Amelia Dimoldenberg on learning to drive with F1 stars

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Formula 1 drivers are well-versed in testing their skills on the racetrack – but several names on the grid have been faced with a brand-new challenge recently after becoming driving instructors to Amelia Dimoldenberg in her hit YouTube series Passenger Princess. Season 1 saw Dimoldenberg – known to many as writer, host, producer and creator of Chicken Shop Date – team up with four F1 drivers in her pursuit of a driving licence, resulting in some entertaining and amusing scenes as the lessons unfolded at Belgium’s iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Now she’s back for Season 2, with the internet sensation upping the ante as she joins forces with six different drivers across two famous tracks – and this time she’ll be tackling some bold new skills, covering everything from doing donuts to mastering the many buttons in a car. F1.com sat down with Dimoldenberg to get all the details on the new season, as well as finding out what she thought of her Season 1 Passenger Princess instructors in our round of quickfire questions… When the first season of Passenger Princess – which is produced in collaboration with Dimoldenberg’s production company, Dimz Inc. – launched in October 2025, the series quickly proved a hit with fans, who tuned in to see racing drivers step into the passenger seat as Dimoldenberg learned the basics of driving a road car whilst using her awkwardly charming interview style to quiz her instructors. Reflecting back on how the idea first came to life, Dimoldenberg recalls: “I can't remember exactly who reached out to who first, but we were having a dialogue with Formula 1, and I think Formula 1 asked if we would pitch some ideas to them. “We thought a really good idea – especially as I don't have a driving licence – would be if Formula 1 drivers taught me to drive and they could be my driving instructors, so that's how the idea came about. “Once we pitched to F1, we didn't know if they were going to say yes because it seems like a health and safety hazard for me, as someone who doesn't have a licence, to be driving Formula 1 drivers around! “But we made it happen, so then we just got to creating it. Making it in-house at Dimz Inc. was great because we’re such a small but nimble team, and we kind of rallied together to make four episodes that were on my YouTube channel. “Then we collaborated with Formula 1 as to who the drivers [would be], the top drivers that we would love to interview, to see who was available and who we could get time with, and went from there.” The collaboration saw two fanbases collide; Dimoldenberg has built a huge global following with her numerous projects – from the extremely popular Chicken Shop Date to her presenting work on the red carpet at high-profile events – while Formula 1’s worldwide fanbase continues to expand and diversify, particularly among younger and female audiences. Asked what the reaction has been like from her fans to Passenger Princess, Dimoldenberg explains: “They're so excited – I've had such positive responses so far from the series. “The Formula 1 fans are really passionate about the sport, about the drivers, about everything to do with the world of Formula 1. I've had such positive responses from the Formula 1 audience, who I think really just love seeing this playful, fun side to their favourite drivers. “And then obviously my audience, who maybe aren't as familiar with Formula 1, I think that they really appreciate the interview aspect of it, and again obviously seeing me interact with sports stars and create something that's really playful and humorous, and entertaining basically.” Few people can say that they took their driving lessons alongside a Formula 1 driver on some of the sport’s most famed tracks – so just how unique of an experience is that, and would Dimoldenberg recommend it to the average learner? “I would recommend, because it's such an incredible experience,” she says. “Going on the racetracks is always really awe-inspiring, because they're just so physically big and grand. “I've been so lucky to go to three racetracks and they all are completely different. That's, I think, what is so exciting for everyone involved, how different the racetracks can look and be and feel. “But there are no zebra crossings on a racetrack, there are no roundabouts, there's no pavement, so it's not real life, is it? And there's also no one else apart from the occasional Safety Car going round, so it's not true to life. But I do think as a novice it's quite a good place to learn, and also more for the drivers so they feel safe in a car with me!” When quizzed on how much progress she feels she made in her mission to learn to drive during Season 1 of Passenger Princess, Dimoldenberg answers: “Good question.” “I would say that the progress I made was quite minimal, and I would blame the drivers for that, because obviously I am faultless,” she adds with a laugh. “The thing with the Formula 1 tracks, they are amazing because you get to be there on your own, but the other side of it is, it's not really realistic, is it? The red light on a road means stop, but the red lights [going out] on a Formula 1 track means go, so it's not really that helpful to me, some of it! “But I’ve grown a bit in my confidence and that's what I wanted to work on most in Season 2, being more confident behind the wheel and going a bit faster. I went faster than I have before in Season 2, so that's very exciting. “And I tried out some new skills in the car, because Season 1 was very much like: learn the basics, learn the ropes, you haven't done this before. Whereas in Season 2, I feel like we're learning a bit more about the car controls, we're doing parallel parks nearly every episode, we're doing a three-point turn. We're going faster than we ever have – we're progressing.” Having teamed up with four Formula 1 drivers during Season 1 of Passenger Princess – that being George Russell, Ollie Bearman, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz – Dimoldenberg admits that she enjoyed the process of not only becoming a fan of the sport but also getting to know her instructors. “I didn't really know too much about them because before I wasn't a fan really of Formula 1, so I'm that kind of audience member who kind of knows about it but didn't know the details of the drivers and how it works and everything,” she explains. “And through this series, I really have become invested in it and a fan of it, and it's been really interesting because overall the sport really isn't what you expect of it. How many people are involved, it is wild and it's such a team sport. “In terms of the drivers from Season 1, I didn’t know much about them and I was pleasantly surprised by all of them, because they were all just so lovely and really patient with me, which I think you have to be if you're a driving instructor. “They were just such good sports and had a great sense of humour with it all, because it takes a lot for a Formula 1 driver to sit in the passenger seat. So I was really pleasantly surprised by that, and a lot of them made me laugh, so that's great. That's always a plus.” As such, we put some quickfire questions to Dimoldenberg about her first set of instructors – with some intriguing answers… Who was the most patient instructor? “George.” And the least patient? “Carlos.” Who was the best conversationalist? “Maybe Ollie.” You said they all made you laugh, but who was the very funniest? “That’s a tough one... I’m going to say Ollie again.” Who would you choose to have a second lesson with? “Hmm… Maybe George.” Who would you say was overall the best instructor? “I feel bad because I've not spoken about Oscar at all! But I was actually quite stressed in that episode because I was in a McLaren – the car was just wow. The best overall... I'm going to say George.” Finally, you had Lando Norris on an episode of Chicken Shop Date. Out of those four instructors you've already had, who would you pick to join you on a future Chicken Shop Date? “Ooh, good question. I'm going to say all four and it will be a speed date.” Now Dimoldenberg will get behind the wheel alongside a whole new set of F1 driver instructors in Season 2 of Passenger Princess – and it sounds like there are plenty of entertaining moments in store. “I am driving on the tracks in Barcelona and Spielberg,” she says. “It was amazing to do three episodes on each track, so we’re doing six episodes this time. “The episodes are with Charles Leclerc, Franco Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli and Alex Albon, so all very different personalities, all very different drivers, and all different teams and different positions on the leaderboard. “It was really cool to have such a variety of different people to get to meet, and with different driving styles and teaching styles. As I mentioned before, we're taking it up a level in the sense of what I'm learning and what I'm doing in the car. “I'm doing donuts in the car with Kimi – that was an experience, for sure. I'm doing car controls with Alex, learning where all the buttons are – it seems like more and more as the years go on, the buttons in cars are just getting out of control! Not as many as a Formula 1 car though, that's for sure. “I’m doing speed controls with Gabi and theory test questions with Charles, because I've failed my theory five times at this point so I thought I'd better get some more practice in with him. I think it's all going to be really fun, and I'm excited for people to see it.” With all of that learning taking place in Season 2, how confident is Dimoldenberg that she’ll be even closer to getting her driving licence by the end of this series? “Not confident at all, actually,” she concedes in her signature deadpan style. “I just think it’s like I've got a block with the driving – I can't be good at everything. “But saying that, I think maybe once I get onto the actual road and off the racetrack that might be good for me, because you can only go round and round in circles for so long.” While she might be some way off achieving her driving goal, the saying goes that it’s all about the journey rather than the destination – and it will certainly be fun for the rest of us to join Dimoldenberg and her famous instructors as they navigate that process together in Season 2 of Passenger Princess. Download the Official F1 AppYour ultimate companion into
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