F1 Academy: Stuck in the Formation Lap

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have become household names as Formula 1 champions. These drivers reside among a select few who can credibly claim to be among the best motorsport drivers in the world. But have you heard of Marta García, Abbi Pulling, or Doriane Pin? These women are also motorsport champions, winning the Formula One Academy (“F1 Academy”) championship.

F1 Academy is still in its infancy, having been established in 2023. The stated mission of the league is to develop female drivers for higher-level competition and promote gender equity within motorsport.

While the mission of the league is commendable, and the promotion of women within motorsport is long overdue, the structure of the series presents inherent issues which, unless addressed, may continue to push women to the outer edges of competitive racing. Two of the most significant concerns are the restrictions on league eligibility and the choice of car.

In an effort to foster development, F1 Academy has ruled that drivers may only compete in two seasons of the series. Additionally, all drivers must be between the ages of 16 and 25. To contextualize these rules, one can look to Formula 4 (“F4”) and Formula 3 (“F3”), which are generally considered to feature drivers with similar levels of skill and experience. Neither F4 nor F3 impose a maximum age limit or a cap on the number of seasons a driver may compete.

One may defend these unique F1 Academy rules by assuming that they are intended to foster the development of young female drivers and move more competitors through the league. However, if this is the reasoning, why are similar restrictions not present in male-dominated development leagues? This inconsistency perpetuates the misconception that women can be treated differently within sport and that it is acceptable to limit their access to competitive opportunities and media exposure.

The second significant issue with this league is the choice of car. Drivers in F1 Academy compete in cars equipped with a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and top speeds of approximately 240 km/h. These vehicles are equivalent to those used in F4 and represent a significant step below the F3 car, which reaches speeds around 300 km/h with a 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine.

F4 is typically considered a transition series for drivers moving from karting into car racing. Karting is widely regarded as the entry point into motorsport; many drivers begin as young as four years old. The discipline allows competitors to develop core racing skills using small, open-wheel, single-seat vehicles called karts that are tailored to a driver’s size and experience.

However, the women competing in F1 Academy are not drivers fresh from karting. They are already accomplished and experienced racers. Abbi Pulling, the 2024 Formula One Academy champion, spent two years before entering the league racing F3-level cars in the W Series—an all-female racing championship that ran for three seasons (2019, 2021, and 2022). Given this experience, the equipment used in F1 Academy represented a step backwards for Ms. Pulling. This choice of machinery raises an important question: Does Formula One truly trust female drivers with faster cars?

The mission of F1 Academy is commendable and long overdue. Additionally, the Netflix series F1: The Academy has provided significant visibility for women’s motorsport, reaching an estimated audience of 89 million viewers. The series’s success and positive reception demonstrate that there is a growing fan base eager to learn about female drivers. A survey of viewers reported that 64% are now more likely to watch F1 Academy races.

However, the league’s unique rules, regulations, and equipment choices raise an important question: if interest in women’s motorsport clearly exists, why does the structure of the league still appear to limit its drivers’ opportunities to compete at the highest levels? If F1 Academy truly aims to prepare women for the top tiers of racing, its structure should reflect the same expectations, opportunities, and trust afforded to male drivers in comparable development series.

Until women are given the same machinery and opportunities as their male counterparts, F1 Academy risks remaining stuck in a formation lap for a race that has yet to truly begin.