Can the F1 Academy bring a Female driver to F1?

The F1 Academy is the newest series to take centre stage in womens racing. With the promise of bringing a female to F1, does the F1 academy have what it takes to achieve this?

What is the F1 Academy?

This year the F1 Academy has launched its inaugural season by F1 and ran by the infamous Susie Wolff. This category marks a change in the times by allowing women to take centre stage in developing and progressing their skills to eventually go on to higher levels of competition.

‌The goal of the category is to provide drivers with more opportunities for testing, racing, and track time, as well as assistance with their technical, physical, and mental preparations. It will give - up and coming junior talent access to the fundamental level of expertise required to advance to Formula 3 (as well as other race categories) and enter the Road to the F1 race series. This also gives women off the track experience from mechanics to media roles.

“The F1 Academy presents an opportunity to promote genuine change in our industry by creating the best possible structure to find and nurture female talent on their journey to the elite levels of motorsport, both on and off the racetrack" - Susie Wolff

"Discover your drive"- the new generation

The Academy has also set up a new sub division called "Discover your Drive". This is an opportunity to offer young girls to participate in professional and entry level programmes to help start careers in motorsport.

"The goal of F1 Academy Discover Your Drive is to increase the pipeline of talent entering the sport, strengthening the pool of drivers aiming to make it to an elite level and supporting those who want to pursue roles off track. The programme will provide a platform to inspire many girls and young women around the world". - F1 Academy Website

The first Programe to launch will be discover your drive karting UK. This is a great start to developing young talent, especially as many young girls are discouraged or turned down to compete in karting championships.

Although only in 6 venues and in the UK, this first step will help this programme go global with more venues to find an array of talented young women out there.

Will The Academy learn for W series' mistakes?

After three seasons, the W series was cancelled early in its 2022 season due to financial issues and recently announced that it will not make a return anytime soon...

“Due to recent unforeseen circumstances outside of W Series' control, we had not been in receipt of contracted funds due to us,” - W Series founder and chief executive, Catherine Bond Muir stated.

This lack of funding does not seem as prevelent in the F1 Academy as it did in the W Series.

The Academy has partnered up with well known and respected motorsport brands such as Tatuus,Pirelli and Autotechnica (Brands that have lots of backing and are seen as respectable in the motorsport world).

On top of this, we have 5 teams joining the catogory (unlike W series), which are MP Motorsport, Campos Racing, ART GP, Rodin Carlin and Prema Racing.

Teams that have had their hand to play in the likes of F2 and F3.

The issues with F1 Academy- How they can improve?

A main issue for this series is the broadcasting.

A key driving point is watching a race live, seeing the chaos and excitement play out on your screen, never knowing what will happen next.

But the Academy has taken a strange choice in not having a live broadcast, only being able to watch a measly 15 minute YouTube highlights video... not exactly exciting or driving an audience to watch these women.

So how can you build an audience of fans when you take away the main level of excitement ?

How do we bring in an audience for these women?

I think the Academy need to take a page out of drive to survives book. Promote the drivers, get the audience to see them and their struggles.

Especially to show how women struggle to even get into kart racing.

It was seen that Bianca Bustmante had a billboard of her put up in her home town (talk about promoting yourself!).

This level of promotion leads other race fans to ask who these women are and to build a rapport with them.

The more eyes on them the more funding they and the Academy will recieve. In motorsport, money is a lifeline for a career.

Never in a million years I would think I’d end up in a billboard one day🥲
But here it is!! AAAAAAA actually omg!! I have no clue who put this up and I’d love to know and thank them! Located along Rockwell!#BB16 pic.twitter.com/5POii6giXo

— Bianca Bustamante (@racerbia) May 12, 2023

Marta García who is on this years grid with Team Prema, had to start a go fund me to build up the funds to support her drive this year. ]

As funding for female drivers has historically been an issue, Formula One Management, the organisation that oversees the F1 world championship, will provide financial support for this new academy with a €150,000 subsidy for each car.

But is it enough? Will the fiancial backing put more worthy drivers off?

Down below is a link to said Go Fund me, where you can still donate towards her racing career:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/racing-season-marta-garcia-2023

Will F1 ever accept a Female driver?

With women breaking down the restraints of a male dominated sport, the main question is will it be accepted? You've heard the sterotypes and these 15 drivers are sure to have heard them too.

But for the Academy to continue to get viewers and funding the public need to accept that a women could be taking an F1 seat.

I've seen lots of comments on how there shouldn't be a female driver, as its a male catorgory and a woman wouldn't be "strong" enough to withstand the G force of an f1 car, Even though we've seen the likes of Susie Wolff herself in a F1 Williams car for free practice.

The most active female driver in Formula One history is Lella Lombardi. She participated in 17 races, started 12, and finished sixth at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, the first race in which a female driver has earned points in Formula 1.

To conclude, I do believe there’ll be a female Formula One driver, Whether thats in 5 years or 20 (Hopefully not that long) we will see a women who can drive just as good or even better than half the male drivers you see.

Times are changing, just like how this sport evolves its cars/technology, it should also evolve from the old way of not giving women the chance to develop and drive for F1.