Formula 1 has seen just five female drivers in its 74 years of recorded history. There are now more women involved in motorsport, with series such as F1 Academy - which features solely women drivers - to encourage more women and girls into motorsport and support them to progress in their career.
Formula 1 has founded the F1 Academy, which is a female-only single-seater racing championship. The series had its inaugural season in 2023, with its aim to develop and help women progress into higher levels of the competition, such as F2 and F1.
There are 15 cars on the grid which have been provided by current F2 and F3 teams. A number of drivers are also supported by the current Formula 1 teams, with each F1 team having backed a driver.
The 2024 season will feature seven race weekends which will consist of three races each, making it a 21-race championship.
Formula One Management financially backs the series, subsidising each entry with a budget of €150,000 per season, although drivers taking part will be required to match the amount. Management has claimed that this “represents a fraction of the usual costs in a comparable series.”