ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE F1 ACADEMY!

We break down the teams and all-female driver line up of the brand new F1 Academy, launching at the end of the month!

Brand new to the racing world, F1 Academy launches with its first ever racing weekend over the 28th-29th April at Spielberg, Austria . This trailblazing category describes itself as an ‘ambitious new project’ that is designed to launch female racing drivers to Formula 3 and on the road to Formula 1.

Susie Wolff has recently been announced as the Managing Director of the F1 Academy. Wolff has had previous experience in a development driver role for Williams F1 team, as well as a stint as the Team Principal of Venturi Formula E. In an interview with F1 news Wolff said that the F1 Academy ‘can inspire women around the world to follow their dreams and realise that with talent, passion and determination, there is no limit to what they can achieve’.

This is important step for the racing world after the W Series was prematurely cancelled due to lack of funding last year. This new grid will be compromised of five teams and fifteen drivers – three drivers per team – who will compete in twenty one races across the season.

All teams have been locked in to compete in the F1 Academy until at least 2025, promising an exciting future for the Academy. Each weekend will be action packed and full of racing, with two qualifying sessions and three races!

The first round of testing took place in Barcelona, but there is still plenty of time before the first race to get to know the drivers and teams. We've listed them all below, along with their social media handles, so you get to know your favourites better and show them some support.

MEET THE TEAMS AND DRIVERS

Campos Racing

Nerea Martí (@nereamarti32) – Martí has previously competed in both Spanish F4 and W Series, where she finished fourth in the standings.

Lola Lovinfosse (@lolalovinfosse) – Lola has competed in Spanish F4 and taken part in testing for the W Series .

Maite Cáceres (@maitecaceress) - Cáceres has competed in the 2021 Uruguayan Formula 4 Championship as well as in the US for the 2022 USF Juniors season.

MP Motorsport

Hamda Al Qubaisi (@hamdaalqubaisi_official) – Hamda became the first women in the history of Italian F4 to score a podium, as well as competing in the Formula Regional European Championship

Amna Al Qubaisi (@amnalqubaisi_official) - Amna has taken part in testing for Formula E as well as competing in Italian F4.

Emely De Heus (@emely.de.heus) -Emely has competed in the F4 Spanish Championship.

Art Grand Prix

Léna Bühler (@lena_buhler) - Bühler is a member of the Sauber Academy and has competed in Spanish F4 and the Formula Regional European Championship

Carrie Schreiner (@carrie_one) - Carrie has competed in British F4 and the Nürburgring Endurance Series

Chloe Grant (@chloegrantracing) - Grant competed in the inaugural GB4 Championship and became the youngest driver to gain a Motorsport UK Junior Racing Driver License in 2020

Rodin Carlin

Abbi Pulling (@abbipulling) – Abbi is a Alpine Academy driver who was managed to achieve a podium in every championship she had raced in

Jessica Edgar (@_jessedgar) - Raced in the 2022 GB4 season, achieving an impressive 7th on her debut season!

Megan Gilkes (@megan_g_49) - Youngest W Series race winner in 2019 and runner up

in the 2020 Ontario Formula 1600 Championship

Prema Racing

Chloe Chong (@chloechongracing) - Competed in the British Kart Championships X30 Junior Class and achieved one of the final spaces in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars Programme

Marta García (@martagarcialopez19) - Finished 4th in the 2019 W Series and retuned to compete in the 2022 season

Bianca Bustamante (@racerbia) - Bustamante was announced as a driver in the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship and competed in the 2022 W Series