F1 Academy, Qatar & Abu Dhabi

Strong performances and championship points for Jess Edgar as F1 Academy campaign concludes.

Jess Edgar concluded her F1 Academy season in December, competing on consecutive weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with strong runs inside the top 10 at both venues.

After a break of over two months since her last outing at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit, the 19-year-old undertook a productive test session to prepare for the final four races of 2024.

Driving her American Express-liveried car, Jess showed immediate pace at Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit, where she raced alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship. Just 0.3 seconds off the fastest time in Free Practice 1, she wasn’t quite able to replicate that form in qualifying, starting 10th for the opening race.

Jess gained a position with a strong start, and she executed a well-judged move to take eighth on the opening tour. On the final lap, she completed a skillful overtaking manoeuvre around the outside of turn one, finishing in seventh place and securing valuable championship points. Unfortunately, the second race on Sunday was cancelled due to barrier damage from another series’ event.

The cancelled race was added to the final weekend at Yas Marina Circuit, where Jess again displayed promising speed in practice but encountered challenges in qualifying, leaving her with ground to make up. The opening contest proved difficult, while in race two she skilfully avoided incidents ahead but suffered contact from another driver on the penultimate lap, resulting in damage and a forced retirement.

In the season’s final race, Jess made a strong start, moving into 10th place. She joined a fierce battle for the podium positions and gained places following contact among rivals ahead, but although she crossed the line in an impressive fifth place, a post-race penalty for gaining an advantage by exceeding track limits relegated her to 12th in the final standings.

Although the year didn’t unfold as Jess had hoped, it provided invaluable opportunities to expand her knowledge, refine her racecraft, and gain experience at circuits worldwide. This included her debut appearance in the F4 British Championship during the summer and joining the DS PENSKE Formula E Team for the first-ever all-women test session in November. She will now take some well-earned time off with her family before beginning preparations for 2025.

Championship: 13 (28 points)

Jess commented: “In Qatar, I had strong performances in FP1 and FP2, finishing just three tenths off the fastest time, which was a positive step forward. Qualifying was more challenging, unfortunately, as I couldn’t put a clean lap together, but in the race, I did everything I could, finishing P7 and scoring more championship points. It was disappointing that race two was cancelled, but I was pleased with how the weekend went overall.

“Abu Dhabi was a tougher weekend, as I struggled to find the pace from practice onwards, despite having a good test there a few weeks earlier. With the additional race, we needed to deliver three fast laps in qualifying, but I ended up P15, P15, and P12, which made the races difficult starting from the back. I lacked pace in race one, and in race two I was taken out, resulting in a DNF. However, race three went much better, and I finished P5 on track. Unfortunately, a penalty dropped me to P12 in the final classification.

“This year has been a challenging one, but I’ve learned so much, not only from competing in F1 Academy but also through my experience in British F4, which was a valuable opportunity. I’ll keep working hard over the winter, both in the gym and on the simulator, to ensure I’m as prepared as possible for any opportunities that come my way.”