Dorian Bean has been crowned champion of the Formula 1 Academy in Las Vegas

Dorian Bean has been crowned champion of the Formula 1 Academy in Las Vegas.

The 21-year-old Frenchwoman, who needed to finish in the final race of the season in the top six to guarantee the title, is back in fifth place.

Dutch Maya Weug, the only person who could beat Ben, took third place.

The all-women’s series saw a dramatic final race weekend with Weug crashing during the formation lap in the first reverse grid race, which Prema Racing’s Pin won to extend her championship lead to 20 points.

Weug, who is in the Ferrari Driver Academy, gained two places on the Pin in the final race but needed to win to have a chance at the title.

Ben, a Mercedes student, finished the season with 151 points, nine points ahead of Weug.

This was the first time the Formula 1 Academy had raced in Las Vegas, and Formula 1 recently extended its contract with the series for next season.

Pin entered the F1 Academy in 2024 but lost the title last year to Briton Abby Poling.

American Chloe Chambers turned her pole position into a race win in the second race of the weekend.

The Formula 1 Academy was launched in 2023 to provide a springboard for women into motorsport and to broaden the appeal of the sport in a bid to increase the number of female drivers.