjoyed strong weekends, with both drivers finishing inside the top eight in each race. The performances marked a significant step forward for Hitech.
Zandvoort presents a very different challenge. The 4.259km circuit winds through the dunes, combining fast, flowing corners with changes in direction and elevation. Confidence is important, but so is precision, with the narrow layout leaving little room for mistakes.
The banking at Turn 3 creates one of the circuit’s most distinctive challenges, while the final corner provides another high-speed test before the long run onto the start-finish straight. With overtaking limited, qualifying and track position are likely to play a significant role.
Hitech also returns to a circuit it knows well, having completed two days of F1 ACADEMY testing at Zandvoort in July. That preparation provides a useful reference point as the team returns to racing.
For Ava and Rachel, the target will be to build on their strong Silverstone weekend and continue their points-scoring form. Joining them is Romanian-American driver Zoe Florescu, who takes on the Wild Card role for Zandvoort.
Zoe arrives after a busy first season in single-seaters, competing in the Formula Winter Series and Spanish F4 before making her Italian F4 debut at Mugello last month. She has previously tested with F1 ACADEMY at Navarra and will now race in the championship for the first time.
The weekend represents another step in Zoe’s development, giving her the chance to experience the F1 ACADEMY car in competition and put her Formula 4 experience into practice.
After the breakthrough performances at Silverstone, Hitech heads to Zandvoort with a different challenge, but the same objective: continue progressing and deliver another strong collective performance.
Dan Hodder, Hitech F1 ACADEMY Team Manager:
“Silverstone was a fantastic weekend for the whole team. Chiara’s performance on her debut was exceptional, and Ava and Rachel also delivered strong results. It was a great reward for the work everyone has been putting in this season.”
“Zandvoort is a very different challenge, but the testing we conducted there gives us a good foundation to work from. We’re also pleased to welcome Zoe to the team as our Wild Card for this round. It’s a great opportunity for her to experience F1 ACADEMY, learn the circuit and show what she can do. We look forward to supporting her through the weekend.”
