Hamda Al Qubaisi leads the 2023 Austin Grand Prix. The F1 Academy is returning to racing this weekend in Saudi Arabia for its second season. The inaugural campaign of the F1 Academy was a success, with Marta Garcia becoming the first champion and securing a fully funded spot in FRECA for 2024. This exclusive series for women will have seven rounds across three continents and will be featured in the F1 support this season. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK. The F1 Academy was established as a development series for women in motorsport following the end of the W Series. It was launched in November 2022 with the support of Formula 1 to provide more opportunities for talented female drivers to progress in motorsport, specifically in single-seater racing. Susie Wolff, who has experience as a driver and team principal, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the F1 Academy. She has been a strong advocate for creating more opportunities for women in motorsport to progress further. The series aims to prepare and support female drivers between 16 and 25 years old for higher levels of single-seater racing, with the hope that they will eventually reach Formula 1. This season, the F1 Academy has secured new official partners such as Charlotte Tilbury, Puma, and Tommy Hilfiger, and also closed a new broadcast deal with Sky Sports. The F1 Academy has recruited talented female drivers from around the world, providing them with new and exciting opportunities for the 2024 season.
What are the teams and drivers?
Five different teams are participating in the F1 Academy competition, all with previous experience in Formula 2 or Formula 3 racing. These teams include ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, Prema Racing, and Rodin Motorsport.
In the upcoming second season, Formula 1 will have a more direct involvement in the exclusive series for women. All 10 F1 teams are required to select one driver to compete in the F1 Academy grid in 2024. To support the drivers, teams will reduce their financial contributions by €50,000 to €100,000 compared to the previous season. Additionally, Formula 1 will showcase a distinctive design on the cars of their selected drivers, incorporating some of the talent from the F1 Academy.
What is the format?
Each race week will last three days and consist of two races in each of the seven rounds. Before the races, there will be two 40-minute practice sessions. After the practice sessions, a 30-minute qualifying session will determine the starting positions for both races. The fastest lap times achieved by the drivers will determine the starting grid for Race 1, while their second fastest times will determine the order for Race 2. Each race will last 30 minutes.
What is the points system?
In this season, the top five finishers in the Championship will receive super license points, which will facilitate their progression in formula racing. The winner of each race will receive 10 super license points, the second-place finisher will receive seven points, the third-place finisher will receive five points, the fourth-place finisher will receive three points, and the fifth-place finisher will receive one point. The points system for the races will be identical to that of Formula 1, with race winners receiving 25 points.
What is the race calendar for 2024?
What was the result of the first season?
The first season of the F1 Academy witnessed a total of nine different race winners, with all drivers on the grid scoring points. In the previous season, three races were held per round, spanning seven rounds. Marta Garcia made a bold statement to her competitors by winning two out of the three opening races at the Red Bull Ring. The championship battle unfolded between Garcia, Léna Bühler, and Hamda Al Qubaisi, culminating in the final round. It was during the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, that Garcia clinched the title in the first race. Garcia finished 56 points ahead of Bühler, who secured second place, and an impressive 61 points above Al Qubaisi, who finished in third place.
The Team Championship was a closely contested battle, with the outcome being determined in the final round. Prema Racing emerged as the first team winners of the series, narrowly beating MP Motorsport by just eight points. Rodin Carlin finished in third place, trailing Prema by almost 100 points. Since the inaugural season did not have a broadcast agreement, fans relied on live timing to stay connected and follow the exciting action.
Where to Watch?
In a major advancement from its inaugural season, every session of the F1 Academy will now be televised live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK. As part of the F1 support, the seven rounds of the championship will coincide with Formula 1 race weekends, providing young drivers the opportunity to share the track with their sponsored teams and favorite drivers.
The second season will kick off with the opening race on March 8 at 11:55 GMT. Prior to that, viewers can tune in to live practice and qualifying sessions on March 7 at 10:50 and 18:15, respectively.
© 2024
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