- F1 Academy seeks to bring female drivers to Formula 1 amid rising interest in women's sports.
- The all-female series, now in its second season, is backed by Formula 1 and its teams.
- This article is part of "Behind the Wheel," a series about the highly competitive and high-tech world of Formula 1.
It's been nearly 50 years since a woman competed in a Formula 1 race. But with the global motorsport's popularity booming and women's sports experiencing a surge in interest, some think it's only a matter of time until a female driver takes the grid.
F1 Academy is hoping to make that happen sooner than later.
"It's all about making sure we capitalize on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Susie Wolff, F1 Academy's managing director. "Never before have we had this type of investment."
Now in its second season, F1 Academy is an all-female racing series owned by Formula 1 and serves as one of the global motorsport's support series, competing during select Grand Prix weekends along with other feeder series, such as Formula 2 and Formula 3.
"Forty percent of Formula 1 fans are now women," said Wolff, citing an internal study by Formula 1. "The fact that this huge global sport is doing something — it's setting an example for other sports and showing their female fan base that they do care."
Motorsports have long been male-dominated, and Wolff attributes that largely to "seat time," with young girls simply not getting the same opportunities to race while growing up. That's where F1 Academy comes in. The series is intended for women in their teens or early 20s, providing them with plenty of testing time behind the wheel and allowing them the chance to move up through the Formula 1 ladder system.
Last year's inaugural champion, Marta García of Spain, is now competing in the Formula Regional European Championship as she continues her quest to reach Formula 1.
"It's great when something is shiny and new," Wolff continued, "but you have to build a base and a foundation that will truly help F1 Academy flourish, and that's what we're trying to do."
In many ways, F1 Academy is a spiritual successor to W Series, an all-female racing series that shuttered in 2022 because of financial problems. Where F1 Academy differs is that it has the financial backing of Formula 1 and buy-in from the sport's constructors, with each team sponsoring F1 Academy drivers.
Wolff herself is no stranger to racing — she remains the most recent woman to have driven in an official Formula 1 practice session, doing so with Williams in 2014. After her own racing career ended, she joined Formula E, the electric racing series, as team principal of Venturi Racing, serving in that role for four years.
"I know what those young women are going through," she said. "And I know the business side, I understand the complexities. I wanted to give something back and hoped my involvement would help shape the future of the sport and make sure it becomes more diverse."
She also happens to be married to Toto Wolff, the popular team principal of the Mercedes F1 team, so racing is a major part of her life, both personally and professionally.
As F1 Academy heads into its fifth round this weekend in Singapore, here are some of the series' key players to keep an eye on.
Abbi Pulling
The series' current championship leader — with an impressive 71-point lead — Pulling is a name to watch in motorsports. The 21-year-old British driver has won the bulk of this year's F1 Academy races and also competes in British F4, where she made history earlier this year by becoming the first woman to win a race in that series.
"It's been a dream of a season so far," Pulling said. "F1 Academy is a really friendly environment and a bit different to when I've been in male paddocks with mixed competition. I get on with all of the girls, talk to them all and we socialize — that's not as common with mixed competition."
Pulling became obsessed with racing when she was 8 years old, bonding with her dad over go-karts. She acknowledges never thinking much about her gender, which she attributes to "blissful ignorance."
"I never really thought about the fact I was the only female there and everyone else was lads," she laughed. "Not until I got a bit older and understood the world more did I realize that was actually quite bold of me to do that, to an extent."
Doriane Pin
Currently second in the championship, Pin has emerged in recent years as a top prospect in racing. Even before F1 Academy, the 20-year-old French driver had made a name for herself as a respected endurance racer, competing with the Iron Dames — an all-female endurance motorsports team — in the World Endurance Championship.
"Of course, I always had the dream of Formula 1 in my head since I was 4 years old," Pin told F1 Academy earlier this year. "It's always been my target, and I think learning in endurance is not too bad."
Pin made waves early in the season by winning the first sprint race of the year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and she remains a threat for the championship despite some unlucky results as the season has gone on. Regardless of results, she views the series as a learning opportunity and another stepping stone in her promising career.
"It's a good series to learn in, and I'm happy to do the step to single-seaters after three years in endurance," she told F1 Academy.
Chloe Chambers
Third in the standings — tied for second on points — is Chambers, a 20-year-old American racer. She previously competed in W Series and has enjoyed her time so far with F1 Academy, which she describes as a "streamlined" series.
"They have a plan for the drivers who do well," said Chambers, whose highlight of the year was a dramatic victory in Spain. "All the support from the Formula 1 teams themselves has also been terrific."
Chambers is sponsored by the MoneyGram Haas F1 team — the only American team in the sport. On race weekends, she's been able to shadow the team's Formula 1 drivers and get a behind-the-scenes look at how teams operate.
"Being able to do things away from my side of racing and see the Formula 1 world up close has been really nice," she said.
Most importantly, though, she's grateful for the amount of testing and practice time that F1 Academy provides. As Wolff mentioned, "seat time" is the biggest obstacle women face when aspiring to become professional racecar drivers, but Chambers feels she is gaining the necessary experience that could translate to any major series, including Formula 1.
"Of course, I'd love to make Formula 1 someday," she said. "But there are a lot of great racing series, so I'm keeping my options open. What's that phrase? Shoot for the moon — at least you'll land amongst the stars."