Garcia bagged seven race wins on her way to winning the 2023 F1 Academy title in Austin, as the all-female series supported a Formula 1 round for the first time at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
Top junior single-seater team Prema Racing, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, ran Garcia and its driver, hotly tipped Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, won the FRECA crown this term.
Prema will combine with F1 Academy, FRECA chassis manufacturer Tatuus and tyre supplier Pirelli to “provide a financial contribution towards the cost of the seat”, according to a statement from F1.
FRECA is primarily used for junior drivers as a bridge between F4 and F3. The series will now permit teams to run a fourth car if they sign a racer who has finished in the top-three of the F1 Academy standings.
F1 Academy also states that it “will work in close collaboration with teams to support its winner in progressing up the motorsport ladder”.
To further improve accessibility, F1 Academy has cut the entry fee that a driver must contribute towards her seat from €150,000 to €100,000 for next season.
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff said: “F1 Academy is all about progression and creating more opportunities for young women across motorsport, so to offer a fully funded seat in FRECA for our inaugural champion is a significant moment.
“The fact that [Garcia] will also continue to race with PREMA, whom she has built a relationship with and are current team champions in this category, will also aid in her future development.”
Source: Autosport