F1 Academy: Inside the Exciting New Female Race Series
Formula One has long been the pinnacle of motorsport, with some of the most advanced cars and talented drivers in the world. But for many aspiring female drivers, getting a seat in a Formula One car can be a challenge. That’s why the sport is launching a new initiative: F1 Academy. Here’s everything you need to know about this exciting new development.
What is the F1 Academy race series?
The F1 Academy race series is a new initiative by Formula One to provide greater opportunities for female drivers. The series aims to create a clear path for young drivers to progress from junior categories all the way to Formula One. The F1 Academy 2023 series will consist of 15 identical cars competing in 21 races completed within 7 rounds, in Europe and North America, featuring several known F1 Grand Prix tracks.
Why is the F1 Academy race series important?
The F1 Academy race series is important for several reasons. Primarily, it provides greater opportunities for young female drivers to showcase their talents and gain exposure to Formula One teams. This could help to address the issue of a lack of diversity in the sport.
Historically, motorsports have been male-dominated, with few opportunities for women to compete at the highest levels. This lack of representation has made it challenging for women to break into the sport. By creating a dedicated series for female drivers to compete, the F1 Academy aims to provide a pathway for young women to pursue and further their career in motorsports, while also inspiring more female drivers and fans to become interested in the sport. The series also serves as a way to raise awareness about the barriers that women face in motorsports and to encourage the wider industry to work towards greater diversity and inclusivity.
F1 Academy drivers and teams
To be eligible to compete in the F1 Academy race series, “all drivers must be women and 25 years of age or younger, and 16 years of age or older when entering their first race event of the season” (F1 Academy). The teams participating in the series include: ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, PREMA Racing, RODIN CARLIN. Each team will have 3 drivers (15 total), yet so far only 8 have been confirmed and announced.
Lena Bühler (ART Grand Prix),
Carrie Schreiner (ART Grand Prix),
Nerea Marti (Campos Racing),
Lola Lovinfosse (Campos Racing),
Maite Cáceres (Campos Racing),
Bianca Bustamente (PREMA Racing),
Jessica Edgar (RODIN CARLIN),
Abbi Pulling (RODIN CARLIN).
What’s next?
As the series launches, it will be exciting to see how it develops and achieves its goals of creating greater opportunities for young female drivers. But one thing is clear, this is an exciting new development that could help to shape the future of motorsports for years to come!