F1 Academy: All-female junior category to hold seven rounds at grands prix in 2024
- Published
Marta Garcia of Spain (pictured with three-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen in August) leads the inaugural F1 Academy championship with one round remaining
Formula 1's all-female junior category will hold all its rounds next year as support races for grands prix.
The F1 Academy will feature seven rounds, starting in Saudi Arabia on 7 March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 8 December.
The other races will be at the Miami, Spanish, Dutch, Singapore and Qatar Grands Prix.
This year, F1 Academy is a support race at only this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
The calendar for 2024 features a mix of street circuits and traditional tracks.
F1 Academy is an entry-level series for women drivers taking their first steps in motorsport, usually after a career in karting, the traditional entry into motorsport.
All 10 F1 teams will provide a driver to the Academy and have their livery on one car.
Susie Wolff, the managing director of the F1 Academy, made it her aim to make the series a support event at grands prix when it was launched this year.
She said: "This calendar cements our ambition to become a truly global series, expanding our reach and improving visibility for our mission.
"We want to inspire young girls and women across the globe and show them that there's a place for them in our sport, and racing alongside F1 will help us achieve this."
F1 chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: "This global platform, combined with the support of all ten F1 teams, will take the series to the next level, providing not only the opportunity for the drivers to develop their skills on F1 tracks, but to inspire young girls around the world to pursue a future in motorsport."