Formula One Group: launch of the "F1 Academy" a new female driver category

Formula One Group has introduced the "F1 Academy", a female driver category (Formula 4 level), "which aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition including W Series (women's competition), Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1 (all-male)," announced the body on 18/11/2022.

The F1 Academy will begin in 2023 and will consist of five teams, each run by F2 and F3 teams, which will enter three cars per team to form a grid of 15 cars. The inaugural season will consist of seven events with three races each, for a total of 21 Grand Prix. "The 2023 calendar will be revealed in due course and is likely to include one Formula 1 event weekend," said Formula One Group.

The organisation will contribute €150,000 of each driver's budget (€2.25m in total), with each team expected to match this amount, which is "a fraction of the usual costs in a comparable series," according to F1. The teams will supplement the total budget.

• The F1 Academy will be managed by Bruno Michel, the current CEO of Formula Motorsport Limited.
• Since the start of the Formula 1…