F1 Academy
From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Category | Single-seater |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 2023 |
| Drivers | List |
| Chassis suppliers | Tatuus |
| Engine suppliers | Autotecnica |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion |  Marta García |
| Teams' champion |  Prema Racing |
| Official website | f1academy.com |
 Current season | |
F1 Academy is a female-only and junior-level single-seater racing championship founded by Formula One. The championship is a spec series, with all teams competing with an identical Tatuus F4-T-421 chassis and tyre compounds developed by Pirelli. Each car is powered by a 165-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine developed by Autotecnica.
The inaugural season in 2023 was won by Marta García driving for Prema Racing, who won the teams' championship.
History[edit]
The championship traces its roots back to 2004, when Formula Woman was established due to the lack of female drivers in other series. In 2019, the W Series was created for the same reason and was held for over three seasons, and the planned 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] However, after the 2022 season, the series was battling financial issues and was put into administration and liquidated. [2][3]
On 18 November 2022, Formula One announced the creation of F1 Academy, a racing series for women aimed to focus on developing and preparing young drivers to progress to higher levels of competition. It was created to help smooth the transition from karting to the single-seater ladder.[4]
The five teams that are currently participating in F1 Academy are ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, Rodin Motorsport, MP Motorsport and Prema Racing.[5][6]
On 1 March 2023, Susie Wolff was appointed the managing director for the series.[7]
The initial season of the series was controversially not broadcast,[8] with the exception of the season finale at the Circuit of the Americas.[9] Every race of the second season will be broadcast, with live viewing available in more than 160 international territories and by a total of 23 broadcasters. Formula E presenter Nicki Shields became the lead commentator for the season, with Alex Brundle and Jordan King joining her as co-commentators.[10]
For the 2023 season, Formula One subsidized the cost of each car, with drivers having to contribute €150,000.[4] This was reduced to €100,000 for the 2024 season.[11] Also for 2024, all ten Formula One teams supported one driver each who will carry the team's livery on their car. The remaining five drivers are supported by the series' partners.[6]
On May 3 2023, it was announced that Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine would be creating a docuseries about F1 Academy.[12] On May 3 2024, exactly one year later, it was announced that the show would be available to stream on Netflix in 2025.[13]
Championship format[edit]
The 2023 season consisted of seven event weekends with three races each, for a total of 21 races, plus fifteen days of official testing. Each race weekend included two 30-minute races, and a 20-minute race where the top 8 drivers from qualifying had their starting positions reversed. The final of the seven events was a Formula One support race during the United States Grand Prix.[4][14][15]
On 31 March 2023, Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali announced that the 2024 season would take place exclusively on select Formula One weekends, joining Formula 2, Formula 3 and the Porsche Supercup as part of the support bill.[16] This caused a change to the race weekend format, reducing the number of races to two by removing the reverse-grid race.[17]
The 2024 season also saw the addition of FIA Super License points and Wild Card entries. The top five drivers in the championship will earn points towards an FIA Super License, with 10 for the champion, 7 for the vice-champion, 5 for third-place, 3 for fourth, and 1 for fifth. Wild Card entries will be introduced at specific rounds in order to promote and strengthen the talent pool in the areas where the series races. These entries will be operated as a fourth car by the reigning teams' champion Prema Racing, with the driver eligible to score points in the drivers' standings.[18]
Progression[edit]
F1 Academy drivers must be between the ages of 16 and 25, and cannot do more than 2 seasons in the series.[18] The Formula Regional European Championship has guaranteed a fourth entry to any team that signs a driver who finished P1, P2 or P3 in the F1 Academy standings. 2023 champion Marta García received a fully funded seat in the championship for 2024, courtesy of F1 Academy, PREMA Racing, Tatuus and Pirelli. However, FRECA is not the only option for progression, as the series announced that "each season F1 Academy will work in close collaboration with the F1 Academy teams to support its winner in progressing up the motorsport ladder".[19]
Cars[edit]
.jpg)
The cars used are the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis used in Formula 4 championships globally since 2022, with tyres provided by Formula One partner Pirelli. The engine was provided by Autotecnica and consisted of a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4 cylinder, capable of delivering 174 horsepower at 5500 rpm.[20]
Champions[edit]
Drivers[edit]
| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Marta García | Prema Racing | 5 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 278 | Race 19 of 21 | 56 | [21] |
Teams[edit]
| Season | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Margin | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Prema Racing | 5 | 9 | 16 | 7 | 419 | 8 | [22] |
Circuits[edit]
- Bold denotes a circuit will be used in the 2024 season.
| Number | Circuits | Rounds | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Red Bull Ring | 1 | 2023 |
| Circuito Ricardo Tormo | 1 | 2023 | |
| Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya | 1 | 2023–present | |
 Circuit Zandvoort | 1 | 2023–present | |
| Monza Circuit | 1 | 2023 | |
 Circuit Paul Ricard | 1 | 2023 | |
 Circuit of the Americas | 1 | 2023 | |
 Jeddah Corniche Circuit | 1 | 2024 | |
| Miami International Autodrome | 1 | 2024 | |
| 0 |  Marina Bay Street Circuit | 0 | 2024 |
 Losail International Circuit | 0 | 2024 | |
 Yas Marina Circuit | 0 | 2024 | |
| Source:[23][24] | |||
References[edit]
- ^ "Motor racing: W Series cancels 2020 season due to pandemic". Reuters. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ "W Series enters administration". ESPN Philippines. 16 June 2023.
- ^ Coleman, Madeline (25 January 2024). "Debut season behind it, F1 Academy strives to become more than a racing series". The Athletic. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "F1 Academy: Formula 1 announces F1 Academy, a new all-female driver series for 2023". Formula1.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "F1 Academy announces the five teams entering 2023–2025 seasons | Formula 1". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ a b "F1 Academy: All 10 F1 teams to have drivers and liveries for 2024 season in all-female single-seater series". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Susie Wolff appointed managing director of F1 Academy". Autosport.com. March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ Mee, Lydia (1 May 2023). "FIA Under Fire After F1 Academy Fails To Be Broadcasted: "Extremely Disappointing"". F1 Briefings: Formula 1 News, Rumors, Standings and More. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "F1 Academy finale to be broadcast live in over 100 international territories". F1® Academy. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "2024 season of F1 ACADEMY™ to be broadcast in over 160 territories and streamed live globally". F1® Academy. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "F1 Academy Champion Marta Garcia to receive FRECA seat". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Weprin, Alex (3 May 2023). "Hello Sunshine, Formula 1 Developing F1 Academy Docuseries (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Carson, Lexi (3 May 2024). "Hello Sunshine's F1 Academy Docuseries on Female Drivers Lands at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "F1 Want Women in the Cockpit for First Time Since 1976". Bloomberg.com. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "F1 Academy announces 2023 calendar and race weekend format". Formula1.com. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "F1 Academy: All-female racing series to feature exclusively at Formula 1 weekends in 2024". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ Series, Feeder (18 February 2024). "F1 Academy weekends cut to two races in format overhaul". Feeder Series. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b "F1 ACADEMY drivers to get super licence points". Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "F1 Academy Champion Marta Garcia to receive FRECA seat". Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "The Car and Engine". F1 Academy. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "F1A Motorsport Stats". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Prema Racing Statistics and Results | Motorsport Stats". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "F1 Academy announces 2023 calendar and race weekend format". Formula1.com. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "F1 Academy announces calendar for 2024 season". Formula 1. Retrieved 9 February 2024.