F1 Academy Returns to Shanghai as SHI WEI Gets Second Wild Card Opportunity

March 10, 2026

• SHI WEI returns as Shanghai’s wild card entry for the second consecutive year, armed with impressive 2024 credentials including a Challenge Cup victory at the FIA F4 Chinese Championship and a third-place CFGP finish. Her previous F1 Academy appearance saw mixed results – a Race 1 DNF from a Turn 14 spin but a solid 14th-place finish in Race 2, proving she belongs on this stage.
• Last season’s Shanghai winners ALISHA PALMOWSKI and DORIANE PIN set the bar high, with Palmowski claiming her maiden F1 Academy victory in the reverse-grid Race 1 and Pin delivering her first win of 2025 in Race 2. MAYA WEUG still holds the circuit’s fastest F1 Academy lap record at 2:03.379, a benchmark that will be tested when the 2026 season fires up this weekend.
• The expanded seven-round calendar promises more opportunities for breakthrough performances, spanning six countries from Shanghai to Las Vegas. With ten rookies joining the grid alongside returning veterans, the competition depth has never been stronger – exactly what we need to see more talent pipelines opening up for women in motorsport.

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