Winner of the inaugural F1 Academy championship, Spanish driver Marta Garcia has become a big name in the feeder series scene. So, who is she, where is she headed next, and what do her successes mean for women in motorsports?
Like many drivers, Marta Garcia began her career in motorsport with a strong run in karting, highlighted by winning the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy and the Trofeo Delle Industrie, the oldest kart race in the world which has also been won by big-name drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel. From there, Garcia progressed to Spanish Formula 4, participating in 11 races and scoring 11 top-ten finishes in 2016, and participating in the full 20 races with 14 top-ten finishes and a total of 70 points in 2017. After returning to karting in 2018 due to a lack of funding, Garcia secured a seat in a brand new all-female category of racing for 2019 – the W Series.
The W Series brought many great results for Garcia as she scored points in every race in the 2019 season, including P3 in race one at the Hockenheimring, and a win at the Norisring. Three more successful runs in the W Series followed, culminating with P6 in the 2022 championship, as well as P2 in the 2020 W Series Esports League held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This broad range of achievements is undoubtedly what led to Garcia catching the attention of PREMA Racing for the 2023 F1 Academy season.
Garcia's 2023 season flourished from the very beginning, securing great times in both qualifying sessions and taking two wins in round one at Spielberg, setting the scene for a season of success. Marta went on to collect a further 5 wins, 5 podiums, and 7 other points finishes across the year, leading to her taking the title and becoming the very first F1 Academy Champion on 21st October at the Circuit of the Americas. Along with her teammates Bianca Bustamante and Chloe Chong, Garcia helped PREMA to win the teams championship, finalising a brilliant season and an incredible show not only of Garcia’s abilities but of the range of female talent on display in motorsports right now.
Looking to next season, Garcia has secured a fully-funded seat in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA), and is staying with PREMA Racing. This move to FRECA marks an increase in the opportunities available to young female racers, highlighting the work of F1 Academy in providing support to help its drivers progress up the ladder of single-seater racing. For young female fans wanting to get involved in motorsport, the work of F1 Academy and the many female drivers such as Marta competing at all levels of racing is crucial. In such a male-dominated sport, increasing representation and opportunities for women and girls means we are ever more likely to see the highest levels of racing be filled with both men and women in the near future.
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