With the 2024 season not too far away now, it’s time we take a deep dive into the world of F1 Academy. The newest feeder series supported by Formula One, F1 Academy is a new, fresh way of creating a path for young female drivers to showcase their talents. If you are looking for a new series to follow throughout the year, you can find all the details you need below.
WHAT IS F1 ACADEMY ?
Now heading into its second year, F1 Academy is an all female single seater series founded by Formula One with the aim of creating a smoother transition for young females from karting to single seaters with the hope of helping them progress further up the ladder with the end goal being Formula One. With Susie Wolff being named as managing director of the series in March 2023, It was clear to see the championship was in safe hands.
The series consists of five teams, all with three drivers each to form a grid of fifteen.The series includes teams with previous F2 and F3 experience (more on the teams to follow below). In its inaugural season, F1 Academy raced over six countries, completing its season supporting the F1 US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas where Marta Garcia was crowned as the first ever F1 Academy champion.
2024 will see the championship take another step forward. In March 2023, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicalli announced that the series would officially become part of the support bill for seven F1 grand prix weekends during the 2024 season. It was also announced in July 2023, that each Formula One team would be running one driver in the series under their livery. Ten drivers will be under the support of these F1 teams whilst the remaining five drivers will be supported by other partners.
Teams and Drivers
F1 Academy consists of five teams : Prema Racing, Mercantile Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, Rodin Carlin and ART Grand Prix. All five of these teams are well established teams in feeder series racing, providing the drivers with professional and experienced personnel surrounding them. Here is how the 2024 grid lines up:
Prema Racing : Tina Hausmann (Aston Martin), Doriane Pin (Mercedes) & Maya Weug (Ferrari)
Campos Racing : Carrie Schreiner (Sauber), Chloe Chambers (Haas) & Nerea Marti (Tommy Hilfiger)
MP Motorsport : Hamda Al Qubaisi (Redbull), Amna Al Qubaisi (Visa Cashapp RB) & Emely De Heus (Redbull)
Rodin Motorsport : Abbi Pulling (Alpine), Lola Lovinfosse (Charlotte Tilbury) & Jess Edgar (F1 Academy)
ART Grand Prix : Lia Block (Williams), Bianca Bustamante (Mclaren) & Aurelia Nobles (Puma)
Who to watch
If you are thinking of watching F1 academy for the first time and don’t know who to support or just want to know our opinions on who to keep an eye on this season, Here is our “Ones to watch” for the 2024 season.
Abbi Pulling
Abbi Pulling, Rodin Carlin
At 20 years old, what Abbi has achieved already in her racing career is not to be snuffed at. Having been successful the whole way through her karting career and once she took the step up to single seaters, It was her British F4 season that first made her stand out. In 2020 she made her debut in the series racing for JHR Developments where she finished the season in sixth taking four podiums throughout the season. In 2021, she returned back to the series but due to a lack of funding, her season was cut short.
Her talent clearly being spotted by those following her career, she was announced a reserve driver for W series in June 2021. She made her debut in the series at Silverstone, very fitting for the Brit and which was only the start for her. She would go on to finish 7th in the championship, getting pole and her first podium finish of 2nd in the season finale which was held in Austin, Texas. In 2022, she returned to the series finishing fourth in a championship which was cut short due to funding issues.
Catching the eyes of formula one team Alpine, she was signed to the affiliate programme in 2022 before being promoted in the Alpine driver academy in 2023, representing them in the first F1 academy season and will continue to do so in 2024, once again racing with Rodin Motorsport, previously known as Carlin along with making her return to the British F4 championship representing the British team. During her 2023 F1 Academy campaign, she racked up seven podiums to secure p5 in the championship but be assured, her eyes will be on the title in 2024.
Doriane Pin
Dorian Pin, Prema Racing (F1 Academy 2024
The 20 year old French native is one of THE names in female motorsport especially over the last year. Having started karting at nine years old, Pin entered her first championship in 2016, competing in the national championship for three seasons finishing 10th and 5th before taking the female title in 2019.
A step up into the Renault Clio Cup in 2020 would see her make her car debut where she competed in the first three races of the season taking 9th as her best finish before a move to the well known Iron Lynx for 2021 would come knocking. This season wold see her compete in the GT3 class of the Le Mans cup where she would take home an impressive five podiums and finish 5th in the standings.
In November 202, Doriane would get her first taste of F3 machinery as she was chosen to take part in a test day held at Magny-cours alongside other female drivers such as Maya Weug and Nerea Marti. 2021 would continue to be a year of new opportunities for the young French woman as she would make her debut in the Ferrari Challenge Cup, taking 6th place in the season finale in the pro category at Mugello.
2022 would see her name really be put on the map as a second season in the championship with Iron Lynx would finish with nine wins out of fourteen, 10 pole positions and 11 fastest laps which led to her winning the title with one race remaining. Doriane would then join the all female Iron Lynx entry for the European Le Mans series where Pin would help the team achieve their first ever win in the series at the season finale in Portugal.
A step up to WEC would follow in 2023 after a successful test day, Doriane would partner Mirko Bortolotti and Daniel Kvyat taking the place of the silver ranked driver for Prema Racing. A maiden podium in the series and a stand out drive in Spa, Pin would be the first female driver to win the FIA WEC Revelation of the year award. 2023 would also see her make her single seaters debut in F4 SEA championship, finishing 2nd in the championship consisting of 3 podiums and a victory.
2024 is set to be an exciting year for the 20 year old with her competing in the F4 UAE championship with Prema, Joining up with the Iron Dames in WEC to compete in the LMGT3 class and also making her F1 Academy debut. The talent this young woman possess is clear to see and will surely be the favourite for the F1 Academy title in 2024.
Hamda Al Qubaisi
Hamda Al Qubaisi, MP Motorsport
At 21 years old, Hamda has been quietly proving just how much of a talent she is. Starting her karting career only back in 2015, It’s amazing to see what she’s achieved in such a short period of time. 2020 would see career in single seaters begin, racing in the F4 UAE championship with Abu Dhabi Racing where she’d collect 3 wins and 12 podiums on her way to 4th in the championship. She would also make her debut on the European scene in the same year in Italian F4 also with Abu Dhabi racing .
2021 would see her return to the two series, finishing 4th again in F4 UAE but this season would see her become the first ever female to stand on the podium in Italian F4 whilst racing for Prema by getting P3 during race one at the Missano world circuit. In 2022, she would take the step up to FRECA still with the Italian team finishing a lowly 38th but this would lead her on to her F1 Academy debut.
Signing with MP Motorsport for the inaugural F1 Academy season, partnering her older sister Amna, this jump would really see her rise as a true talent. Taking 7 podiums, 4 of them being on the top spot and having 17 points finishes out of 21 races led her to 3rd in the championship.
Hamda was announced to be continuing with MP Motorsport for the 2024 season where she will don the Red Bull colours as the current F1 champions chose the young 21 year old as their representative for the 2024 season.
F1 Academy will kick off its season on March 7th-9th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia before travelling the globe concluding the season in Abu Dhabi. All dates and details can be found on the F1 academy website with all the latest news and updates surrounding the series. Sky Sports F1 will be showing all the sessions live allowing F1 Academy to be available to a wider audience than its initial season. With the growth already since last season, a talent packed grid and new backing from the Formula one teams, this season of F1 academy is going to be one you won’t want to miss.
F1 Academy 2024 Calendar
Comments