Credits: Imago

F1 Academy is an initiative lauded by many, as it provides women with a chance to make a mark in the world of single-seater racing. Although it will take some time, the promoters of the series, including boss Susie Wolff want the girls to reach F1 someday. Three-time champion of F1 Max Verstappen, too, is happy about what F1 is trying to do, but questions how they are doing it.

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Per Verstappen, the young drivers in F1 Academy are not competing with the right cars. If their aim is to reach the pinnacle of motorsports one day, it is essential for them to drive better, more competitive cars.

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As quoted by De Limburger, Verstappen said, “It’s good that Formula 1 is now paying extra attention to women in motorsports with F1 Academy, although I question how they are doing it. The cars they drive are far too slow. If you ever want to get them into Formula 1, it really has to go to a higher level”

F1 Academy has some of the biggest talents in motorsports, and has inspired a whole new generation of girls to pick up their dream of making it to F1. But the problem, as pointed out by Verstappen lies in the fact that they use F4 spec cars. They use a Tatuus F4-T421 chassis, used in the F4 championships around the world since 2022.

Verstappen’s criticism did not stop with just calling F1 out. He decided to go one step ahead and question the teams’ involvement in helping the F1 Academy stars grow.

F1 teams not doing enough, says Max Verstappen

From 2024 onwards, it was mandatory for all 10 F1 teams to sponsor one F1 Academy driver. Their livery and branding would follow these drivers throughout the course of the campaign, and all the teams have complied. Verstappen, however, has a question. What next?

“It’s all very nice having girls sponsored by F1 teams, but what are we actually helping them with? There is no next step for them now,” the Dutchman asks.

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Verstappen’s concern stems from the fact that even if the drivers perform well in, or win the F1 Academy Championship, they have no future in the world of motorsports guaranteed.

So far, getting into F1 for these young talents seems like a far-fetched dream, despite the push made by the sport’s governing bodies. However, it was a necessary step, as admitted by many. A predecessor series named W-Series was started in 2019 but it failed due to financial mismanagement and poor governance overall.

Thankfully, F1 Academy is not making the same mistakes, as revealed by renowned F1 journalist and former communications director Matt Bishop.