F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff discusses the “F1 Academy effect” in grassroots motorsports with female participation levels increasing to 25%.
Wolff took to the F1 Acacemy helm shortly before its inaugural season in 2023 and set out to diversify motorsport’s playing field.
In two years Wolff has sent two champions to FRECA and GB3, facilitated driver signings in F1 team driver programmes, and helped boost female participation levels in motorsport.
During an interview with Goodwood, Wolff explained: “We’ve never had so much female participation – 25 per cent – and when you speak to those in the world of karting, they’re calling it the F1 Academy effect.”
“We’re giving that huge female fan base the impression that, ‘Okay, this sport isn’t just for men’, and I think that’s one of the big hurdles that we have to break down, particularly for the next generation.
“They need to see these young women in race suits, on the pit wall and in the garages for them to believe that they can do it.
“I don’t have the hard numbers and the data, but I certainly feel a wave of impact.”
The “F1 Academy effect” in karting
Not only does Wolff run the single-seater racing series, but she has also created several new opportunities for females participating in grassroots motorsport.
F1 Academy scouts female drivers from karting centres across the world, offering them sponsorships and connections with their number of high-profile partners.
Some of F1 Academy’s partners include Tommy Hilfiger, Charlotte Tilbury, Puma, Pirelli, Red Bull, and American Express.
Wolff continued: “With the huge exposure we’ve managed to gather in year one, and bearing in mind that we have nearly all the F1 broadcasters with us, the fact we’re racing with F1, that we have brands like Charlotte Tilbury and Tommy Hilfiger helping us reach a brand new audience, I think we really are changing that perception.
“I think we’ve achieved a lot this year. We’ve already announced we’re increasing to more cars for next season.
“So I think we’re off to a very solid start. But this is a long-term project, and we’ll only see the results kind of mid-term.
“So, it’s about continuing to progress, continuing to make sure we make the right decisions, to make sure, for example, that our champion progresses in the right way.”
Wolff on F1 Academy’s exposure for drivers
Exposure is not just limited to brands, female drivers spotted by F1 Academy have the chance of building relationships with F1 teams.
The sophomore season of F1 Academy saw the relationship with F1 broaden, with all ten teams required to sponsor an F1 Academy driver on the grid.
This has given drivers like Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin the chance to be signed into both Alpine and Mercedes’ driver programmes respectively.
“I was always very ambitious with my plans for F1 Academy, racing, with F1, getting the F1 teams on board, and of course, it was up to us to show them that this was a platform that was going to be impactful.
“In the end, I don’t want the success of F1 Academy to be judged on if I get one girl into Formula 1.
“I think it will come down to finding that exceptional talent because to make it to F1 you need to be exceptional.
“But you also need to have the right trajectory, and that means having the funding, getting into the right team and getting noticed by the right people.
“The more that we are existing, the more the involvement from the Formula 1 teams, means they will know when we come across an outstanding talent.”
The third season of the all-female series is set to kick off on the 21st of March with a season-opener at the Shanghai International Circuit.
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