History of F1 Academy in Timeline

F1 Academy is a racing championship created by the Formula One Group exclusively for female drivers. It is a spec series, meaning all teams use the same Tatuus F4-T421 chassis, Pirelli tires, and Autotecnica Motori 174-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The series operates at a Formula 4 level.

2004: Formula Woman established

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

2019: W Series creation

In 2019, the W Series was created to further address the lack of female drivers in racing, serving as a precursor to F1 Academy.

2020: W Series season cancellation

In 2020, the planned W Series season 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 focused on developing young female drivers.

2022: Tatuus F4-T421 chassis usage

Since 2022, F1 Academy cars have been built on the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis, which is also 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 announcement

On 31 March 2023, Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali announced that the 2024 season would exclusively take place on select Formula One weekends.

May 2023: Docuseries announcement

On 3 May 2023, it was announced that Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine would create a docuseries about F1 Academy.

2023: Marta García receives fully funded seat

In 2023 drivers' champion Marta García received a fully funded seat in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship courtesy of F1 Academy, Prema Racing, Tatuus and Pirelli.

2023: Inaugural F1 Academy season

In 2023, F1 Academy held its inaugural season, marking the beginning of the racing series.

2023: Formula One subsidises car costs

In 2023, Formula One subsidised the cost of each car in the F1 Academy, with drivers contributing €150,000.

2023: Inaugural season structure

In 2023, the inaugural F1 Academy season consisted of seven event weekends with three races each, totaling 21 races, plus fifteen days of official testing. The final event supported the United States Grand Prix.

May 2024: Netflix streaming announcement

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

2024: Abbi Pulling wins 2024 drivers' championship

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

2024: Prema's role of running wild card entries

In 2024, Hitech Grand Prix joined the F1 Academy series as the sixth team, also taking over Prema's role of running wild card entries.

2024: Marta Garcia Seat at FRECA

In 2024, Marta Garcia was guaranteed a fourth entry to any team that signs a driver who finished P1, P2 or P3 in the F1 Academy standings and received a fully funded seat in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA).

2024: Changes to race weekend format

In 2024, changes were implemented to the race weekend format, including the addition of FIA Super Licence points and wild card entries. The 20-minute reverse-grid race was also removed.

2024: Reduced driver contribution and F1 team support

In 2024, the driver contribution was reduced to €100,000, and all Formula One teams began supporting one driver each, who carried the team's livery on their car.

May 2025: Release of F1: The Academy on Netflix

On 28 May 2025, F1: The Academy was released on Netflix.

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2025: Weekend format change

For the 2025 season, the weekend format changed with the first race becoming a reverse-grid race. This put the series' format more in line with Formula 2 and Formula 3.

2025: Abbi Pulling Seat at GB3 Championship

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

2025: Hitech Grand Prix joins series

In 2025, Hitech Grand Prix joined the F1 Academy series as the sixth team, also taking over Prema's role of running wild card entries.

2026: Start of exemption consideration

Drivers entering the 2026 season as their second season may be considered for a third season exemption from 2027 onwards, if beneficial for their development.

2027: Potential third season exemption

From the 2027 season onwards, drivers who had participated in two seasons (the driver has to enter the 2026 season as their second season) may be granted an exemption to enter for a third season if it is thought to be beneficial for their development.