Formula 1 Announces New All-Female F1 Academy Series

"Everyone should have the opportunity to follow their dreams and achieve their potential and Formula 1 wants to ensure we are doing everything we can to create greater diversity and routes into this incredible sport," said Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali. "That is why I am delighted to announce the F1 Academy that will give young female drivers the best chance to fulfill their ambitions through a comprehensive program that supports their racing careers."

这是一个伟大的正确方向的一步,但是s it stands, we still have to see how well it will pan out. We most likely won't see the fruits of this for years to come, so it's quite hard to know if it will be the edge that young female drivers need or not. If the goal is really to see another female F1 driver in the sport, we applaud it, it's been 47 years since Lella Lombardi became the last female driver in F1, which is much too long if you ask us.

It's also an exciting time for the sport.Audi and Sauber have joined togetherto enter the sport, and Porsche is still currentlylooking for a partnerto enter as well. Brawn GP recently tweeted out a teaser image that seems suspiciously likean upcoming F1 announcement. Not to mention that interest in F1 has just been skyrocketing, especially in the US, where viewership on ESPN is up 30% over where it was last year (which was an all-time high).

More teams mean more spots. More spots mean more opportunities to showcase talent (and brand awareness to sell morePorsche 911s and Audi e-trons.) If this feeder series can help women develop at the same pace as their male counterparts, we look forward to seeing them at the pinnacle of motorsport soon. We just hope it fares better than W Series, which had its 2022 season cut short due to a lack of funds, leaving Jaime Chadwick the three-time winner with no clear path into a higher echelon of the sport from here.