1285 replies to this topic

[WouterF1]

 

 

 

More information about the teams and drivers.

 

https://www.f1academ...ams-and-Drivers

Klick on a driver for more information.

 

[WouterF1]

The first race weekend of the F1 Academy season will take place this weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

 

Click here to read the whole nice, long interview with one of the drivers.

 

 

 

Bianca Bustamante: F1 Academy ‘prioritised track time and growth’

Prema Racing F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante shares her ambitions a few days before the series’ first ever race in Spielberg, Austria.

April 24, 2023. By Pierre Gorce

“She has a gift. She immediately understands how to do things. She [is] super strong, super talented.… She blew me away.”
These are the words of Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon, who spoke about Bianca Bustamante on the French talk show OpenWorld.

The 18-year-old from the Philippines will race for Prema Racing in the new all-female feeder series: F1 Academy.
Feeder Series spoke to her at the 321 Perform training center in the French Alps [Alex, Genève] ahead of the first race
of the championship’s inaugural season at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.

You were racing in W Series last year. Do you already see differences between the two categories?
-------------------
-------------------

 

 

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has announced that F1 Academy, the new all-female driver category aimed at developing and preparing young female talents to progress to higher levels of competition,

will be part of the F1 weekends in 2024.

 

F1 Academy is preparing for its inaugural season, with five teams – run by current F2 and F3 squads – each entering three drivers to make up a 15-car grid across seven events and 21 races,

all under the watchful eye of new Managing Director Susie Wolff.

 

Of the seven rounds on the 2023 calendar, five will be held at current F1 venues, while the season finale at the Circuit of The Americas is set to coincide with the United States Grand Prix

and thus feature on the F1 support bill.

 

 

And in 2024, the F1 Academy calendar will be aligned with F1 – Domenicali telling Sky Sports F1 on Friday in Australia:

“We haven’t yet started the [2023 F1 Academy] season on the track but I can confirm with you that next year, F1 Academy will be on the racing weekend with Formula 1.

Of course, not everywhere, but that will be part of the plan to promote F1 Academy… that’s something we are really keen [on], that hopefully that will be the right boost for the season to grow;

of course we have just started.

 

Edited by WouterF1, 24 April 2023 - 20:29.

[LolaB0860]

My question is if any of this is actually covered by TV (other than possibly COTA, presumably)

 

If not, the series* might fade into obscurity as soon as it starts. Say what you want of W Series and it's failings, but the media package was good, even in the first DTM -support bill season

 

(* Just talking of the series itself, I'm sure some of the drivers will move up to Formula Regional etc)

Edited by LolaB0860, 24 April 2023 - 19:55.

[William Hunt]

All good and nice but... where are the drivers going to go after this (F4)? W Series (F. Regional car) was the perfect follow up for this class but it's gone: FIA should have saved it. Several ex W Series drivers who entered this are actually taking a step down.

Edited by William Hunt, 24 April 2023 - 23:34.

[Ben1445]

Really bizzare not to have sorted out broadcasting/streaming for this by now.

[WouterF1]

Really bizzare not to have sorted out broadcasting/streaming for this by now.

What is  bizarre?  It's already been sorted out. Currently this isn't broadcast on TV YET. Further plans have not yet been announced.

[WouterF1]

 

Live Timing

Here you can always find the live timing.

You can follow all the F1 Academy sessions via live timing at race events across the entire 2023 season.

Check back during race weekends to stay right up to date on all the latest F1 Academy sessions live and as they happen,
meaning you can keep track of your favourite drivers throughout the year.


Find here
LATEST NEWS
TEAMS & DRIVERS
STANDINGS
CALENDAR & RESULTS
Guide To F1® Academy
LIVE TIMING

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/f1academy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/f1academy/

Edited by WouterF1, 25 April 2023 - 07:50.

[Ben1445]

So is it really just live timing they're offering for this weekend? 

[Ali623]

A new series to promote women in motorsport, and you can't even watch it... brilliant.

[William Hunt]

They should at least broadcast in on youtube like almost all F4 / GB4 / GB2 / F. Reginal Europe championships do (except British F4)

[JHSingo]

I'm not a fan of segregated series, and am still of the opinion that funding to help women in motorsport would be better used setting up an 'academy' in the traditional series. Something similar to the days of PSR or Racing Steps Foundation etc.. So, an all female team in F4 (or below), F3, F2 etc.

 

It wouldn't be cheap, but I still think that would be a much better option than another series that will probably suffer from the exact same problems as W Series. 

 

Let's just hope there isn't a repeat of last year where one driver is by far and away clear of all the rest... 

Edited by JHSingo, 25 April 2023 - 08:26.

[jonpollak]

Lola Lovin'fosse

 

Don't tell me...she started out as a Jazz Dancer !!!

Jp

[Beri]

A new series to promote women in motorsport, and you can't even watch it... brilliant.

Exactly. Aside from the fact that segregation takes away the factor that the drivers are measuring their talents and skills against the best of the best out there. But rather we will likely see a Chadwick like scenario where one driver is excelling but can't match the levels of other drivers who are racing in similar series once this driver leaves the F1 Academy.

[PayasYouRace]

Added a parenthesis to the thread title because I had no idea what the F1 academy was until I clicked on it.

[ANF]

So is it really just live timing they're offering for this weekend?

The only other series at the Red Bull Ring this weekend seems to be something called the P9 Challenge. There was no TV/internet broadcasting of that series last year. In contrast, the W Series started out as a support series to DTM and probably used their broadcasting team and equipment. (The W Series was more like a TV show than a racing series from the start, wasn't it?)

Edited by ANF, 25 April 2023 - 08:55.

[Ben1445]

I'm not a fan of segregated series, and am still of the opinion that funding to help women in motorsport would be better used setting up an 'academy' in the traditional series. Something similar to the days of PSR or Racing Steps Foundation etc.. So, an all female team in F4 (or below), F3, F2 etc.

 

It wouldn't be cheap, but I still think that would be a much better option than another series that will probably suffer from the exact same problems as W Series. 

I think segregated series aren't ideal, but they're probably at their worst if they're the primary method being used to try and address the issue. 

 

Ultimately, I think throwing the kitchen sink at it with everything from talent scouting from young ages, driver academies, karting funding, junior formula funding, all-female series, all-female teams, Extreme E style mixed-doubles formats in certain multi-driver categories etc. might be the most sure-fire way to get things to change dramatically over a 5-10 year period. 

 

But if there's only limited resource and you can't do all of these things in one coordinated process, I do agree that you probably have to go for the talent scouting and academy funding options as a priority. W Series had good intentions to showcase and inspire but quickly ran into issues that there was practically no pipeline of talent to replace graduating drivers. If there had been a five year program of talent scouting and driver funding at karting/F4 levels before W series began is might have been a bit more successful than it was. 

[WouterF1]

Added a parenthesis to the thread title because I had no idea what the F1 academy was until I clicked on it.

 

Because YOU are one of the few who do not know what the F1 Academy is, you have put a completely unnecessary and incorrect sentence after the title.

 

I would appreciate it if you would remove it as the F1 Academy has a very different purpose and setup than the W series!!

 

I'm surprised you as a forum host don't know that!

Edited by WouterF1, 25 April 2023 - 09:27.

[PayasYouRace]

OK wow! That touched a nerve, even though I’m trying to be helpful.

[thegamer23]

Nah, think i'll pass on this.

 

I'll just continue to support Doriane Pin and the ladies of Iron Dames, who are kicking some male asses in the WEC without the need of a separate serie. 

Good OP tho 

Edited by thegamer23, 25 April 2023 - 09:57.

[Muppetmad]

Happy to see this kicking off. It's a shame it won't be broadcast; hopefully this can be addressed quickly.

[WouterF1]

Happy to see this kicking off. It's a shame it won't be broadcast; hopefully this can be addressed quickly.

Yes, I hope so too. I would love to watch it too! Maybe someone from the spectators will post footage on YouTube, but as usual it will be quickly removed by F1 people.

[Ben1445]

Main question I have for this - are the entrants to this only competing in this series for 2023 or do they have other programmes lined up alongside?

[Jellyfishcake]

I think in principle this is a much much better planned series than W series, 

 

However, not being able to watch it is a pretty big negative, even a F4 level youtube stream would be a solid start

[Autodromo]

Because YOU are one of the few who do not know what the F1 Academy is, you have put a completely unnecessary and incorrect sentence after the title.

 

I would appreciate it if you would remove it as the F1 Academy has a very different purpose and setup than the W series!!

 

I'm surprised you as a forum host don't know that!

I did not know about it, either, until F1 posted on IG today.  Why wouldn't the F1TV app post the races?  Makes zero sense.

 

Let me guess; are you related to one of the drivers or teams in some way?

Edited by Autodromo, 25 April 2023 - 20:17.

[WouterF1]

I did not know about it, either, until F1 posted on IG today.  Why wouldn't the F1TV app post the races?  Makes zero sense.

 

Let me guess; are you related to one of the drivers or teams in some way?

 

You didn't know about the new series??

 

 

https://www.motorspo...-2023/10401645/

Motorsport.com F1 announces new all-female F1 Academy series for 2023 Formula 1 has announced it will start a new, all-female racing championship from 2023 known as F1 Academy to bridge the gap for women on the junior ladder.

 

 

By: Luke Smith

 

Nov 18, 2022, 1:02 PM

 

The new category is aimed at increasing levels of female representation on the grids of F1’s feeder series, helping them progress towards the top of the racing pyramid.

The Formula 4-level series will start in 2023, featuring a 15-car grid that will have five teams each entering three cars. These teams will be existing outfits across Formula 2 and Formula 3, racing over seven rounds that will be made up of three races, with one round likely to be on an F1 weekend.

“During assessments of the barriers young female drivers face with entering the F1 pyramid, it became clear that they do not have the same amount of experience as their male counterparts at the same age,” read a statement from F1.

 

-------------------------------------------------

https://motorsports....ies-women-2023/

 

NBC Sports.com

 

F1 will start racing series for women in 2023

Nov 18, 2022, 12:00 PM EST

 

 

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Formula One is launching a new racing series for women that will start next year.

The series, to be known as the F1 Academy, will be subsidized by F1 and is likely to be a support series for one weekend of the F1 season.

F1 said it would contribute funding of 150,000 euros ($156,000) per car “and will require the drivers to cover the same amount, which represents a fraction of the usual costs in a comparable series.”

 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

https://the-race.com...eries-for-2023/

 

The-Race.com

 

F1 launches its own all-female feeder series for 2023

Nov 18 2022

By Josh Suttill

 

Formula 1 has launched a new all-female racing series – F1 Academy – that will feature a grid of 15 cars and 21 races across seven events in 2023.

Plans for a new F1-led all-female series emerged amid financial struggles for W Series which was forced to prematurely end its 2022 season but plans to return in 2023 for a fourth season.

F1 Academy will use the Tatuus T421 Formula 4 chassis that is used in all of the key European Formula 4 series like Italian F4, British F4 (lead picture and below) and ADAC F4 in Germany.

Edited by WouterF1, 26 April 2023 - 11:54.

[Beri]

That you knew about it, doesnt mean everyone did. And with the demographic of this Forum clearly showing that many didnt know, perhaps it is safe to say that either this series needs more promotion or this series simply doesnt attract much attention for whatever reason.

[WouterF1]

That you knew about it, doesnt mean everyone did. And with the demographic of this Forum clearly showing that many didnt know, perhaps it is safe to say that either this series needs more promotion or this series simply doesnt attract much attention for whatever reason.

From the moment it was announced in November every F1/motorsport site has covered it until today. I can assume that the members who are here on the forum to exchange ideas about F1 also read F1 sites,

even if it is only one site. Every site has written about it, over and over again! Of course there will be members who do not want to read the articles because they are about women in racing.

[Dolph]

I didn't know about. And its not because I don't like women, Wouter!

[WouterF1]

I didn't know about. And its not because I don't like women, Wouter!

I wrote that there are members who read the motorsports sites, but do not read articles because they are about women in racing.

I'm not talking about all members, but there will be (some) members who.........

So you had never heard of it. Don't/Didn't you read car and motorsport sites? Because it's been announced everywhere.

[Marklar]

Because YOU are one of the few who do not know what the F1 Academy is, you have put a completely unnecessary and incorrect sentence after the title.

 

I would appreciate it if you would remove it as the F1 Academy has a very different purpose and setup than the W series!!

 

I'm surprised you as a forum host don't know that!

Tbh I knew about this from the start but every time F1 Academy is mentioned I need 5 seconds to figure out that its about women, because "F1 Academy" sounds more like a F1 founded young driver program (like the Red Bull Young Driver Program) rather than a racing series for women.

[messy]

Lack of TV/broadcasting is very odd. That's maybe one of the things the W Series really got right- they prioritised the broadcasting and publicity to make sure people were attracted to it. Even if the actual product once people tuned in was rather questionable, particularly once the hype had died down.

But in a way, maybe if this is a more focused attempt at a springboard for female drivers into the main pool of junior drivers on the ladder then it doesn't need to? The big problem with the W Series was that it didn't know what it wanted to be - it wasn't a very good standalone spectacle and it wasn't working as a springboard either. I hope this gets that bit right because surely that's the point.

[Beri]

From the moment it was announced in November every F1/motorsport site has covered it until today. I can assume that the members who are here on the forum to exchange ideas about F1 also read F1 sites,
even if it is only one site. Every site has written about it, over and over again! Of course there will be members who do not want to read the articles because they are about women in racing.

Now that is kind of hateful and pretentious. I know about the F1 Academy, but I can't be bothered to be honest. And it is not that it is about women racing. But rather because it is a class that promotes segregation and strengthens the exact prejudices that it tries to unwind. And if it was a series with solely drivers from, let's say, Azerbaijan, because Azerbaijani drivers don't get equal chances, I'd have the same opinion.

[Primo]

Hm... field of 15 cars, name stolen from Spanish F4, no broadcastng and slow cars. Sounds like a recipe for success.

[LolaB0860]

Hm... field of 15 cars, name stolen from Spanish F4, no broadcastng and slow cars. Sounds like a recipe for success.

Don't forget terrible scheduling, they have 3 different races on Saturday, sessions separated by 3 hours

Edited by LolaB0860, 26 April 2023 - 15:49.

[Beri]

Well it says enough when the series itself are guests at another event. The "very well known" P9 challenge is even host to the F1 Academy races. Heck, it even is playing second fiddle to the FREC.

[Muppetmad]

It's an F4 series, intended to give decent track time to promising young female drivers - of course it's playing second fiddle to FREC.

[Red5ive]

FIA: "Lets call it the "F1 Academy" then we can all pretend its something great thats going to allow women to actually drive in F1  -  noone will ever realise the truth "   har har har ........

Edited by Red5ive, 26 April 2023 - 16:08.

[Primo]

It's an F4 series, intended to give decent track time to promising young female drivers - of course it's playing second fiddle to FREC.

Yes, maybe it is a good start. It is not for drivers like Jamie Chadwick or Emma Kimiläinen, rather the teenagers who need to aim for something beyond the karts. Hopefully there will be a few more teams interested so that they can field at least 20 cars. 15 looks so sad.

[Primo]

FIA: "Lets call it the "F1 Academy" then we can all pretend its something great thats going to allow women to actually drive in F1  -  noone will ever realise the truth "   har har har ........

The name is strange considering that, if I got this right, the cars are around F4 level. The road from F4 to F1 is ridicolously long. Now when I think about it - there is already a Formula 4 and in that formula there are female drivers. Is F1 Academy supposed to be the "F1 of F4" where the best F4 women will be competing? If so, will there be a new FIA F5 Series where the women can compete to become the best in F4, or do they simply have to first run a F4 season before they can be promoted to F1F4? 

It would be cynical to believe that Susie Wolf simply needed a hobby.

Edited by Primo, 26 April 2023 - 16:19.

[Muppetmad]

For anybody unclear about the motivation behind/intention of the series, I would recommend looking at this story from back in November (which Wouter has linked above already):

 

https://racer.com/20...launch-in-2023/

 

The intention is to bridge the experience gap between women and men at the same age when making the step up from karting to single seaters. Although the article doesn't state it, F1 Academy is intended to supplement track time garnered in other series (and the fact F1 Academy is subsidised will help to facilitate this). Unlike W Series, F1 Academy has a realistic medium-term goal: to have a driver in F3 in two to three years. This is a very different beast than W Series, and personally, I think it has a far higher chance of success in achieving its goals.

Edited by Muppetmad, 26 April 2023 - 16:57.

[Beri]

There is not an experience gap for women alone. There is a gap for any driver who hasn't got full backing from a team or a junior academy. This isn't restricted to male or female alone. This is a thing which exists since the age of dawn. If you are not cream of the crop, you will have to work harder to achieve your life goals.
The story and underlinement of the motivation to start this series is like females are victimized because they are female racers and thus there is an experience difference. I call bull on that. Female racers do have the opportunity to get equal treatment when they perform on the same level as their male counterparts. If a female karting driver is driving circles around her male competitors, she will get the same treatment that, for instance, Antonelli is getting now. But fact the matter is, there is no such female driver. So stop telling nonsense that it is to aid female drivers. Because that is nothing but propaganda.
I am all for equality. But this series is enlarging the stigma that already exists and it does aid in victimizing female drivers because F1 markets the F1 Academy as a "tool" to aid female drivers in bridging the gap between karting and F4/F3.

[PayasYouRace]

Hm... field of 15 cars, name stolen from Spanish F4, no broadcastng and slow cars. Sounds like a recipe for success.

 

When was Spanish F4 named "F1 Academy"?

[PayasYouRace]

I wrote that there are members who read the motorsports sites, but do not read articles because they are about women in racing.

I'm not talking about all members, but there will be (some) members who.........

So you had never heard of it. Don't/Didn't you read car and motorsport sites? Because it's been announced everywhere.

 

I'd imagine most people saw headlines about "F1 Academy" and assumed it was some educational programme (like F1 in schools) or something, rather than a racing series for young women.

 

I suggest you dial back the outrage and maybe consider that this series has been really badly promoted. It's not misogyny that's driving the confusion or lack of interest. Not everyone has the time to read every article.

 

Edit: I notice that F1 Academy is not listed under any of the menus on the autosport.com homepage. None of the dropdown menus have it there. W Series is still there, funnily enough. I also did a Ctrl+F for "academy" on the homepage and nothing came up.

[Dolph]

Tbh I knew about this from the start but every time F1 Academy is mentioned I need 5 seconds to figure out that its about women, because "F1 Academy" sounds more like a F1 founded young driver program (like the Red Bull Young Driver Program) rather than a racing series for women.

 

I would have thought its about young engineers. 

[Dolph]

I wrote that there are members who read the motorsports sites, but do not read articles because they are about women in racing.

I'm not talking about all members, but there will be (some) members who.........

So you had never heard of it. Don't/Didn't you read car and motorsport sites? Because it's been announced everywhere.

 

OMG, is it so unimaginable that I read motorsport sites and didn't hear about the Academy? Moreover, the word Academy is not smth that shouts out "READ ME, EXCITING NEWS!"

[Marklar]

I would have thought its about young engineers.

or that, yes!

either way a very strange name for this purpose

[William Hunt]

F1 Academy is indeed a bad name, in particular the term F1 in it whilst the cars are F4's....

Formula Female would have bee a better name.

[Red5ive]

F1 Academy is indeed a bad name, in particular the term F1 in it whilst the cars are F4's....

Formula Female would have bee a better name.

‘Formula Female” - er, probably not - that’s a whole new topic on its own these days…….

 

but if it really had the aim of preparing drivers for F3 - then it should be F3 Academy - otherwise the only reason to include “F1” is as I outlined above.

Edited by Red5ive, 26 April 2023 - 20:05.

[Primo]

When was Spanish F4 named "F1 Academy"?

 

Well, just "F Academy", but nevertheless.

Q. What is F1 Academy (motorsport)?

A. I'm sorry, but I believe you may be referring to the FIA F4 Spanish Championship, which is also known as the F4 Spanish Championship or the F Academy. 

[William Hunt]

Interview with Bianca Bustamante
https://feederseries...ime-and-growth/