F1 REVS UP ACADEMY SERIES FOR WOMEN

Formula One will launch an F1 Academy series for women drivers next year and it will feature teams currently involved in Formula Two and Formula Three. The series will be funded partly by F1, with the drivers committing like amount. F1 will contribute €150,000 per car.

The series is likely to be a support series at one of the weekends of the F1 season. F1 Academy Manager Bruno Michel said there could be funding from F1 teams too. “From the first feedback I have from the teams, I don’t think we’re going to have issues to find drivers with this kind of quite reasonable budget,” Michel said. “I am quite sure as well that some of the Formula One academies are going to start to work on that and help funding this kind of money for the drivers as well.”

There will be 15 cars on the grid for a 21-race season across seven rounds. The series will aim to recruit “young talent currently in gokarting or other junior categories” in the hope they can graduate to Formula Three as a next step, and eventually compete in F1.