If you’re unfamiliar with Formula 1, it is essentially the pinnacle of motor racing. Teams compete in a three-day long weekend all over the world, also known as the Grand Prix with a point system to determine the winner by the end of the season.
F1 Academy was founded by Formula 1 itself in 2023. Teams compete with an identical Tatuus F4-T-421 chassis and tyre compounds developed by Pirelli. Each car is powered by a 165-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine developed by Autotecnica.
This series was designed for women, with the goal of developing and preparing young drivers to go to higher levels of competition, as well as easing the transition from karting to the single-seater ladder.
There are currently FIVE teams participating in F1 Academy with THREE drivers each; ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, Rodin Motorsport, MP Motorsport and Prema Racing.
Susie Wolff, a Scottish former professional racing driver was appointed as Managing Director for the series when it came into play last year.
During the inaugural season in 2023, Marta Garcia — a Spanish racing driver who was driving for Prema Racing — had won the championship title.
So, who are the drivers for each team?
ART Grand Prix
McLaren supports 19-year-old Filipino driver Bianca Bustamante, who is the first female driver in their Drivers Development Programme. Bustamante won many karting championships, including back-to-back victories in the JR Asian Karting Open Championship and Petron Blaze 100 IAME Series Philippines in 2018 and 2019, as well as her first W Series campaign three years later, where she finished first among rookies.
Aurelia Nobels, a 17-year-old Brazilian racer funded by Puma, drives alongside Bustamante as teammates. She was the only female driver on the 2022 Brazilian F4 grid after transitioning from karting to single-seaters. Nobels is also part of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy.
Williams Racing sponsors 18-year-old American Lia Block. Block competed in the 2021 American Rally Association Championship final at the age of 15. She returned with two more campaigns and made history in 2023, becoming the youngest ARA Champion at the age of 17.
Campos Racing
Chloe Chambers, a 20-year-old American funded by Haas. Chambers made the switch to single-seaters in 2021, scoring points in the F4 US Championship. The following year, she competed in the W Series, broadened her racing experience by driving in the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, broke new ground in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, and became the first female polesitter and winner, earning the ‘Most Improved Driver’ award. Chambers also set the Guinness World Record for the quickest vehicle slalom at the age of 16.
Carrie Schreiner, a 26-year-old German, is supported by Kick Sauber. Schreiner switched to single-seaters for the 2015 ADAC F4 season. She transitioned to endurance and GT racing, competing in numerous Lamborghini Super Trofeo campaigns and won the 2018 Middle-East Pro-Am class. She also has three straight top-three results at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, including a class victory in 2021.
Nerea Marti, a 22-year-old from Spain, is endorsed by Tommy Hilfiger. Marti advanced to Spanish F4 in 2019, finishing second on the podium in her debut race. She also finished fourth in the Drivers’ Standings for the W Series 2021 season, as the best-placed rookie with points in all races. Her second season brought a pole position in Miami and a seventh-place finish overall.
Rodin Motorsport
Charlotte Tilbury supports Lola Lovinfosse, a 19-year-old French racer. Lovinfosse competed in the Spanish F4 in 2021 and 2022, and has extensive expertise on classic European circuits. Last season, she finished in the top ten of the Drivers’ Standings, including three podiums at Spielberg and Le Castellet.
Abbi Pulling is a 21-year-old British racer supported by Alpine. Pulling finished sixth in her maiden British F4 season in 2020, then joined the W Series midway through the 2021 season before returning for a follow-up campaign the following year, where she finished fourth in the standings.
Jessica Edgar, 19, is backed by American Express. Edgar moved up to GB4 in 2022 for her first full season of single-seater racing, finishing seventh overall, gaining points in every round and a best finish of second place at Oulton Park.
MP Motorsport
Emely De Heus, a 21-year-old Dutch driver supported by Red Bull, won the 2020 Dutch Wintercup Senior Karting Series before transitioning to the single seater ladder the following year with a campaign in Spanish F4. Emely transferred to the W Series in 2022, scoring points on her debut in Miami before competing in F1 Academy last year.
Hamda Al Qubaisi, a 22-year-old Emirati with Red Bull Racing. She moved up to Italian F4 after four years of karting, winning three races on home soil in the F4 UAE, finishing fourth in the standings, and competed in the all-women’s FIA F3 test in 2022, as well as the Formula Regional European and Asian Championships.
Amna Al Qubaisi, Hamda’s sister, is 24 years old and is supported by VCARB. Amna demonstrated good results in the Rotax Max Challenge World Finals, X30 Euro Series, and Italian X30 Championships. She advanced to Italian F4 in 2018 and has competed in F4 UAE, F3 Asian, and the Formula Regional European Championships.
Prema Racing
Tina Hausmann is sponsored by Aston Martin. The 18-year-old acquired her first taste of an F4 car during testing, and her strong performance earned her a promotion for the 2023 season. Hausmann landed on the podium in her Formula Winter Series debut and was the highest-placed female driver in both the Italian F4 and Euro 4 Championships that season.
Doriane Pin is a French driver competing under Mercedes F1 Team. The 20-year-old, labeled ‘the Pocket Rocket,’ won the 2019 French Championship in karting before moving to the Renault Clio Cup the following year. Pin won five podiums in the 2021 Le Mans Cup and dominated the Ferrari Challenge Europe Series, winning nine of fourteen races, including the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Last year, she became the first woman to be awarded the coveted ‘Revelation of the Year’ Award in the World Endurance Championship LMP2 category, and she won the F4 South East Asian and UAE Championships, coming in second overall in the South East Asian series.
Finally, there’s Maya Weug. Maya, 20, was born in Spain and currently drives with Scuderia Ferrari HP. Prior to competing on an international level, she was crowned Vice Champion in the 2015 Spanish Karting Championship. She won the 2016 WSK Final Cup in the 60 Mini category, the first FIA Girls on Track-Rising Stars program, and became the first female driver to join the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy. Moving into single seaters, her rookie season saw her score points in both Italian and German F4, finish seventh in the Italian series’ Rookies Cup, and competed in the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine Season. Maya won once as a rookie and finished in the top ten multiple times.
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