F1 News

This is what the new all women 'F1 Academy' is going to look like

18 November 2022 at 13:15
Last update 18 November 2022 at 14:09
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  • GPblog.com

Formula 1 has officially announced a new racing class. The new class is called F1 Academy and is aimed at young female drivers to prepare them for the other competitions.

F1 Academy takes shape

It had been in the air for some time but an official announcement was still pending. On Friday, it was finally announced that this class is coming and what form it will take. The F1 Academy is explicitly aimed at women in their teens, as they face more obstacles than men of the same age, according to the FIA.

The competition will consist of 15 drivers across five teams. There will be seven races during the season. The aim is that the drivers can then progress to Formula 3 and thus climb further up the ladder of motorsport. The first season will take place in 2023 and will be the FIA's second effort, alongside the W series, for a racing class to promote women in motorsport.

Road to F1 also open to female drivers

Formula 1 will contribute heavily to the new series. F1 has a sustainability department and F1.com says the head of that department, Ellen Jones, is very pleased with the new project. The F1 Academy is part of the strategy launched in 2019 aimed at improving sustainability, diversity and inclusion in the sport. The F1 Academy could potentially contribute to the flow of female drivers into F1.

Bruno Michel will be the new manager of the racing class. He says: "Diversity is extremely important in motorsport and with the F1 Academy we will prove that female drivers have what it takes to race at a high level. I am convinced that if young women are given the same opportunities as other drivers, they can successfully make their way through the pyramid."