As the cars prepare to return to the track, the popular female-focused series returns with many new drivers. F1 Academy enters its third season this year, and there is much to expect before the first race in Shanghai.
The 2025 F1 Academy line-up. Courtesy of F1Academy.com.
As the series’ only allows a driver two years in the sport, many familiar faces won’t be returning this year. However, this rule enables even more female drivers to earn a spot in the series as they look to further their careers.
Only six drivers will be returning from last year, as this is the first year that some drivers cannot return due to the two-year limit. Doriane Pin, Tina Hausmann, Lia Block, Chloe Chambers, Aurelia Nobels, and Chloe Chambers are all entering their final year in F1 Academy in hopes of taking the crown in 2025.
With 18 total drivers, 12 of them are rookies this year. Since over half the grid is new faces, there is a lot of room for competitive racing.
The 10 Formula 1 teams will continue sponsoring one driver from the 2025 grid, a component implemented during the 2024 season. This aspect of the series greatly supports female drivers, and it’s enlightening to see it returning for the second year.
Besides the 10 teams, other sponsors include American Express, TAG Heuer, Tommy Hilfiger, Red Bull Ford, PUMA, Juss Sports, and Charlotte Tilbury. Each of these sponsors highlights the series’ commitment to female drivers and advances the narrative of success for these women.
The reigning champion, Abbi Pulling, had an impeccable season last year, winning nine out of 14 races. She claimed 10 pole positions and never finished off the podium. Her dominance in the series will be remembered, and her victory helped push her career forward.
Pulling won the 2024 F1 Academy championship in her second season in the series. Courtesy of Formula1.com.
With her championship win, she earned the prize of a fully-funded GB3 Championship seat with Rodin Motorsport. She is now the first female ambassador for Rodin Cars after having worked with them in F1 Academy and now GB3.
Offering a prize for the F1 Academy champion is more than a marketing gimmick or incentive for the drivers to want to perform well. It’s a way to allow these women to climb up the ladders and open doors for them in Formula 1.
Some may think it’s naive to consider a woman in the sport in the modern era, but it’s entirely possible. Many female drivers have proven they have the commitment and work ethic that is required in the sport, and it’s only a matter of time until we see a woman in Formula 1 once again.
The series has expanded this season, with HiTech GPR joining the existing teams. Each team will be fielding three drivers each, with the new team sponsoring the wild card entry for each race.
This new change allows the driver chosen to compete in the driver and constructor standings this year, unlike last year when they were only eligible for points in the individual category.
This is the second year of wild card entries, and they are used to prioritize talented drivers from the region where the race is occurring. Chinese driver Shi Wei has been confirmed ahead of the first race in Shanghai.
Shi Wei, also known as “Tie Dou” will be the first Chinese driver to appear on the F1 Academy grid. Courtesy of Formula1.com.
The wild cards have proven to be successful, as four of the drivers selected from the 2024 season have now earned permanent seats in F1 Academy for the upcoming season. These drivers consist of Courtney Crone, Nina Gademan, Ella Lloyd, and Alisha Palmowski.
The season will host seven rounds in six different countries around the world, with two races each weekend.
The weekend format for this season has been slightly altered, with a once-beloved racing format being implemented into the female-led series. The first race, which will take place on Saturdays, will be a reverse-grid race.
Race one out of two will reverse the top eight drivers from qualifying, with the rest of the grid starting in their respective qualifying positions. Adding in a reverse grid allows for more competition and more exciting races, as the drivers will be fighting to stay in the top eight to score points.
The second race will remain the same, based on the drivers’ fastest laps from qualifying, with the top 10 drivers scoring points. Two points are awarded for the driver in pole position for Race 2, with drivers able to score a maximum of 39 points each weekend.
It seems every year F1 Academy gets new and exciting sponsors, race implementations, and young female drivers working towards their careers. The series has proven to be an effective response to the lack of female representation in the sport, and it can only go up from here.
Edited by Reese Dlabach
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