Quick Take · F1 Academy · Shanghai 2026
F1 Academy opens its 2026 season this weekend in Shanghai — running alongside the Chinese Grand Prix. Eighteen drivers. Six teams. And a sponsor grid that tells a more interesting commercial story than most people realise.
Ten of the eleven F1 teams have placed their liveries on F1 Academy cars. The one holdout — Cadillac — joins in 2027. But the more revealing entries are the non-F1 sponsors : Sephora, LEGO, Gatorade, American Express, TAG Heuer, and Puma are all buying into a series that didn't exist three years ago.
18
Drivers on Grid
11
Rookies in 2026
7
Race Weekends
170+
Broadcast Territories
THE SIX TEAMS · 2026 GRID
PREMA Racing
Defending Champions · 3× Title
2025 Teams Champion Sephora Partner Aston Martin · Mercedes
#8
Mathilda Paatz
🇩🇪 Germany · Rookie
Aston Martin F1
Aston Martin Driver Academy. Wild Card → full seat via Montreal 2025.
#1 · ROOKIE
Natalia Granada
🇪🇸 Spain · 17 yrs
Sephora
Single-seater debut. The Sephora announcement. Series history — first beauty brand title sponsor.
#9 · ROOKIE
Payton Westcott
🇺🇸 USA · 17 yrs
Mercedes
First driver to progress from Discover Your Drive karter to full-time grid. P6 Las Vegas wildcard 2025.
Campos Racing
2025 Teams Runner-Up
Red Bull · Racing Bulls · TAG Heuer
#21 · 2nd SEASON
Alisha Palmowski
🇬🇧 Britain
Red Bull Racing
Won R1 Shanghai 2025. Title contender. P5 in 2025 standings.
#18 · ROOKIE
Rafaela Ferreira
🇧🇷 Brazil
Racing Bulls
Brazilian F4 race winner. One of two South Americans on the 2026 grid.
#4 · ROOKIE
Megan Bruce
🇬🇧 Britain
TAG Heuer
Singapore wildcard 2025 → full seat. Racing career started only 3 years ago.
MP Motorsport
Dutch Team · Experience Base
Alpine · Ferrari LEGO LEGO — Series First
#3 · 2nd SEASON
Nina Gademan
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Alpine
Alpine Academy driver. Switches from PREMA to MP. P6 in 2025 standings.
#12 · 2nd SEASON
Alba Hurup Larsen
🇩🇰 Denmark
Ferrari
Switches from Tommy Hilfiger → Ferrari livery. Highest finisher without a 2025 podium.
#32 · ROOKIE
Esmee Kosterman
🇳🇱 Netherlands
LEGO
Zandvoort wildcard 2025 → full season. First points-scoring wildcard of 2025. Home team backing.
Rodin Motorsport
New Zealand Team
McLaren · McLaren Oxagon · Audi
#20 · 2nd SEASON
Ella Lloyd
🇬🇧 Britain
McLaren
McLaren junior. 1 win + 4 podiums in 2025. Highest returnee in standings. Title favourite.
#28 · ROOKIE
Ella Stevens
🇬🇧 Britain
McLaren Oxagon
Only single-seater rookie on F1's support bill. Topped 2025 rookie test. McLaren Driver Development.
#5 · 2nd SEASON
Emma Felbermayr
🇦🇹 Austria
Audi
Won Montreal 2025 in final-lap drama. Audi's first season as a sponsor in F1 Academy.
ART Grand Prix
French Powerhouse · All Rookies
Williams · Haas Gatorade
#14 · ROOKIE
Lisa Billard
🇫🇷 France · 16 yrs
Gatorade
Singapore wildcard 2025 → full seat. First woman to win a race in French Junior Championship.
#95 · ROOKIE
Jade Jacquet
🇫🇷 France
Williams
Williams Racing Driver Academy. Succeeds Lia Block in the Williams-backed seat.
#91 · ROOKIE
Kaylee Countryman
🇺🇸 USA · 16 yrs
Haas
From USF Juniors. Takes over Haas seat. One of two 16-year-olds on the 2026 grid.
Hitech TGR
All-New Lineup · Toyota Partnership
Puma · American Express Shanghai Wild Card
#56 · ROOKIE
Rachel Robertson
🇬🇧 Britain
Puma
Las Vegas wildcard 2025 → full seat after strong sub performance.
#55 · ROOKIE
Ava Dobson
🇺🇸 USA
American Express
Miami wildcard 2025 → full seat. AmEx entry into motorsport sponsorship.
#24 · WILD CARD
Wei Shi
🇨🇳 China
Juss Sports
Shanghai R1 only. Chinese driver, Chinese GP, Chinese sponsor. Liberty's deliberate regional strategy.
THE SPONSOR SPLIT · WHO IS ACTUALLY PAYING
F1 Teams (10 of 11)
Mercedes
Constructor · Engine Supplier
Payton Westcott
Ferrari
Constructor
Alba Hurup Larsen
Red Bull Racing
Constructor
Alisha Palmowski
McLaren
Constructor · 2× entry
Lloyd + Stevens
Aston Martin
Constructor · Driver Academy
Mathilda Paatz
Alpine
Constructor · Academy
Nina Gademan
Racing Bulls
Constructor
Rafaela Ferreira
Haas
Constructor
Kaylee Countryman
Williams
Constructor · Driver Academy
Jade Jacquet
Audi
Constructor · 1st season in F1A
Emma Felbermayr
Non-F1 Brands (7 entries)
Sephora
Beauty · LVMH subsidiary · 80M members
Natalia Granada
LEGO
Toys / Consumer · Global brand
Esmee Kosterman
TAG Heuer
Luxury Watches · LVMH subsidiary
Megan Bruce
Gatorade
Sports Nutrition · PepsiCo
Lisa Billard
Puma
Sportswear · Global
Rachel Robertson
American Express
Financial Services · Premium
Ava Dobson
Juss Sports
Chinese Sports Brand · Regional
Wei Shi (WCD)
THE LVMH ANGLE
Two of the seven non-F1 sponsors — Sephora and TAG Heuer — are LVMH subsidiaries. LVMH is already a Global Partner of Formula 1 at the top level. F1 Academy gives the group a second, cheaper activation layer targeting a younger, female-skewing demographic that the Paddock Club does not reach. One parent company, two tiers of the sport, two completely different audiences. That is not coincidence. That is a media buying strategy.
PADDOCKINTEL VERDICT · F1 ACADEMY 2026
F1 Academy is three years old and already has Sephora, LEGO, American Express, and Gatorade on its grid. These are not charity sponsorships. They are calculated entries into a series broadcast across 170+ territories, with a YouTube audience that grew 67% year-over-year in 2025, and where 3 out of every 4 new F1 fans in 2025 were female.
The series functions as a low-cost sponsorship laboratory for brands that cannot afford — or do not need — the full F1 grid. A title sponsorship on an F1 Academy car costs a fraction of a Formula 1 team deal, but activates inside the same race weekend, the same paddock, and the same broadcast window. For Sephora, LEGO, and American Express, the ROI calculation is straightforward: access the F1 audience demographic they actually want, at the price point that makes commercial sense.
Cadillac is the only F1 team without a presence in 2026 — but they join in 2027. When all 11 F1 teams are represented, the series will have completed its commercial infrastructure. What happens to the non-F1 brand sponsors at that point is the more interesting question.
FAQ · WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING
What is F1 Academy and how is it different from Formula 1? +
F1 Academy is an all-female, Formula 4–level single-seater series founded by Formula 1 in 2022 and entering its fourth season in 2026. It runs as a support series on selected Formula 1 race weekends — meaning fans attending a Grand Prix also watch F1 Academy races at no extra cost. Unlike F1, it is a spec series : every driver races the identical Tatuus F4-T421 chassis with a 165hp Autotecnica engine and Pirelli tyres, so results depend entirely on driver skill, not budget. The stated goal is to develop female talent toward F2, F3, and eventually Formula 1.
Why is Sephora sponsoring an F1 Academy driver? +
Sephora — an LVMH subsidiary with over 80 million loyalty members globally — became F1 Academy's Official Beauty Retail Partner for 2026. Rookie driver Natalia Granada competes in the "SEPHORA operated by PREMA" car, with a livery in Sephora's signature black-and-white stripes and red accents. Sephora also activates Glam Bars inside the Paddock Club across 18 race weekends. The commercial logic: F1 Academy's audience skews young and female — 3 of every 4 new F1 fans in 2025 were female — which aligns directly with Sephora's core customer. LVMH already holds a Global Partner position with Formula 1 itself; F1 Academy adds a second, lower-cost activation layer at the same events.
Who are the title favourites for the 2026 F1 Academy season? +
With the 2025 top three (Pin, Weug, Chambers) all graduating, 2026 is the most open title fight yet. The consensus favourites are Ella Lloyd (Rodin / McLaren) — last year's top rookie and fourth overall — and Alisha Palmowski (Campos / Red Bull Racing), who won the opening race in Shanghai in 2025 and finished fifth. 2025 champion Doriane Pin has publicly named Palmowski as her pick. Alba Hurup Larsen (MP / Ferrari) and Nina Gademan (MP / Alpine) also return with a year of experience and are considered dark horse contenders. Among rookies, watch Lisa Billard and Emma Felbermayr , the latter having won in Montreal in 2025.
Where and when can I watch F1 Academy in 2026? +
F1 Academy is broadcast across 170+ territories and airs live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK. In the US, coverage falls under the Apple TV+ F1 deal from 2026. The seven rounds in 2026: Shanghai (Mar 13–15), Jeddah, Montreal, Zandvoort, Silverstone (debut), Austin (COTA return), Las Vegas. Round 1 in Shanghai opens on Friday March 13 with Free Practice at 09:10 local time (GMT+8), Qualifying at 14:10, Race 1 on Saturday at 13:45, Race 2 on Sunday at 10:40. Attending an F1 race weekend gives you access to all F1 Academy sessions at no additional cost.
Can F1 Academy drivers make it to Formula 1? +
That is the explicit stated goal of the series, but no F1 Academy graduate has reached Formula 1 yet. The intended pathway is F1 Academy → F3 → F2 → F1. Several 2026 drivers are already backed by F1 junior academies: Ella Stevens and Ella Lloyd are McLaren juniors, Jade Jacquet is a Williams Racing Driver Academy member, Nina Gademan is an Alpine Academy driver, and Mathilda Paatz is part of the Aston Martin F1 Driver Academy. The series has grown to become the second most-followed motorsport series after Formula 1 according to the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey — the commercial momentum is there. Whether a driver crosses the gap to F1 remains the open question.
Why is LEGO sponsoring a racing driver? +
LEGO backs Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman at MP Motorsport in 2026 — a natural fit given Kosterman is Dutch and MP Motorsport is a Dutch team. LEGO already has an established presence in the broader F1 ecosystem through its Technic sets (the LEGO Technic F1 car range has been a commercial success). Sponsoring an F1 Academy driver at a Dutch team activates that brand association in a racing context, at a fraction of an F1 team deal. For LEGO, it also aligns with a younger, family-friendly audience that F1 Academy increasingly reaches. It is the same "sponsorship laboratory" logic that makes F1 Academy attractive to non-endemic brands: premium motorsport exposure, lower price point, growing audience.
SOURCES
1. F1 Academy Official — 2026 Drivers & Teams 2. Wikipedia — 2026 F1 Academy Season 3. Formula1.com — Sephora Becomes Official Partner of F1 Academy, March 2026 4. Sephora Newsroom — F1 Academy Partnership Launch 5. F1 Academy — Full F1 Team Support Multi-Year Partnership 6. Formula Scout — 2026 F1 Academy Season Preview 7. Glossy — Sephora Announces Partnership with F1 Academy (Celessa Baker interview)