History of F1 Academy in Timeline

F1 Academy is a Formula One Group initiative: a single-seater racing championship exclusively for women, operating at Formula 4 level. It's a spec series, so all teams use the same Tatuus F4-T421 chassis with Pirelli tires. The cars are powered by a 174-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from Autotecnica Motori.

2004: Formula Woman Established

In 2004, Formula Woman was established due to the lack of female drivers in other racing series.

2019: W Series Created

In 2019, the W Series was created to address the lack of female drivers.

2020: W Series Season Cancelled

The planned 2020 season of the W Series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 2022: F1 Academy Creation Announced

In November 2022, Formula One announced the creation of F1 Academy, a racing series for women focused on developing young drivers for higher competition levels.

2022: W Series Financial Issues

After the 2022 season, the W Series faced financial issues, leading to its administration and liquidation.

2022: Tatuus F4-T421 Chassis Used

Since 2022, F1 Academy cars are built on the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis used in Formula 4 championships globally.

March 2023: Susie Wolff Appointed Managing Director

In March 2023, Susie Wolff was appointed as the managing director for the F1 Academy series.

March 2023: 2024 Season Format Change Announced

On March 31, 2023, Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali announced that the 2024 season would take place exclusively on select Formula One weekends, joining Formula 2, Formula 3, and the Porsche Supercup.

May 2023: Docuseries Announced by Hello Sunshine

In May 2023, Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, announced they would be creating a docuseries about F1 Academy.

2023: Formula One Subsidizes Car Costs

For the 2023 season, Formula One subsidized the cost of each car in F1 Academy, with drivers contributing €150,000.

2023: Inaugural F1 Academy Season

In 2023, F1 Academy held its inaugural season.

2023: Marta García Received FRECA Seat

In 2023, champion Marta García received a fully funded seat in the 2024 FRECA Championship courtesy of F1 Academy, PREMA Racing, Tatuus and Pirelli.

2023: 2023 Season Details

The 2023 F1 Academy season consisted of seven event weekends with three races each, totaling 21 races, plus fifteen days of official testing. Each race weekend included two 30-minute races and a 20-minute race with a reversed grid. The final event supported the United States Grand Prix.

May 2024: Netflix Streaming Announcement

On May 3, 2024, it was announced that the F1 Academy docuseries would be available to stream on Netflix in 2025.

2024: Abbi Pulling wins 2024 Driver's Championship

In 2024, Abbi Pulling of Rodin Motorsport won the drivers' championship, and Prema Racing retained the team's championship.

2024: Abbi Pulling Received GB3 Championship Seat

In 2024, drivers' champion Abbi Pulling received a fully funded seat with Rodin Motorsport for the 2025 season of GB3 Championship.

2024: Reduced Driver Contribution and F1 Team Support

In 2024, the driver contribution was reduced to €100,000, and all ten Formula One teams began supporting one driver each with team livery.

2024: 2024 Season Format Changes

In 2024, the race weekend format changed, reducing the number of races to two by removing the reverse-grid race.

2024: Addition of FIA Super Licence Points and Wild Card Entries

The 2024 season saw the addition of FIA Super Licence points for the top five drivers, and wild card entries were introduced to promote talent in the areas where the series races. These entries were operated by Prema Racing as a fourth car.