The future is female: What is the F1 Academy?
Formula One Academy is the females-only sister of Formula One. Run by ex-racing driver, and Managing Director Suzie Wolff, F1 Academy races at a Formula Four level across the globe. In its second year of existence, the academy is set to race across three continents in seven races, all following the F1 calendar. Being linked to F1, the academy has undoubtedly been faced with a plethora of expectations and assumptions. However, it's relation to the world famous, and prestigious sport of Formula One does not mean that everyone is well equipped in knowledge of the Academy. With F1 Academy’s show coming to Netflix in 2025, take this as your opportunity to learn more about the hit racing series. Consider this your go to and easily digestible guide to the Formula One Academy!
F1 Academy consists of 15 drivers, all ranging from the ages of 16-25, across a seven round season for the world championship. In it’s second season in 2024, the Academy races in the same locations as F1 across the weekend. With less drivers than Formula One, how do the teams work? Simply, there is less! F1 Academy consists of 5 times each hosting three drivers each; ART Racing ,Campos Racing, Rodin Motorsport, MP Motorsport, and Prema Racing are the 5 teams in the Academy. If these sound familiar, that’s because they are! Each team also houses drivers in the F2 racing series. However, you won’t see the F1 Academy drivers racing in their teams brands, after its first season in 2023, the academy pulled together the Formula One teams to each have representation in the academy. What does that mean? Each girl is representing a different team (or brand): Bianca Bustemante is representing Mclaren, Doriane Pin is representing Mercedes (while also being part of their junior program), Abbi Pulling is representing Alpine, and Jessica Edgar representing American Express as a handful of examples.
Since the Academy races on the same weekends as F1 (and sometimes F2 and F3), you can imagine that their is little time to breathe. However, across the weekend the Academy slots in perfectly with their set up. Each race weekend, like higher classes of motorsport, has chance to practice, with the Academy having one 40 minute practice session. Similarly, the Academy holds a 30 minute qualifying session to establish the grid order for the two races across the weekend. In qualifying, the drivers first fastest lap determines the grid for race one, following that, the second fastest laps determine the grid for the second race. Sometimes you will find that the same driver will claim double pole in qualifying as Abbi Pulling did in Miami. As mentioned, the F1 Academy holds two races across Saturday and Sunday of race weekend, both races are 30 minutes long and fall at an average of 15 laps; often this means the girls will race without a pitstop needed. With only three rounds completed, Abbi Pulling is leading the championship with 4 wins out of 6 races so far.
Abbi Pulling celebrating her victory in Miami. Image sourced from SBNation.com.
In the Academy, points attribution does not differ from Formula One in any significant manner. The top ten finishers (in both races) receive points from 25 down to 1 in the same order as F1. Similarly, if the girl with the fastest lap at the end of both races finishes in the top ten, she will receive an additional extra point. Also, which ever girls secure pole position in qualifying for both races will receive two points. So, as example, in Miami of 2024, Abbi Pulling received 4 points for qualifying on pole for both races, 50 points across both races for securing two victories, plus an additional 2 points for having both fastest laps during the races. Therefore, the most points a driver can acquire across one weekend is 56. What do the points do for the girls? Well, since the drivers in the F1 Academy don’t hold Grade A International FIA Super-license’s the top 3 finishers in the drivers championship will be rewarded points for their super license. The winner of the championship will receive 10, while second place will receive 7 and third place 5. Rewarding the girls with license points is a significant step in their career towards F1 because in order to hold a Grade A super license it is required that a driver have a total of 40 points. Last year, Marta Garcia took home the championship and received those 10 points.
Significant amounts of the F1 Academy are reflective of F1, however, there are aspects that have not yet been mentioned that are complete standouts of the category. Firstly, in aid of upholding the goals of the Academy (promoting and supporting upcoming women in the world of motorsport), Wildcard entries have been added in the 2024 season. Across certain weekends, PREMA Racing will host a fourth driver to race across the weekend for a chance to enhance her skills. Similarly, in order to introduce for girls to the sport and allow them to develop, the Academy does not allow a driver to compete in more than two seasons. This means 11 out of the 15 drivers will be saying goodbye to the Academy at the end of the 2024 season, including current leader Abbi Pulling.
All that can be encouraged is that you watch the F1 Academy when they race or catch up on previous races which are always streamed on Youtube. Get involved, the Academy is all about discovering something knew!
Title image from The Race.
