F1 Academy: Levelling Up or Levelling Out?
Photo courtesy: Steffen Prößdorf via Wikimedia Commons
Nearly 50 years on since the last woman scored a point in a Formula One race, and over a decade since a woman drove in a practice session, F1 has perhaps never reflected its audience more poorly. Viewership has grown ever-young and more diverse due to the success of Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ and teams’ social media antics—the desire to see a full-time female driver on the grid again has exploded as a result
The W Series was the initial attempt to realise this dream. Founded in 2019, it drew support and criticism from figures across motorsport. Former F1 driver David Coulthard supported and defended the series, even when companies withdrew their financial support, whereas rally legend Michelle Mouton called it a “limiting and discriminating” championship. Whilst not initially seen as negative, because it afforded drivers a chance to race, the W Series only yielded a single champion across the whole of its span: Jamie Chadwick, a member of the Williams Driver Academy. This drew scepticism from fellow drivers, as comparable feeder series into Formula One prevent champions from competing the following year, and Chadwick’s enabled continuity likely prevented others from demonstrating their skill and getting signed to other driver academies.
The W Series was cancelled in 2022, and Formula 1 announced the formation of the F1 Academy shortly after. The new series currently consists of 5 teams from F2 and F3, running 3 cars apiece, with the opportunity for some wildcard entries. Each Formula One team had a driver from their academies take part at some point in the season. However, as with any formula racing, there are costs involved. Though the amount drivers are expected to contribute was reduced from 150,000 euros down to 100,000, a financial barrier still persists, leading drivers to seek additional sponsors. Still, this is dwarfed by the costs incurred in other series, such as Formula 2, a full season of which is estimated to require around $3 million.
This series also sought to ensure that the champion is in a position to move on to other series. 2023 F1 Academy winner Marta Garcia has since gone on to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024, finishing 28th in the standings. It should be noted that Garcia had initially been given a fully funded seat at Prema for the season before an abrupt announcement signalling her move to Iron Dames. Whether financial issues played a part in the swap in teams is unclear. Though FRECA is a spec series, rumours have always swirled to the fact that the cars are anything but equal, making it harder for drivers who do not compete with a team like Prema or ART to really make their mark in a championship.
This brings the focus to the reigning series champion, Abbi Pulling. Having previously placed 4th in the W Series Championship, Pulling made the move to F1 Academy in 2023 as part of the Alpine Driver Academy. After finishing 5th in the inaugural season, Pulling went on to dominate the 2024 season, winning with a 121-point margin over her nearest rival. She will now compete in GB3, a spec series championship in the UK, where she will drive for Rodin. Nonetheless, it is difficult not to view this as a detour on the path to more advanced formulas. In fact, Pulling’s team Rodin Motorsport operates teams in the FRECA, Formula 3, and Formula 2. Yet, despite the F1 academy aiming to promote drivers into Formula 1, we are no closer now than we were a few years ago. Drivers that have gone on to dominate the series without issue have struggled to replicate their success elsewhere.
We should, however, give it time. The F1 Academy has only run for 2 seasons, so its potential can still be realised. In that time, we may not only have to support drivers en route to the series, but also ensure teams support their drivers after they leave.