F1 Academy

[crmalcolm]

F1 Academy: Formula 1 launches all-female championship

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/63675446


'Formula 1 has launched an all-female series aimed at helping women drivers progress through the motorsport ranks.

Named the F1 Academy, it will consist of five teams of three cars contesting seven events featuring three races.'

[Akrapovic]

This seems like a far more sustainable solution than W Series.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

This seems like a far more sustainable solution than W Series.

They say it compliments the W Series. The end of the recent W Series season has meant that the future of that series' sustainability is in question.

I'm intrigued to see how both stack up.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

They say it compliments the W Series.

IE anybody thinking of investing in W Series needs to remember the debts owed to creditors.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

They say it compliments the W Series. The end of the recent W Series season has meant that the future of that series' sustainability is in question.

I'm intrigued to see how both stack up.

They say that, but the graphic they showed has F1A below F3, then feeding into F3, F2 then F1. W Series doesn't appear on the graphic.

Honestly, this seems like a better solution.

[NaBUru38]

The first F1 Academy driver announced is Léna Bühler.

She is 25 years old and has plenty of experience in Formula Regional.

Am I surprised? Not really...

[Juntos]

Will they bring Kate Legge and Pipa Mann? Fingers crossed!

[NaBUru38]

More drivers announced:

* Nerea Marti, Abbi Pulling and Bianca Bustamante (former W Series).
* Carrie Schreiner (24 years old, plenty of GT3 experience).

[NaBUru38]

2023 schedule:

* April 28-29: Red Bull Ring (P9 Challenge)
* May 6-7: Valencia (Nascar Euro Series)
* May 20-21: barcelona (FRECA)
* June 24-25: Zandvoort (DTM)
* July 8-9: Monza (WEC)
* July 29-30: Paul Ricard (standalone)
* October 21-22: Austin (F1)

[kipper]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

* July 29-30: Paul Ricard (standalone)
* October 21-22: Austin (F1)

I do think its a bit weird to have a three month gap between the penultimate and final race meeting - it loses momentum and interest. Also, it doesn't aid drivers firming up 2024 programmes with the outcome of the championship potentially undecided for such an amount of time.

[NaBUru38]

I think it's even more weird to have overseas races. It increases costs unnecessarily.

[Akrapovic]

I think that whole calendar is weird.

- It's called F1 Academy, but it spends most of the year not with F1
- Overseas is expensive
- Stand-alone event? Why?
- Too big an end gap

Just make it an F1 support series for half the European events.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I think that whole calendar is weird.

- It's called F1 Academy, but it spends most of the year not with F1
- Overseas is expensive
- Stand-alone event? Why?
- Too big an end gap

Just make it an F1 support series for half the European events.

Yes, assumed it would take some of the defunct W dates. Seems weird but I guess it's money somewhere along the line.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I think that whole calendar is weird.

- It's called F1 Academy, but it spends most of the year not with F1
- Overseas is expensive
- Stand-alone event? Why?
- Too big an end gap

Just make it an F1 support series for half the European events.

Probably to give W series a lifeline if it can pull itself up.
They've creamed off a few of the W drivers who have some real promise.
But the cost will be phenomenal.
If they had made the series a support class for the NZ Toyota regional series the girls would have a five round series with 3 races in five weeks and the focus or attention of the entire globe because there's nothing much else happening at that time.

Then give them three races in Bahrain during F1 testing and three races at the Bahrain GP as a support class and they have had 21 races and the year is just starting!
All at a fraction of the cost the present program will cost.....

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Probably to give W series a lifeline if it can pull itself up.
They've creamed off a few of the W drivers who have some real promise.
But the cost will be phenomenal.
If they had made the series a support class for the NZ Toyota regional series the girls would have a five round series with 3 races in five weeks and the focus or attention of the entire globe because there's nothing much else happening at that time.

Then give them three races in Bahrain during F1 testing and three races at the Bahrain GP as a support class and they have had 21 races and the year is just starting!
All at a fraction of the cost the present program will cost.....

Why on earth would they want to give W Series a lifeline?

Though maybe W Series has a contractual hold on dates, in the event they pay their bills or similar.

[Alessio]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I think that whole calendar is weird.

- It's called F1 Academy, but it spends most of the year not with F1
- Overseas is expensive
- Stand-alone event? Why?
- Too big an end gap

Just make it an F1 support series for half the European events.

For that first point - sure, but I can see it being a positive (possibly - very unlikely, though). It might be good for the NASCAR Euro Series et al to have "F1" on it's support card. I know they don't struggle for numbers at Brands Hatch or Vallelunga, but elsewhere it might help.

For the second point - I imagine there's a well organised freight route for F1 and its support series for Austin. It might not add much of a cost beyond flying drivers and personnel out and an extra £1000ish (however much a ticket to Texas costs) isn't 'massive' when your annual budget is somewhere in the region of £75,000-£100,000. There's also a hell of a lot of 'W' drivers in North America and the money/interest is plentiful over there.

Bare in mind there is more to motorsport than Europe alone. Running elsewhere gives opportunities in a lot of other roles too, and the rest of the world deserve that opportunity imo - plenty of options for Europeans elsewhere. The US is too, but it's near enough for Mexicans or even Argentinians to make their way over at least.

Agree with the overall sentiment though...

In a positive context, I'm excited to see how Bustamente does. I didn't think much of her when she started in W Series last year, but she's made a lot of strides forward in the off-season.

[NaBUru38]

Maite Cáceres has been signed by Campos! My best wishes for her

She is the sister of one-time Champ Car driver Juan Ignacio "Fufy" Cáceres, and daughter of Punta del Este Grand Prix / ePrix promoter Fernando Cáceres.

[NaBUru38]

Megan Gilkes (22 years, 6th in 2022 GB4) has joined the series.

[Formulahistory]

it seems it's W Series 2.0
Not very impressive line-up...

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

it seems it's W Series 2.0
Not very impressive line-up...

That's the point? It's a feeder series to F3. It's F4 level. F4 levels are never impressive line-ups.

[v8supes]

LOL is it true that theres no TV/streaming coverage of this? Thats what Twitter suggests.

Seems really weird to give it the F1 name and then effectively hide it away?

[rika]

Originally Posted by v8supes

LOL is it true that theres no TV/streaming coverage of this? Thats what Twitter suggests.

Seems really weird to give it the F1 name and then effectively hide it away?

No that would not be weird at all I think?
Becuase that is exactly waht they do with F1 too, no?
They do everytihing possible to hide it awa from the fans, right?


If I can not find a pirate stream I can not see it, just because they hide it.


It was on regular TV not so long ago, but not now.

Right?


So if F1 Academia does that too then that is a sign that they are just like F1 too!

[NaBUru38]

F1 Academy - standings after Zandvoort

• 1. ESP Marta Garcia (Prema), 155 pts
• 2. UAE Hamda Al Qubaisi (MP), 150
• 3. SUI Léna Bühler (ART), 122
• 4. ESP Nerea Marti (Campos), 96
• 5. GBR Abbi Pulling (Rodin Carlin), 84
• 6. UAE Amna Al Qubaisi (MP), 78
• 7. NED Emely de Heus (MP), 73
• 8. PHI Bianca Bustamante (Prema), 69

Next round is on July 8-9 at Monza.

[NaBUru38]

F1 Academy - standings after Paul Ricard:

1. ESP Marta Garcia (Prema), 235 pts
2. SUI Léna Bühler (ART), 187
3. UAE Hamda Al Qubaisi (MP), 179
4. ESP Nerea Marti (Campos), 157
5. GBR Abbi Pulling (Rodin Carlin), 143
6. UAE Amna Al Qubaisi (MP), 112
7. PHI Bianca Bustamante (Prema), 102
8. NED Emely de Heus (MP), 81

The final round is on on October 21-22 at Austin.

[NaBUru38]

In 2024, each F1 team will support one driver. The remaining drivers will have series sponsors.