F1 Academy: Netflix Docuseries Shines Spotlight on Women in Motorsport

Another big step for women in motorsport! On May 28th, F1: The Academy, a new seven-part docuseries, produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine will premiere on Netflix. The docuseries is set to follow female drivers of the F1 Academy as they battle it out across the 2024 F1 Academy season. Here are the basics you need to know about F1 Academy before fully immersing yourself in this amazing series!

F1 Academy was created in 2023, as an opportunity for women to get involved in motorsport. Susie Wolff is the Managing Director of F1 Academy, which consists of six teams, and eighteen drivers and cars. Each of the six teams and their drivers are backed by major sponsors such as the iconic Charlotte Tilbury, Tommy Hilfiger, Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren. 

In 2024, F1 Academy was seen in seven iconic locations around the world, such as Jeddah, Miami, Barcelona, Zandvoort, Singapore, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. During the 2024 season, a headline name was Abbi Pulling who won the F1 Academy Drivers Championship with Rodin Motorsport, and Prema Racing won the Team Championship. 

The race weekend format consists of two free practice sessions of up to 40 minutes each, then one qualifying session of 30 minutes, followed by two races of up to 30 minutes each. An important aspect of the qualifying format is that in qualifying, each driver’s fastest lap will set the grid for Race 2. Whereas the starting grid for Race 1 will be set by reversing the top eight drivers from Qualifying, mixing up the opportunities for all the female drivers. 

As there are 18 identical cars on the grid, full of talented female drivers, there is a special exception called the Wild Card Seat. A different Wild Card driver is chosen for each round, offering them the opportunity to showcase their talent and gain experience for the future. However, all drivers can only compete for two seasons to ensure opportunities continue for new talent. 

Women across motorsport are excited for the F1 Academy docuseries, hoping it inspires a new generation of racers and female fans and proves–once and for all–that women belong at the front of the grid.