Every round is an F1 weekend
Since 2024 the series races exclusively on the Formula 1 support bill, in front of Grand Prix crowds and cameras rather than at standalone national events.
The all-female championship on the Formula 1 bill
F1 Academy
Formula 1's own all-female championship — identical Tatuus F4 cars in Grand Prix team colours, racing in front of Formula 1 crowds, built to move young women from karting onto the single-seater ladder.
2023First F1 Academy season
6Rounds, all on Formula 1 weekends
10F1 teams backing a driver each
TeamsDriversF1 support billSuper Licence pointsEngineering
What is F1 Academy?
F1 Academy is the all-female, Formula 4-level single-seater championship founded by the Formula One Group, created to smooth the step from karting onto the professional single-seater ladder. Every driver races an identical Tatuus F4-T421 on Pirelli tyres, and since 2024 the series has run exclusively as a Formula 1 support category, with ten Formula 1 teams each backing a driver who carries that team's livery. Drivers must be aged 16 to 25 and may normally race only two seasons.
- First season
- 2023
- Founded by
- Formula One Group
- Managing director
- Susie Wolff
- 2026 season
- 6 teams · 6 rounds · 14 races
01 — How it began
How F1 Academy began.
The W Series had run as the first modern all-female single-seater championship from 2019, but it collapsed financially and entered administration in 2022. Formula One Group announced F1 Academy on 18 November that year, and Susie Wolff was appointed managing director on 1 March 2023.
The stated aim was narrower than W Series’: not a destination but a bridge, smoothing the transition from karting into the single-seater ladder for drivers who might otherwise never get a funded seat.
The first season ran seven weekends and 21 races, mostly away from Formula 1. From 2024 the series moved onto the Grand Prix support bill alongside Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup, added FIA Super Licence points, and put a Formula 1 team’s livery on ten of the cars.
- Founded by
- Formula One Group, announced 18 November 2022
- First season
- 2023, seven weekends and 21 races
- Managing director
- Susie Wolff, appointed 1 March 2023
- Predecessor
- W Series (2019–2022), which entered administration
- Car
- Tatuus F4-T421, Autotecnica turbo four, Pirelli tyres
- Eligibility
- Women aged 16 to 25, normally a maximum of two seasons
- First champion
- Marta García, 2023
02 — The essentials
What makes F1 Academy different?
A one-make F4 championship whose real product is exposure: every round is a Grand Prix weekend.
Ten F1 teams, ten liveries
Each backs one driver who runs the team's colours — Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Aston Martin, Williams, Alpine, Haas, Audi and Racing Bulls in 2026. The remaining cars are entered by series partners.
A two-season limit
Drivers are 16 to 25 and normally cannot stay more than two years, so the grid turns over fast by design. From 2027 a third season may be granted by exemption where it helps development.
Super Licence points and a funded exit
The championship's top five score FIA Super Licence points, and Formula Regional European guarantees a fourth entry to any team that signs a top-three finisher.
03 — Race weekend format
A race weekend, decoded.
Qualifying
One session does three jobs: fastest laps set the feature-race grid, the top eight are inverted for the reverse-grid race, and second-fastest laps set the opening-race grid.
Reverse-grid race
Points to the top eight only, with whoever qualified eighth starting from pole.
Feature race
Points to the top ten off the straight qualifying order, plus bonus points for pole position and fastest lap.
Montreal and Austin run a third race in 2026 — an extra opening race — to make up for the cancelled Jeddah round, which is why six rounds produce fourteen races.
04 — How points are scored
F1 Academy points system.
| Pos | Feature | Reverse-grid |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 25 | 10 |
| 2nd | 18 | 8 |
| 3rd | 15 | 6 |
| 4th | 12 | 5 |
| 5th | 10 | 4 |
| 6th | 8 | 3 |
| 7th | 6 | 2 |
| 8th | 4 | 1 |
| 9th | 2 | – |
| 10th | 1 | – |
Bonus and Super Licence points
- +2 points for pole position, in the feature race only.
- +1 point for fastest lap, if that driver finishes in the points.
- The opening race at three-race rounds scores on the same scale as the feature race, but without the pole point.
- FIA Super Licence points go to the championship’s top five: 10 for the champion, then 7, 5, 3 and 1.
- Wildcard drivers score in the drivers’ standings like anyone else.
The reverse-grid race pays nothing below eighth place, so a bad qualifying session can cost a driver an entire race.
05 — Race calendar
Next: Austin · 24–25 October 2026 F1 Academy calendar.
| Round | Supports | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Chinese Grand Prix | Shanghai International Circuit | 14–15 March |
| 02 | Canadian Grand Prix | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal | 23–24 May |
| 03 | British Grand Prix | Silverstone Circuit | 4–5 July |
| 04 | Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort | 22–23 August |
| 05 | United States Grand Prix | Circuit of the Americas, Austin | 24–25 October |
| 06 | Las Vegas Grand Prix | Las Vegas Strip Circuit | 20–21 November |
Last updated: 7 September 2026. Montreal and Austin each run three races; the other rounds run two. A Jeddah round set for 18–19 April was cancelled because of the Iran war, and its two races were redistributed as those extra opening races. Silverstone appears for the first time and Austin returns for the first time since 2023, replacing Miami and Singapore.
06 — From 2022 to today
F1 Academy timeline.
2019
W Series launches
The first modern all-female single-seater championship runs three seasons before collapsing financially.
2022
F1 Academy announced
Formula One Group announces the series on 18 November, weeks after W Series entered administration.
2023
The first season
Seven weekends and 21 races, Susie Wolff appointed managing director on 1 March, and Marta García takes the inaugural title with Prema.
2024
Onto the Formula 1 bill
The series moves exclusively to Grand Prix support weekends, adds Super Licence points and wildcard entries, and every Formula 1 team begins backing a driver.
2025
Netflix, a sixth team and a last-race title
Hitech joins as the sixth team, F1: The Academy reaches Netflix on 28 May, and Doriane Pin clinches the championship in the final race of the year.
2026
A changed calendar and new backers
Jeddah falls off the schedule, Silverstone debuts and Austin returns, while Sephora and a LEGO-liveried car join the F1 teams on the grid.
2027
A third season, by exemption
Drivers whose second season was 2026 become eligible for an extra year where it is judged to help their development.
07 — How the format changed
Four seasons, four formats.
Standalone weekends
Seven events of three races each — two 30-minute races plus a 20-minute reverse-grid race — mostly away from Formula 1.
The support-bill era
Down to two races a weekend, run exclusively on Grand Prix bills, with F1 team liveries, Super Licence points and wildcard entries arriving together.
Reverse grids return
The weekend settles into a reverse-grid race plus a feature race, and the grid grows to 18 cars as Hitech becomes the sixth team.
Three-race rounds
Montreal and Austin add an opening race set by second-fastest qualifying laps, taking the season to fourteen races across six rounds.
08 — Champions and contenders
Racers who defined their eras.
Current Champion
Doriane Pin
2025 F1 Academy Champion · Prema Racing · clinched at the final race, without a single pole all season
Marta García
The series' first champion, taking the 2023 title with Prema on 278 points from seven wins and five poles, then stepping up to Formula Regional European.
2023 champion
Abbi Pulling
The most dominant season the series has seen: nine wins and ten poles for Rodin Motorsport in 2024, champion by 123 points with two races to spare.
2024 champion
Maya Weug
Runner-up in 2025 with MP Motorsport, and since 2021 the first female driver ever to join the Ferrari Driver Academy.
2025 runner-up
Alisha Palmowski
Leads the 2026 championship on 136 points, running Red Bull Racing colours at Campos Racing.
2026 championship leader
Emma Felbermayr
Second on 88 points for Rodin Motorsport, carrying Audi's colours in the marque's first Formula 1 season.
2026 runner-up
Nina Gademan
Third on 71 points for MP Motorsport in Alpine colours, racing at home at Zandvoort.
2026, third
Ella Lloyd
McLaren's representative on the grid, driving for Rodin Motorsport.
McLaren-backed
Payton Westcott
Mercedes' 2026 representative at Prema Racing, on the grid as a 16-year-old American.
Mercedes-backed
09 — Defining events
Crises, controversies and turning points.
W Series collapses
The championship F1 Academy replaced entered administration, leaving no top-level all-female series and F1 to build one itself.
Onto the Grand Prix bill
Racing in front of Formula 1 crowds, with every F1 team's livery on a car, changed the series' visibility more than any sporting rule.
Netflix arrives, then leaves
Hello Sunshine's F1: The Academy reached Netflix on 28 May 2025 to mixed reviews, and was dropped in 2026.
Pin's last-race title
Doriane Pin won the championship at the final race by fifteen points, having not started from pole once all season.
The first Formula 1 test
Pin became the first F1 Academy driver to test a Formula 1 car, driving a Mercedes W12, and moved to the European Le Mans Series.
Jeddah cancelled
The Iran war removes round two, and its races are redistributed as extra opening races at Montreal and Austin.
10 — Meet the grid
Explore F1 Academy teams.
Current Champion Team
Prema Racing
Italy · Teams' champion in all three seasons the title has been awarded, 2023 to 2025 · fourth in 2026 on 119 points
#1
CAM
Campos RacingSpain · 212 pts · Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls liveries
#2
ROD
Rodin MotorsportNew Zealand · 139 pts · Audi and McLaren liveries
#3
MP
MP MotorsportNetherlands · 127 pts · Alpine and Ferrari liveries
#4
PRM
Prema RacingItaly · 119 pts · three-time Teams' champion
#5
HTG
Hitech Grand PrixUnited Kingdom · 52 pts · joined as the sixth team in 2025
#6
ART
ART Grand PrixFrance · 29 pts · Haas and Williams liveries
11 — Frequently asked
F1 Academy FAQ.
What is F1 Academy?
An all-female, Formula 4-level single-seater championship founded by the Formula One Group in 2022 and racing since 2023. It exists to move young women from karting onto the professional single-seater ladder.
Who runs F1 Academy?
The Formula One Group. Susie Wolff has been managing director since 1 March 2023.
Is F1 Academy the same as W Series?
No, but it replaced it. W Series ran from 2019 and entered administration in 2022; F1 Academy was announced weeks later and is owned and funded by Formula 1 itself.
What car does F1 Academy use?
A spec Tatuus F4-T421 with a turbocharged four-cylinder Autotecnica engine of about 165 hp, on Pirelli tyres — the same class of car as national Formula 4 championships.
Who can race in F1 Academy?
Women aged 16 to 25. A driver may normally compete for a maximum of two seasons; from 2027 a third season may be granted by exemption, but only to drivers whose second season was 2026.
How do the Formula 1 team liveries work?
Since 2024 Formula 1 teams each back one driver, whose car runs that team's colours. In 2026 ten do so: Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Aston Martin, Williams, Alpine, Haas, Audi and Racing Bulls. The remaining cars are entered by series partners.
Does F1 Academy race at Grand Prix weekends?
Yes, exclusively since 2024, alongside Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup. All six 2026 rounds support a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
How does F1 Academy scoring work?
The feature race pays 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 with two bonus points for pole and one for fastest lap. The reverse-grid race pays only the top eight, 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1, plus a fastest-lap point.
How does qualifying set three different grids?
One session does all of it. The fastest laps set the feature-race grid, the top eight of those are inverted for the reverse-grid race, and each driver's second-fastest lap sets the opening-race grid at three-race rounds.
Who has won F1 Academy?
Marta García (2023, Prema), Abbi Pulling (2024, Rodin Motorsport) and Doriane Pin (2025, Prema). Prema Racing has won the Teams' Championship all three years.
Who is leading the 2026 F1 Academy championship?
After four of six rounds, Alisha Palmowski leads on 136 points from Emma Felbermayr on 88 and Nina Gademan on 71. Campos Racing leads the Teams' Championship on 212.
Why does the 2026 season have only six rounds but fourteen races?
The Jeddah round was cancelled because of the Iran war. Rather than replace it, F1 Academy added a third race — an extra opening race — at Montreal and Austin.
What do F1 Academy drivers do next?
Formula Regional European guarantees a fourth entry to any team signing a top-three finisher. Marta García went to FRECA, Abbi Pulling to GB3, and Doriane Pin to the European Le Mans Series in LMP2, after becoming the first F1 Academy driver to test a Formula 1 car.
Is there an F1 Academy documentary?
Yes. F1: The Academy, made by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, was released on Netflix on 28 May 2025. It was dropped in 2026.
Is Kozmozracing affiliated with F1 Academy or its teams?
No. Unless a product page explicitly states otherwise, Kozmozracing is an independent store and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Formula 1, the FIA, F1 Academy, any team or driver.
Sources
- Official F1 Academy website · F1Academy.com (official)
- F1 Academy: history, format, progression rules and champions · Wikipedia
- 2026 F1 Academy season: entries, calendar, scoring and standings · Wikipedia
- Maya Weug, the first female driver in the Ferrari Driver Academy · Wikipedia
- Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile · FIA (official)
- Photo: Palmowski's Campos car in Red Bull livery, Shanghai 2026, by Liauzh · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Photo: Doriane Pin, F1 Academy paddock 2024, by Grunty89 · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Photo: Prema Racing in Aston Martin livery, Shanghai 2026, by Liauzh · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Independent fan guide: Formats, teams and calendars can change. Verify current sporting information with F1 Academy and the FIA directly. Championship, team and driver names belong to their respective rights holders.
12 — The collection
F1 Academy-inspired collection.
No products are assigned to F1 Academy yet. Add products to this series in the product editor.