The second season of Formula 1’s all-female racing series, F1 Academy, will begin in early March. F1 introduced this Formula 4-spec series in 2023 with the goal of increasing the likelihood of a female driver competing in F1 for the first time in almost 50 years. The grid consists of 15 drivers divided into five teams, each running three cars. A new addition for the upcoming season is the support of all 10 F1 teams, with each team backing at least one driver on the grid. Additionally, there will be wildcards at events, allowing local drivers to participate on a one-off basis. The following is a breakdown of the roster and the connections to F1 teams or sponsors:
– Tina Hausmann (Aston Martin)
– Doriane Pin (Mercedes)
– Maya Weug (Ferrari)
Prema, the winner of the inaugural F1 Academy teams’ championship, will continue to guide their drivers in the upcoming season. Marta Garcia, the first-ever F1 Academy drivers’ champion, has moved on to a fully-funded drive in the Formula Regional European Championship with Prema. Taking her place is Tina Hausmann, backed by Aston Martin, who previously raced against Prema in Italian F4 and Euro 4 last year. Hausmann did not score any points in those races, with her best finishes being 16th in Italian F4 and 11th in Euro 4. Joining her at Prema is Doriane Pin, who has earned the support of Mercedes and has impressed in the sportscar paddock in recent years. Pin is currently preparing for F1 Academy by competing in an F4 UAE campaign with Prema. Completing Prema’s lineup is Maya Weug, a Ferrari young driver since 2021. Weug spent two years in Italian F4 before moving up to the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023, where she achieved six points finishes and finished 17th in the drivers’ championship. She will now step back to F4-level with Prema for her first year in an all-female championship.
The team MP Motorsport, which led Felipe Drugovich to the Formula 2 title in 2022, will retain the same lineup for the 2024 season. Sisters Amna Al Qubaisi and Hamda Al Qubaisi, along with Emely De Heus, will represent the team. Amna will race under the RB banner, formerly known as AlphaTauri, while Hamda receives backing from Red Bull Racing. Emely De Heus is listed simply as ‘Red Bull’.
Rodin Motorsport, previously known as Carlin, has retained their Alpine junior driver Abbi Pulling for the upcoming season. Pulling was considered one of the favorites for the title in 2023 after her impressive performances in the W Series, but she ended up finishing fifth in the championship without a race win. In addition to her second season in F1 Academy, Pulling will also compete in British F4. Joining her at Rodin Motorsport is Lola Lovinfosse, who switches from Campos. Lovinfosse finished 10th in the drivers’ championship last season with three podium finishes. She will race with the support of series partner Charlotte Tilbury.
Bianca Bustamante, previously with Prema, has moved to ART Grand Prix for the 2024 season and now has McLaren backing after joining the F1 giant’s junior program. Bustamante won two races and finished seventh in the F1 Academy standings in 2023, following her 15th-place finish in her first single-seater season in the W Series.
Lia Block, daughter of the late motorsport legend Ken Block, has secured Williams’ support for the upcoming season and joins Bustamante at ART, alongside a yet-to-be-confirmed third driver. Block gained attention in the rally world when she became the youngest driver ever to win a major American rally championship in 2023.
Ferrari junior driver Aurelia Nobels will make her debut in the series this year, racing in the colors of Puma, an official partner of F1 Academy.
Carrie Schreiner, with an international racing career dating back to 2015, remains the most experienced driver on the F1 Academy grid in 2024. She raced for ART Grand Prix in the inaugural F1 Academy season and finished 11th out of 15 drivers, with a race win and a point-less final weekend. Schreiner will be partnered by Chloe Chambers, who will represent the Haas F1 team. Chambers finished 16th in the final W Series season in 2022 and then competed in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship, where she achieved one victory and finished ninth in the drivers’ championship.
Reema Juffali, a 32-year-old Saudi Arabian racer, has earned the first wildcard entry for a 2024 F1 Academy weekend. She will have the opportunity to race on home soil at the season-opener in Jeddah. Juffali already has experience at the F4 level and competed in the GT World Challenge Europe series last year.
WILDCARD: Saudi racer Reema Juffali confirmed as Wild Card entry for first round of the 2024 F1 ACADEMY Racing Series in Jeddah. @reemajuffali joins the series’ debut in Saudi Arabia during the FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2024.#F1ACADEMY pic.twitter.com/qzMtPscisV
According to the Source the-race.com