Everything you need to know about the 2024 F1 ACADEMY season

We’re only 27 days away from the 2024 F1 ACADEMY campaign getting underway, and the countdown is well and truly on! But before the newest crop of young stars hit the track, we’ve got you covered with our guide on what to expect this season.

What is F1 ACADEMY?

Launched in 2023, F1 ACADEMY is an all-female racing series designed to help develop young female drivers and give them the experience needed to progress through the single seater pyramid, including Formula 3, Formula 2 and all the way up the road to Formula 1

How many drivers and teams are there in F1 ACADEMY?

A total of 15 drivers make up the grid, with five teams operating three cars each. Each driver must be aged between 16 and 25 years old when entering their first event of the season.

READ MORE: Inaugural F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia to receive fully funded FRECA seat for 2024

From this season, all 10 F1 teams have nominated one driver, with each team having their livery on their chosen driver’s car. The remaining five drivers are being supported by other partners, with announcements coming in due course.

Who is racing in F1 ACADEMY this season?

The full 2024 line-up has yet to be confirmed, but already includes McLaren and Williams juniors Bianca Bustamante and Lia Block at ART Grand Prix, whilst Sauber Academy’s Carrie Schreiner and Haas-backed Chloe Chambers are joining Campos Racing.

MP Motorsport are continuing with their 2023 roster with third-place finisher Hamda Al Qubaisi driving for Red Bull Racing, Amna Al Qubaisi competing for Visa Cash App RB and Emely de Heus supported by Red Bull.

READ MORE: F1 ACADEMY drivers to get super licence points and wild card entries introduced for 2024 season

Reigning driver and teams’ champions PREMA Racing have also completed their trio with Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann racing alongside Mercedes junior and Iron Dame Doriane Pin, and Ferrari Driver Academy racer Maya Weug. Lastly, Alpine junior Abbi Pulling is returning for a second season racing with Rodin Motorsport.

What are F1 ACADEMY’s Wild Card entries?

Wild Card entries have been introduced at select races this season with entry being offered to talented young women from the host region for that specific weekend.

At races where there will be a Wild Card entry, PREMA Racing will operate the fourth car. The Wild Card entrant will be eligible to score points in the drivers’ standings but will not score points for the team.

What cars do they race in F1 ACADEMY?

As a one-make series, drivers get behind the wheel of identical Tatuus T421 chassis, using 13-inch tyres provided by Pirelli.

Powered by a turbo-charged 1.4 litre, four-cylinder engine supplied by Autotecnica, these deliver 174 brake horsepower and hit a top speed of 240km/h.

When and where will F1 ACADEMY race this season?

The 2024 F1 ACADEMY season features seven rounds, spanning three continents and with all weekends running in support of Formula 1 for the first time.

READ MORE: F1 ACADEMY announces calendar for 2024 season

Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit plays host to the season opener on March 7-9, before the field heads stateside to race on the streets of Miami at the start of May. The mid-season European leg gets underway with a trip to Barcelona in late June and then takes on Zandvoort’s legendary banked corners after the August summer break.

The Marina Bay Street Circuit will be in action for Round 5 from September 20-22. The 2024 season will conclude with a double-header, first visiting Lusail, Qatar for the penultimate weekend, before finishing in style in Abu Dhabi on December 6-8.

How does the F1 ACADEMY weekend work?

Just like F1, the F1 ACADEMY weekend takes place across three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but will be running from Thursday – Saturday in Saudi Arabia due to Ramadan.

In 2024, each round will commence with up to two Free Practices lasting up to 40 minutes each. These will give drivers and teams valuable track time to gain an understanding of the challenges of these new circuits alongside tweaking their ideal car setup.

READ MORE: F1 ACADEMY to collaborate with Champions of the Future on new global karting series

Then drivers will head into one 30-minute Qualifying session to set the grid for the two races. Each driver’s fastest lap will set the grid for Race 1 and the second fastest lap will set the order for Race 2. Both races are of equal length at 30 minutes each.

How many points are available on an F1 ACADEMY weekend?

F1 ACADEMY uses the same points offering as Formula 1 and both races award identical points. A driver can earn a maximum of 56 points each weekend, with 122 for the teams to play for.

Two points will be awarded to the driver(s) who start Race 1 and Race 2 from pole position. Fastest lap points are also handed out in each race to the driver and team who achieved the fastest valid lap time and classified inside the top 10.

No points are given to the driver who clocked in the fastest lap time but finished outside the top 10 or if the leader has completed less than 50% of the scheduled race distance.

Who was crowned the 2023 F1 ACADEMY champion?

Marta Garcia, 23, took home the title in the series’ inaugural season, achieving the title at the season finale in Austin, Texas last year. The Spaniard secured seven wins, a further five podiums and five pole positions, helping PREMA Racing to earn the double with the Teams’ title.

As part of the milestone agreement between F1 ACADEMY and the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, Garcia has received a fully-funded seat for the 2024 season with PREMA Racing.

READ MORE: 'My eyes were watering' – Garcia reflects on becoming inaugural F1 Academy champion and praises Hamilton

She won’t be the only 2023 graduate on the FRECA grid, with vice champion and Sauber Academy junior Lena Buhler racing for ART Grand Prix. This is part of the fourth entry granted to FRECA’s top teams who sign a driver who finished P1, P2 or P3 in the F1 ACADEMY standings.

Do F1 ACADEMY drivers receive FIA Super Licence points?

From this year, the top five drivers in the 2024 drivers’ standings will get FIA Super Licence points. The winner will receive 10 Super Licence points, scaling down to seven points for second and five points for third. The fourth-placed driver will be awarded three points and the driver who classifies fifth will collect one point.