Talking Points: Tina Hausmann on her F1 ACADEMY campaign, life after the series, and why Zandvoort feels like a home race

Aston Martin Aramco F1 ACADEMY driver Tina Hausmann discusses her season so far, looks ahead to the next round of the ultra-competitive, all-female, single-seater series at Zandvoort – an event she sees as a home race – and explores what her racing future may hold.

Following a chance to rest and recharge over the summer shutdown, we're raring to go once more. 14 races down, 10 to come, the 2025 Formula One season resumes this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix at historic Zandvoort.

Accompanying it on the support bill, the latest round of F1 ACADEMY, with Aston Martin Aramco represented by Tina Hausmann as she looks to build on a solid showing in Canada last time out, the highlight being a fourth-place finish in race three.

Here, she previews the next instalment of the all-female racing series and explains why Zandvoort feels like home despite hailing from Switzerland, reflects on her sophomore season so far, and discusses what might lay in store for her after 2025 as series rules dictate each driver can only spend two years competing in the championship.

How do you reflect on your F1 ACADEMY campaign up to this point?

"I've made good progress this year. I've grown in confidence each race weekend and results have got better and better, so I'm trying to sustain that momentum for the second half of the season.

"We've had some strong results, such as in Canada. That race weekend was one of the most stressful of my career because I was in the thick of my final exams at school; I completed four written four-hour exams before flying to Montréal and five oral exams as soon as I got back home.

"Mentally, it was very demanding to juggle, but it was one of the best race weekends we've had so I was really pleased with how we worked together as a team.

"I spent a lot of time in the simulator to prepare for Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as it was my first time racing there and I took heart from how confident I felt after just a few laps.

"It showed me just how important confidence is, particularly at new circuits, and also how we got our preparation right.

"We are aiming to take that and the other positives from the season and use them as a springboard for the remainder of the year, starting at Zandvoort."

The sport waits for no one and you need to maximise every opportunity you get.

What lessons from your first season in F1 ACADEMY have you been able to apply this year?

"I've learned so much at every race weekend on and off the track.

"When I started F1 ACADEMY I thought two years would be a very long time, but it's flown by. I've learned the sport waits for no one and you need to maximise every opportunity you get as a driver.

"I've had great support from Aston Martin Aramco and PREMA during my time in F1 ACADEMY, but at the end of the day you are the driver and you need to be proactive if you want to secure a future after your two years in the series. Different highly exciting opportunities are on the horizon. There are only three rounds of this season left, so I need to maximise them and show my full potential."

F1 ACADEMY is at Zandvoort this weekend. Are you looking forward to racing in the Netherlands?

"Zandvoort is a very special track. In a sense I treat it like a home race because it's the closest race on the F1 ACADEMY calendar to my native Switzerland; it's the only race in Europe this year. It's very different to the other circuits we're visiting this season, and I like it because it's old-school. There is a lot of elevation and banking, so it requires quite a unique approach as a driver.

"The majority of the F1 ACADEMY field know the circuit very well as many have raced and tested on it, so the difference between the drivers will be made by who gets up to speed quickest from Free Practice onwards, plus the weather is often variable there so adapting quickly will be key."

After Zandvoort, F1 ACADEMY heads to Singapore and then Las Vegas for the season finale. What are you expecting from those rounds?

"I realised a childhood dream when I raced in Singapore last year so to be going there again is very special.

"I really like Singapore as a venue and it's exciting to drive there. The humidity and heat challenges are well-documented but it's a mentally taxing event as well as physically because the walls are so close and you can't afford to make a mistake.

"As for Las Vegas, I've never been but I've heard lots of exciting things about the city and the circuit.

"It's an event where so much is going on away from the track that it's important not to get distracted and it's also going to be emotional because it will be my last weekend in F1 ACADEMY.

"I'll be trying to extract everything from every moment we have between now and then."

There are so many young girls looking up to us, being empowered.

What are your plans after the F1 ACADEMY season concludes?

"You can never fully predict what you’ll be doing in a few years, but racing is my main focus; I’ve started my motorsport journey and I want it to continue.

"I have quite a few options for after F1 ACADEMY and I'm weighing them up. I want to be competing in a championship that has a clear route of progression up the motorsport ladder, so I'm not just set for 2026 but also the years after. I want to step up and drive faster cars, but it's a bit too early to say which direction I'll head in.

"Equally, one thing I know is that I want to go to university and do some other projects alongside my racing next year, so I'll factor that into my decision. I've graduated from school with all the grades I wanted and I'm starting a gap year so I've got some time to think about what I want to do next and how it's all going to fall into place.

"Lately, it's really dawned on me how important female representation in motorsport is and that's something I want to keep promoting. For me, it's been normal to be a female racing driver but there are so many young girls looking up to us, being empowered, and I've realised how important what we are doing is for future generations.

"Earlier in the summer, I attended some of the European Women's Championship football matches in Switzerland and was really inspired by the players. I realised it's the same for the young girls who are watching us racing. That underlined to me how important it is what we've been doing in F1 ACADEMY, and what we need to keep doing in wider motorsport series.

"That's another reason why I want to keep racing."

Dutch Grand Prix

Driving among the dunes

A sea of orange, sand dunes and spectacular banked corners, the Dutch Grand Prix has become famed for its exhilarating festival atmosphere as much as its racing.

Read our essential guide to the weekend as Formula One returns after the summer break.

DUTCH GP PREVIEW