Amelia Dimoldenberg on learning to drive with F1 stars

Formula 1 drivers are used to testing their limits on the racetrack, but a brand-new challenge landed on their plates when they became driving instructors for Amelia Dimoldenberg in her hit YouTube series Passenger Princess. Season 1 featured Dimoldenberg—known for her work as writer, host, producer, and creator of Chicken Shop Date—teaming up with four F1 drivers in her pursuit of a driving licence. The lessons unfolded at Belgium's iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, resulting in some wildly amusing scenes.

Now, Season 2 is here, and the internet sensation is upping the ante by joining forces with six different drivers across two famous tracks. This time, she is tackling bold new skills, covering everything from doing donuts to mastering the many buttons in a car. When the first season launched in October 2025, produced in collaboration with her production company Dimz Inc., it quickly became a hit with fans who tuned in to watch racing drivers step into the passenger seat while Dimoldenberg learned the basics of driving a road car using her awkwardly charming interview style.

Reflecting on how the concept started, Dimoldenberg recalls that after entering a dialogue with Formula 1, they thought it would be a brilliant idea for F1 drivers to teach her how to drive. Once pitched to F1, they made it happen and created four episodes for her YouTube channel, collaborating with Formula 1 on which top drivers were available and had time. The reaction from fans has been overwhelmingly positive, with F1 enthusiasts loving the playful side of their favourite drivers, while her own audience appreciates the interview aspect and the humor.

Learning to drive on some of the sport's most famed tracks is a uniquely surreal experience. Dimoldenberg notes that racetracks are physically big and grand, and while she would recommend the experience, it is not quite real life. There are no zebra crossings, no roundabouts, no pavement, and no one else around apart from the occasional Safety Car. As she jokes about her progress in Season 1, she admits it was quite minimal and blames the drivers because she is faultless. She also points out that the red lights going out on a Formula 1 track mean go, whereas on a road they mean stop, which is not particularly helpful for a novice.

However, she has grown in confidence, wanting to work on being more comfortable behind the wheel and going faster in Season 2. While Season 1 was about learning the basics, Season 2 involves car controls, parallel parking nearly every episode, a three-point turn, and going faster than ever before. During Season 1, she teamed up with George Russell, Ollie Bearman, Oscar Piastri, and Carlos Sainz. Having previously not been much of a fan of Formula 1, she became genuinely invested and was pleasantly surprised by how lovely and patient all the instructors were.

In a quickfire question round, Dimoldenberg revealed her thoughts on her Season 1 instructors: George Russell was the most patient and the best overall instructor, as well as the one she would choose for a second lesson. Carlos Sainz took the title of least patient. Ollie Bearman was named the best conversationalist and the funniest. When asked who she would pick from the four instructors to join her on a future Chicken Shop Date, she chose all four for a speed date.

Season 2 brings a whole new set of F1 driver instructors across tracks in Barcelona and Spielberg, spanning six episodes total. The lineup features Charles Leclerc, Franco Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli, and Alex Albon, all bringing different personalities, driving styles, and teaching methods. Dimoldenberg is doing donuts in the car with Kimi Antonelli, handling car controls and learning where all the buttons are with Alex Albon, doing speed controls with Gabriel Bortoleto, and tackling theory test questions with Charles Leclerc after failing her theory test five times already. Despite all the learning, she remains entirely unconfident about getting her driving licence by the end of the series, noting that she has a mental block with driving, though she suspects moving off the racetrack and onto actual roads might help eventually.