Since this new women’s category was created, three drivers have graduated from the programme. Although they had competed before joining, their story doesn’t end there: all three are still competing today.
This year marks the fourth season of the programme, which was created in 2023 by the Formula One Group to promote the growth and development of women in single-seater racing. The programme allows for a maximum of two years’ participation in order to achieve its objective. In fact, two of the champions secured the title in their first season. Nevertheless, participating in this competition has propelled the participants to stardom and allowed them to further pursue careers in motorsport.
Marta García: the first champion
García competed in the inaugural season of the competition with the Prema Racing team. She was the trailblazer of the three competitors, winning in the programme’s first season, which proved pivotal in ensuring the success of the F1 Academy. In fact, she secured the points needed to win the trophy with two races still to go.
Since then, she has competed in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine and the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Iron Dames, a team dedicated to promoting and supporting women in motorsport. This year, she was invited to race with the Toyota GAZOO Racing Spain team in the second round in Valencia. She is also the co-founder of a speciality coffee shop in her hometown.
Abby Pulling: the second champion
Pulling became the F1 Academy champion in her second year, racing for Rodin Motorsport with the support of the Alpine Formula 1 team. Not only did she win this series, but she also became the first woman to win a British F4 race.
She is currently an ambassador for the Rodin Motorsport team and is competing in her second year in the GB3 category. She is also part of the Nissan Formula E Team, serving as a rookie and simulator driver.
Doriane Pin: the third and most recent champion to date
Pin competed in two seasons of the F1 Academy with Prema Racing, representing the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team’s junior programme. She finished second in her debut season and won the title in her second year. During this period, she also competed in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) and the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA), again with Prema Racing.
She currently competes in the European Le Mans Series with the Duqueine team in the LMP2 Pro/Am category and is a Development Driver for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team, working on the simulator and assisting at some rounds. Furthermore, she took an important step for women this year by testing a Mercedes Formula 1 car at Silverstone.
Much remains to be done, but these three drivers have marked a turning point in the programme’s history, paving the way for a new generation of drivers who are prepared and ready to compete.
Don’t miss out on any of the current season. Here are some related articles:
F1 Academy Line Up: Who Are They? Link.
F1 Academy Returns – Season Opener Preview. Link.
F1 Academy Takes Shanghai. Link.
Feature Image Credit: F1 Academy
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