New F1 Academy women’s championship in 2023

Formula 1 is set to launch a new all-female championship in 2023. They’re calling it F1 Academy because it aims to help young female racers get up to speed, putting more women on the grids of F1’s feeder series and giving them a fair chance to reach the top of the racing pyramid.

The Formula 4-level series will feature a 15-car grid, with five teams from Formula 2 and Formula 3 entering three cars each. They’ll race over seven rounds of three races, one round probably 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,” said F1 in a statement.

“The goal is to fill this gap and offer them access to more track time, racing and testing. They will also grow by working with professional teams, who are renowned in motorsport for nurturing young drivers, and who will help them develop the crucial technical, physical and mental preparations.”

The cars in F1 Academy will boast Pirelli tyres, Autotecnica engines capable of 165 hp, and the Tatuus T421 chassis already seen in Formula 4. Like Formula 2 and 3, it will be managed by Formula Motorsport CEO Bruno Michel.

While F1 will subsidise each driver to the tune of €150,000 per season, it will require them to match the amount themselves. This still “represents a fraction of the usual costs in a comparable series,” claims F1.

F1 Academy is not intended to replace W Series, the women’s series established in 2019 but curtailed by funding issues in 2022. Instead, says F1, it "aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition” and “to add an extra route for the next generation of young female drivers, who will race in an environment that will allow them to gain fundamental experience thanks to a great amount of track time.”

F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali said, “Everyone should have the opportunity to follow their dreams and achieve their potential and Formula 1 wants to ensure we are doing everything we can to create greater diversity and routes into this incredible sport.

“That is why I am delighted to announce the F1 Academy that will give young female drivers the best chance to fulfil their ambitions through a comprehensive programme that supports their racing careers and gives them everything they need to move into F3 and hopefully to F2 and then the pinnacle of Formula 1.

“The more opportunity there is the better, and this is designed to provide another route for the drivers to succeed.”