🏎️ F1 Academy: A New Era for Women in Motorsport

When Formula 1 launched the F1 Academy in 2023, it wasn’t just a symbolic gesture—it was a proper plan. The series was created in response to the collapse of the W Series, but it didn’t try to be a copy. Instead, it became something new: a clear, structured pathway designed to help women move up through the ranks of motorsport. Not just for show. For real.

🏁 Why It Was Needed

The W Series going bust in 2022 left a considerable gap. Female drivers had nowhere to go, no proper development structure, and no guarantees of safety. The F1 Academy introduced a different approach—smaller, more focused, and backed by Formula 1 itself.

This is a Formula 4-level series using:

• Tatuus F4-T421 chassis
• 174hp turbocharged engines
• Pirelli tyres

With identical cars, it’s all about driver performance. The first season in 2023 consisted of seven weekends, with three races each. But 2024 was the game changer—joining F1 weekends and gaining the market that comes with being on the main weekend was key, earning Super Licence points, and gaining team support from all ten Formula 1 outfits was also a massive step change. In 2024, the F1 ACADEMY Racing Series will compete across seven countries, spanning three continents for the first time.

👩‍✈️ Susie Wolff: Making It Happen

If anyone understands what it takes to move forward in motorsport, it’s Susie Wolff. She has raced at a high level, tested in F1, and run a Formula E team. Now, as the Managing Director of F1 Academy, she’s brought authentic leadership.

Under her, the Academy hasn’t just grown—it’s connected. Brands like Puma, Charlotte Tilbury, American Express, and Tommy Hilfiger and many more are now on board. These aren’t vanity partnerships—they’re building awareness and opening doors.

The commercial side is sharp, too. With branded hospitality, in-paddock activations, and real sponsor engagement, the series is sustainable. And it’s not just about drivers. The Academy’s partnerships are providing young women with access to roles in engineering, media, operations, and other fields.

As Wolff put it, “This is about building a platform that will outlast us.” She’s doing just that.

🎬 F1: The Academy – Now Streaming

On May 28, 2025, Netflix released F1: The Academy, a seven-episode docuseries that followed the 2024 season. Produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, it follows 15 young drivers as they strive to prove themselves.

The series goes deep—not just into race weekends but into the pressure, personal sacrifice, and everyday challenges these drivers face. You see Susie Wolff’s influence, you hear the paddock conversations, and you get a sense of what’s really at stake.

It’s on Netflix now: Watch here.

💰 Growth That Matters

There’s commercial success, sure—but the Academy hasn’t lost its roots. Programs like Discover Your Drive bring motorsport into schools, offer karting experiences and give girls hands-on exposure to racing careers.  A 265% increase in females participating in the BIKC after Discover Your Drive Karting UK was piloted across six TeamSport venues in 2023 shows it’s impact. 

Whilst the current crop of drivers have had to take a different path to get on the grid. It’s hoped that this pathway will provide the structure and the opportunity to get from karting all the way to the F1 Academy paddock in the future.

🏆 2024 Champion: Abbi Pulling’s Next Step

• Drivers’ Champion: Abbi Pulling (Rodin Motorsport/Alpine)
• Team Champions: Prema Racing

Abbi Pulling dominated 2024, racking up wins and consistency. Her reward? A fully funded spot in GB3 for 2025, staying with Rodin.

She’s already making headlines—top-five on debut at Silverstone—and showing that talent and opportunity can go hand in hand.

Prema, meanwhile, keeps building on its reputation as one of junior racing’s top talent incubators. So far its looking like a perfect partnership currently which again is hoped to inspire more of this going forward and lead to more opportunities. 

📈 Looking Forward

F1 Academy is still young, but its momentum is real. It’s got top-tier backing, global exposure, and a growing list of success stories.

It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about building something better. It’s about building a platform for the next generation. A platform that has a lot less barriers in place. 

🤝 Why I Support This

When I started Coffee Corner Motorsport website, F1 Academy was always going to be part of the coverage. As someone who cares full-time for four disabled children, I know how easy it is to feel locked out of things that aren’t built for you.

This series—what it stands for, who it lifts—is something I believe in. It’s not just about who gets to drive. It’s about who gets to be seen, supported, and taken seriously.

I’ll keep covering it because motorsport’s better when everyone has a way in and this platform is all about making sure the right message gets out there.