What is F1 Academy? Everything you need to know!What is F1 Academy? Everything you need to know!

Image credit to F1 Academy Website

Image From F1 Academy Website

What makes F1 Academy different from other feeder series? 

F1 Academy is a spec series like the rest of the many formulas such as; F2, F3 and F4. Unlike the other formulas, F1 Academy is specifically for female drivers to showcase their talents. The Managing Director Susie Wolf, started this program as a way to allow young women, ages 16 -15, to get the opportunity to race in a formula series as most girls' talents are overlooked. This series gives them a chance to gain sponsors and support to continue in the motorsports industry.

Susie also wanted to give these young drivers as many opportunities as possible. That's why she introduced the wildcard entry. At each race a wildcard driver from that region will be given the chance to race for the weekend. This was introduced in 2024 and has been carried into the 2025 season. The wildcard entries' purpose is to allow these young drivers a chance to take a step into single seater cars.

Although F1 Academy is set up like most of the other formulas it has some different rules. You are only allowed to drive for two seasons, this is so more women get to participate in the series. If you win the championship you win a fully funded seat in the British GB3 Championship with Rodin Motorsports with additional testing days in the car. The grid is also set up differently as it consists of 18 drivers and 6 teams which all have 3 drivers.

What is the season like? 

The racing calendar consists of 7 rounds. During the race weekend the drivers have up to  two 40-minute practice sessions followed by a 30 minute qualifying session, whoever takes pole will get 2 points. Qualifying  will set the grid for the races, although race one will see the top 8 in reverse order. Race one will allocate points to the top 8 drivers, for 1st they will get 8 championship points; which will decrease by 1 point. For race two the grid goes back to the standard qualifying results: this time the top 10 classified drivers will score points. In first place scoring 25 then 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1. During both races the fastest lap will be given an additional 1 point, only if they were in the top 8 for race one or top 10 for race two.

History of F1 Academy

F1 Academy debuted in 2023 in April and the first round took place in Austria. The first Champion was Marta Garcia, she now is competing in the Formula regional European Championship, also known as FRECA, with the Iron Dames team. The 2024 Champion was British driver Abbi Pulling who now races in GB3. 

2025 Season of F1 Academy 

As for the 2025 season, our current leader is Doriane Pin, also known as “the pocket rocket” who is a part of the Mercedes junior drivers. She is a French racing driver and is 21 years old. She is in her 2nd season of F1 Academy, her first season saw her take the first win of the season, sadly she finished 2nd to Abbi. Overall the season she won 3 races with 5 further podiums. Maya Weug came in 3rd in the 2024 season after an intense battle with Doriane. On her arrival to F1 Academy she became the first ever female driver to be inducted into the Scuderia Ferrari driver academy. Her first season saw her get her long awaited maiden win at the Yas Marina circuit, which was the last race of the season. She also had an additional seven podiums throughout the season. For the 2025 season she is currently running in P2 after taking pole but missing out on a win.

The 2025 season is definitely one you don't want to miss out on! With new drivers and some previous challengers: who knows who will take the title. If F1 Academy sounds like something you might be interested in learning more about and watching live, head to Sky Sports or F1 Tv.

[ Article Written By: Isabelle Tong ]