© Getty ImagesBruising battles for the Bulls in MontrealCollisions, spins, racing recoveries and a birthday weekend win – the Bulls had a real rollercoaster ride at Round 4 of F1 Academy 2025.
AfteradifficultSaturdaydefinedbycollisionsandspins,Chloekickedoffsomelate21stbirthdaycelebrationsbytakingacontrolledfirstwinof2025inRaceThreeinMontrealandmovingtosecondplaceintheF1Academystandings.
Alisha had a similarly eventful weekend but despite two front-row starts alongside her fellow Red Bull Academy Programme racer, the British driver settled for nine points thanks to sixth place in the reverse grid Race 2 and seventh in Sunday’s race.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
After Race Two in Miami was cancelled due to heavy rain, the decision was taken to run a third race in Montreal, with the weekend opener being run according to the grid for the race in Florida.
That meant that Chloe lined up on pole, with Alisha alongside her on the front row and when the lights went out both made good starts. Alisha began to look for a way past her teammate but her attacks into the Turn 10 hairpin and the final chicane were rebuffed.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
Tucking into the slipstream on the pit straight the Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme driver tried again into Turn 1 on lap 2 but this time there was contact.
Chloe was able to carry on in the lead, albeit with a damaged front wing, but after being spun around, Alisha dropped all the way back to P14. She would eventually claw her way back to eighth, but after taking a 10-second penalty for causing the collision, she ended the race in 12th.
At the front, Chloe fought like a lion to hold on, even stealing the lead back from Doriane Pin after being passed on lap 3. But with massively reduced downforce, she had a moment after regaining the lead, clattered over the kerbs, and, with the dislodged wing trapped under her car, she had to pit, dropping to 17th. She too clawed her way back through the field and finally took a point for eighth place.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
It was a similar story for the Bulls in Race 2. On the reverse grid, Alisha started in P7, just ahead of Chloe. And when the lights went out, both were quickly on the move, passing Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann and Charlotte Tilbury driver Chloe Chong to rise to fifth and sixth.
Going into the hairpin on lap 1, Chloe saw a chance to pass her teammate and made the move stick around the outside before putting pressure on Doriane. She attacked into Turn 1, forcing a lock up from the French driver and continued to stalk the Mercedes through lap 3.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
At the start of lap 5, Chole went for broke. She once again closed up to the Mercedes through the final chicane and as they went down the straight, she dived out of the slipstream and tried to pass the Mercedes around the outside. The move was too ambitious, however, and she spun into the run-off and dropped to 14th place.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
Alisha moved into Chloe’s fifth place, but on lap seven, she was passed by Alba Larsen. And she remained stuck there for the remainder of the race, crossing the line in sixth and taking three points as Chloe climbed back to P10 at the flag.
When we moved into the warmth of Sunday afternoon, Chloe got the birthday gift she richly deserved.
After acing qualifying on Friday, the Bulls once again lined up on the front row, with Chloe in pole position. Chloe got away cleanly at the start to take the lead but behind her Alisha tangled with McLaren driver Ella Lloyd and spun. A separate incident involving wildcard Mathilda Paatz and Ava Anagnostiadis brought out the Safety Car. Alisha was able to return to the pits for a new nose and rejoined at the back of the train behind the SC.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
On lap 7, Chloe controlled the restart well to keep Ella at bay, and, over the following laps, she was able to keep the McLaren drive in check. Further back, Alisha was making big moves, rising to 12th from 18th in just three laps.
In the final third of the race, Chloe was forced to navigate two more Safety Car periods but, after 17 laps, the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme racer crossed the line ahead of Ella to take her first win of the season and to become the first driver to win from pole in 2025. Alisha, meanwhile, threaded her way through the carnage of the two Safety Cars to take P7 at the flag.
F1 Academy Montreal: Round 4© Getty Images
“I definitely expected a lot more out of the weekend after having so much pace throughout qualifying and practice and the two races even,” said Chloe afterwards. “I mean, happy to get the win, of course. A bit of a weird race, with a lot of Safety Cars, but I'm confident that I would have won the race either way today. The pace this weekend has just been so good. I just have to thank the team for all that. There's definitely a lot of positives to take out of this weekend.”
Chloe’s first win of the year moves her to second place in the Championship standings. With 89 points she’s just 20 behind series leader Doriane. Alisha’s tricky weekend means she drops to fifth place on 53 points, behind Ella, whose three podiums in Montreal vault her from sixth to fourth.
