Formula One launches all-female feeder series

Formula One has confirmed details of a caller all-female racing series, called F1 Academy, which aims to supply a level for pistillate drivers to advancement their careers towards racing's apical championship.

F1 has made wide the caller bid is not being pitched arsenic a rival to the existing all-female W Series, which deed fiscal difficulties this twelvemonth and had to cancel its last 3 races. It is not yet wide if W Series volition proceed successful 2023 erstwhile F1 Academy volition beryllium launched.

The caller series, first reported by ESPN successful October, volition spot 5 teams tally 3 cars implicit a seven-round calendar with 3 races astatine each round. Only 1 circular is expected to tally arsenic portion of the enactment contention bundle for an F1 weekend.

The bid is being pitched arsenic a pathway for young pistillate karters to advancement toward W Series, Formula 3 and Formula 2. It volition usage Formula 4-style cars with 165 interruption horsepower engines, which are 95 bhp down connected the F3-style cars utilized successful W Series.

The teams progressive volition beryllium existing F2 and F3 teams, with competitors needing to rise €150,000 to thrust portion F1 itself volition subsidise each driver's fund by a further €150,000.

The bid volition beryllium tally by Bruno Michel, who besides manages F3 and F2.

F1's property merchandise said the bid is designed to capable the spread successful acquisition galore pistillate drivers person earlier making the leap to F3.

"During assessments of the barriers young pistillate drivers look with entering the F1 pyramid, it became wide that they bash not person the aforesaid magnitude of acquisition arsenic their antheral counterparts astatine the aforesaid age," the property merchandise said. "The extremity is to capable this spread and connection them entree to much way time, racing and testing."

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added: "Everyone should person the accidental to travel their dreams and execute their imaginable and Formula One wants to guarantee we are doing everything we tin to make greater diverseness and routes into this unthinkable sport," helium said.

"That is wherefore I americium delighted to denote the F1 Academy that volition springiness young pistillate drivers the champion accidental to fulfil their ambitions done a broad programme that supports their racing careers and gives them everything they request to determination into F3 and hopefully to F2 and past the pinnacle of Formula One. The much accidental determination is the amended and this is designed to supply different way for the drivers to succeed."