Two of the leading organisations for the betterment of female racing drivers, F1 Academy and More than Equal have joined forces.

F1 Academy, in its third season, is a Formula 4 level female-only world championship with backing from all 10 Formula 1 teams plus several globally recognised brands.

More than Equal meanwhile, is a female-focussed driver development initiative conducting groundbreaking research and data-driven research methods to unearth, develop and nurture the first female F1 champion.

As of Friday, More than Equal becomes the Official Driver Performance & Research Partner for F1 Academy and will provide “expert, research-driven, insights that will help to develop the physical and mental performance of female drivers in F1 Academy and senior karting categories.”

Tom Stanton, CEO and Head of Driver Development at More than Equal said “This partnership represents a major step forward in creating a clear, data-driven pathway for female drivers. 

“By combining More than Equal’s expertise in research and performance with F1 Academy’s commitment to driver progression, we are ensuring that talented young women receive the support they need at every stage of their motorsport journey.”

F1 Academy Managing Director joins More than Equal board

More than Equal will collaborate with F1 Academy on research initiatives and devise a structured plan to guide female drivers through their development.

F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff takes up a position on the More than Equal advisory board as part of the partnership, which will see a dedicated physiotherapist provided to the all-female racing series throughout the year.

“More than Equal is fueling meaningful progress with insightful, industry-leading research,” said Wolff. 

“By coming together, and with the committed support of More than Equal, we will be an even stronger force for positive change in motorsport – with action, not just words.”

Dr. Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal, added: “If we want to see real change in female participation at the highest levels of motorsport, we need to take an evidence-based approach. 

“Our research will provide the data and insights needed to shape effective talent development strategies, ensuring female drivers have the right support structures in place to succeed.”

READ MORE – More than Equal unveils research on gender equality in Drag Racing

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The all-female racing series F1 Academy is set to return to screens next weekend during the Chinese Grand Prix.

F1 Academy has made some key structural changes to the series ahead of its third season running, including the expansion of the grid.

This season is set to be one of the most exciting yet, with fresh faces joining the grid alongside established talents.

Changes to the 2025 F1 Academy calendar

2025 will see F1 Academy run for seven rounds across six countries and three different continents.

The series will kick off in China at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend before returning to Saudi Arabia in April.

F1 Academy will also return to Miami for Round 3 before racing in Canada for the very first time alongside F1.

The drivers will then return to Zandvoort and Singapore for Rounds 5 and 6, and will wrap up the championship in Las Vegas in November.

The revamped structure of an F1 Academy race weekend

In its third season running, F1 Academy has revamped its race weekend format to include a reverse grid format.

The three-day weekend will begin with two Free Practice sessions on a Friday, lasting up to 40 minutes each.

Qualifying will take place on either Friday or Saturday, with only 30 minutes for drivers to set their fastest times.

F1 Academy has made Race 1 a reverse grid race, set by reversing the top eight drivers’ qualifying times.

Drivers who qualified ninth place and under will start Race 1 in the position they secured during qualifying.

Race 1 will take place on a Saturday, awarding only the top eight drivers with points, and an extra point for the fastest lap.

Race 2 on Sunday will take the traditional race format of drivers starting where they qualified, fighting for the full 25 points on offer.

F1 Academy points allocations

How Formula 1 supports F1 Academy

F1 Academy is a Formula 1 feeder series featured on the ‘support series’ programme, which means they compete during F1 weekends.

Building on the partnership established last season with F1, all ten F1 teams are required to ‘nominate’ a driver to the grid.

This often takes the form of F1 teams adopting these young female drivers into their academies, while some teams may nominate the driver for just one campaign.

Drivers who do not have the backing of F1 teams can be supported by other F1 Academy partners including American Express, Tommy Hilfiger, and Charlotte Tilbury.

What is an F1 Academy Wild Card driver?

F1 Academy introduced Wild Card drivers last season in an effort to showcase local female talent from the regions they race in.

These one-off entries gave drivers like Courtney Crone and Nina Gademan a chance to show their skills on a global scale.

Since its introduction last season, Wild Card entries have been incredibly useful for spotting and signing talent.

Wild Card entrants like Crone and Gademan put in strong debut performances and have been nominated by F1 teams for full-time seats this season.

The first confirmed Wild Card entrant is Chinese driver Wei Shi, who will make her F1 Academy debut in the opening round in Shanghai.

What teams and drivers are competing in 2025?

The expansion of the F1 Academy grid to 18 drivers has added the team of Hitech TGR to the field.

Hitech TGR will host the Wild Card seat alongside two full-time drivers, F1 Academy rookies Nicole Havrda and Aiva Anagnostiadis.

Championship winners, PREMA Racing retain 2024 runner-up Doriane Pin and Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann while adopting former wild card driver Nina Gademan.

Rodin Motorsport replaced title-winner Abbi Pulling with three new faces; McLaren’s Ella Lloyd, American driver Chloe Chong, and rookie Emma Felbermayr.

Spanish team Campos Racing employ three Red Bull-nominated drivers in Chloe Chambers, Rafaela Ferreira, and Alisha Palmowski.

MP Motorsport has also replaced their line-up with third-place finisher Maya Weug and 16-year-old rookies Joanne Ciconte and Alba Larsen.

Retaining two 2024 drivers in Aurelia Nobels and Lia Block, ART Grand Prix enhanced its line-up with Wild Card driver Courtney Crone.

Where to watch F1 Academy 2025: F1 Academy will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports during Formula 1 race weekends.

The post What to expect from F1 Academy 2025 appeared first on Motorsport Week.

The all-female racing series F1 Academy is set to return for a third season with a mixture of returning drivers and fresh faces for the Shanghai season opener.

Some key changes to the structure and format of the all-female series, most notably the addition of a sixth team to the grid, have been made.

Hitech TGR has joined F1 Academy alongside fellow junior teams ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, PREMA Racing, and Rodin Motorsport.

Only six drivers from last season have returned to the series, including runner-up Doriane Pin and Maya Weug, while championship winner Abbi Pulling moves on to GB3.

With a crop of new female racers looking to make their mark, who are the 18 drivers gearing up for the third F1 Academy season?

PREMA Racing may have the strongest drivers

PREMA Racing has so far won all the Team Championships in F1 Academy, granted we are only two seasons down.

With what appears to be the strongest line-up, PREMA has retained the 2024 runner-up Doriane Pin and Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann.

Mercedes’ Doriane Pin finished over 100 points behind the 2024 championship winner Abbi Pulling, after a mid-season injury impacted some of her races.

Swiss driver Hausmann achieved a best finish of P4 in the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, securing a 10th place finish in the standings.

Nina Gademan, backed by Alpine, joins the Italian team after her brilliant Wild Card performance in Zandvoort saw her score points in both races.

All three drivers have much to fight for this season, but it could be the Iron Dame Pin who is the greatest threat.

Rodin Motorsport has revamped its line-up

The Teams’ Championship runner-ups Rodin Motorsport has enlisted an entirely new line-up for the 2025 season.

McLaren-supported driver Ella Lloyd joins the Kiwi team after a strong Wild Card performance in Singapore saw her earn points in both races.

The British driver sits alongside returning driver Chloe Chong, who took a break from F1 Academy to compete in British F4 last year.

Chong will be supported by Charlotte Tilbury while teammate Emma Felbermayr joins the grid with Kick Sauber.

18-year-old Felbermayr will make her single-seater debut after making the jump from the WSK-Karting and the World and European Championships.

Can Rodin take the fight to PREMA after their championship-winning driver Abbi Pulling moved on?

Campos Racing employ all three Red Bull drivers

The Spanish Campos team finished third in the standings last year but looks stronger than ever, employing two new drivers for 2025.

American driver Chloe Chambers remains with the team for her second season, but partners with Red Bull Ford for her sophomore campaign.

Chambers picked up a victory in Barcelona and secured three podium finishes in 2024, finishing sixth in the Drivers’ standings.

The team welcomes Brazilian driver Rafaela Ferreira, supported by Racing Bulls, in her first global racing series after competing in South America.

Ferreira joins teammate Alisha Palmowski who was the best performing Wild Card driver in 2024, qualifying sixth and fourth in Lusail before securing a P5 finish.

2024 GB4 vice-champion Palmowski rounds off the Red Bull-supported team, joining forces with the F1 powerhouse for 2025.

MP Motorsport welcomes two new drivers

Dutch team MP Motorsport also has a new line-up for 2025, welcoming two new drivers alongside third-place finisher Maya Weug.

Scuderia Ferrari Academy driver Weug starts a new adventure with MP Motorsport after securing seven podiums and a win with PREMA last year.

The Dutch driver will be joined by newcomer Joanne Ciconte, supported by F1 Academy, who will make the jump from F4 series this year.

Ciconte is the youngest driver on the grid at 16 years old, joining fellow 16-year-old Alba Larsen.

Tommy Hilfiger-supported Larsen will make her full-time single-seater debut this year after being selected as a 2023 FIA Girls On Track Rising Stars finalist.

Weug is most likely to challenge the Iron Dame Pin for the title this year, but can her young teammates cause an upset?

ART Grand Prix retains familiar faces

ART retains two of its 2024 drivers for this season, enhancing its line-up with 2024 Wild Card driver Courtney Crone.

The American driver will be supported by Haas in her first full season of racing single-seaters after winning the 2023/2024 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship.

Puma-supported driver Aurelia Nobels embarks on her second F1 Academy season after securing a best finish of fifth place and six appearances in the points last year.

Lia Block continues her single-seater excursion with support from Williams Racing, continuing the transition from rallying.

The American rally champion secured two P4 finishes in Singapore last season, finishing eighth overall in the standings.

ART hope to use their experienced returning drivers to earn more points this season, and target a third-place finish in the standings.

New team Hitech TGR brings three new rookies

Newcomers Hitech TGR joins F1 Academy in its third season, welcoming three new drivers to the grid.

Canadian driver Nicole Havrda joins the pack supported by American Express after securing three titles in Formula Pro USA Winter Series, SFR FA2.

Hitech also welcomes Tag Heuer-supported driver Aiva Anagnostiadis who secured a place in the 2023 Alpine Rac(H)er Academy Programme.

Rounding off the grid, Shi Wei is the first Chinese driver to compete in F1 Academy with support from Juss Sports.

Wei is a FIA F4 Chinese Championship Challenge Cup winner, and has competed in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR86 Cup and the China Endurance Championship.

With fresh faces ready to make their marks, Hitech has a line-up full of rookies that could potentially change the game.

The series kicks off on March 21 with a season opening round in Shanghai, China.

READ MORE – Susie Wolff discusses the “F1 Academy effect” in grassroots motorsport

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Like the first two episodes, the third and fourth instalments of Drive to Survive Season 7 on Netflix offer inconsistent results when documenting the 2024 Formula 1 campaign.

It was clear from the outset in Episode 1 that Netflix would need to cram a lot of storylines into 10 episodes of Drive to Survive content and that’s why Episode 3 feels like a slight misstep as we spend the entirety of ‘Looking out for Number 1’ charting Mercedes deliberating Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 replacement.

This episode spends time with Toto Wolff flirting with Max Verstappen in an ill-fated attempt to lure the Dutchman, after revealing to his wife Susie that in previous years he’d promised Hamilton not to court his fierce rival. Then we pivot into deliberating whether George Russell has what it takes to be team leader. It’s a narrative that would’ve made sense in 2023, but last year Russell was a resounding success, thoroughly beating Hamilton in qualifying and putting in some of his finest races to date.

A peculiar moment arises whereby the British Grand Prix at Silverstone is implied to be a race Russell lost, despite viewers being shown he retired due to a technical fault. His redemption story comes with his decisive strategy call in Spa-Francorchamps, although the episode conveniently misses out the subsequent disqualification that came as a consequence of Russell’s one-stop strategy. Russell’s dominant performance in Las Vegas would have made a more resounding end to this particular narrative, but a slightly bigger story occurred in Nevada. 

Russell earns his stripes as Mercedes team leader, as revealed to him by Wolff in a motorhome chat captured by the Drive to Survive cameras and after a brief introduction, Kimi Antonelli gets the call up to F1. The Italian teenager’s reaction with his parents is the highlight of this episode as it is wrought in genuine emotion.

Motorsport Week appears in ‘Carlos Signs’

Episode 4, the incredibly named ‘Carlos Signs’ takes viewers into much stronger Drive to Survive territory as Carlos Sainz debates his future. Viewers get a chance to peek behind the curtain as Williams Team Principal James Vowles works hard to entice the Sainz camp, with the Netflix mics picking up a series of meetings.

…and then, Motorsport Week’s Barcelona paddock rumour article pointing Sainz towards a Williams signing in Spain gets a feature – hooray.

But alas, we were early to the punch on that rumour and that’s when Drive to Survive introduces the enigmatic figure that is Flavio Britore, swooping into the show like a Bond villain. Briatore could easily become a Drive to Survive favourite as, love him or loathe him, he has character. 

Sainz cites Briatore as the reason his move to Williams was delayed, as Alpine became a late player in courting the Spaniard’s signature, and Netflix handled the narrative well.

Again, like the off-track drama in Episode 1, Drive to Survive is at its best when it takes us off the track and the cameras and mics pick things up that the broadcasters can’t.

READ MORE – F1 Drive to Survive Season 7 Review: What we learnt from the first two episodes

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George Russell has claimed that the current crop of Formula 1 drivers are “more united than ever” amid a period of contention with the FIA.

The Briton, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) since 2021, has been at the forefront of a war of words between drivers and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The tension between the two parties arose last Autumn when Max Verstappen was penalised for swearing at a press conference in Singapore, landing him community service.

Charles Leclerc would also land in hot water over a similar infringement at the Mexico City Grand Prix, though the Ferrari driver received a fine for his misdemeanour.

The punishments came as part of a rewording of its International Sporting Code, which clamps down firmly on drivers’ using swear words, with Ben Sulayem claiming that drivers should not be speaking like “rappers”.

With Verstappen holding his own press events and giving one-word answers at subsequent official ones, and with Hamilton speculating racial undertones in Ben Sulayem’s comments, the GPDA subsequently issued a statement in which it urged the Emirati to “consider his own tone and language“.

With Carlos Sainz being named alongside him as a director of the GPDA, Russell expressed that the appointment of the Spaniard was an intelligent move by all involved.

“It’s great to have Carlos as part of the GPDA,” Russell told media including Motorsport Week.

“Obviously, [he is] a great driver, a really smart, wise individual – and has been around for a long time.

“And of course, in the past, there was always more than one driver director, but since Sebastian [Vettel retired], it’s just been myself for the last couple of years.

“So I’m happy that the other questions can be shared out a little bit more evenly between me and another driver.

“But I think, for all of us as 20, we’re probably more united than ever, especially with everything that’s going on off track.

“And to have Carlos as one of the senior voices as well, I think is a great addition.”

READ MORE – F1 champion backs Susie Wolff to challenge for FIA presidency

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1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has backed Susie Wolff to succeed Mohammed Ben Sulayem as FIA President.

Wolff, Managing Director of F1 Academy and the FIA came to blows at the end of 2023 when the governing body launched a conflict of interest probe based on an alleged complaint from an F1 team.

The investigation sought to determine whether Wolff’s marriage to Mercedes Team Principal Toto was a conflict of interest, but after the remaining nine F1 teams published statements in support, the probe was dropped.

Wolff reportedly launched a criminal complaint against the FIA, and both she and her husband condemned the actions of an “unfounded” investigation that lacked “transparency.”

The Italian publication Autosprint claims that the feud could be tied to Wolff running for the FIA presidency, with Ben Sulayem seeking another term in this December’s elections.

Autosprint suggests the investigation into the Wolffs may have been Ben Sulayem subtly acknowledging he “was aware of the possible launch of Mrs Wolff in a presidential election race.”

Reacting to various reports that Wolff is poised to run for FIA Presidency, Hill, the ‘96 F1 champion and a popular broadcaster wrote on Instagram: “She’d be perfect.”

As endorsements go, that’s short, but resounding to a point.

Wolff’s impact on motorsport

Wolff’s potential running for FIA presidency is well-timed given that female fans aged 16 to 24 are the fastest growing demographic for F1, the governing body’s grandest of all series.

Those stats are presented by Forbes, which also states that 41% of all F1 fans are female.

Beyond F1, Wolff has long been an advocate for pushing real change in motorsport, addressing the gender imbalances of its participants.

Wolff is still the last female driver to participate in an F1 session (with Williams in 2014) and as Managing Director of the all-female F1 Academy series, has brought international live broadcasting plus backing from all 10 F1 teams and several global brand partnerships.

Wolff isn’t alone in pushing for female representation in motorsport, the Iron Dames is another prominent player on the international racing stage, supporting female athletes in sportscar racing, single-seaters and rallying.

More than Equal is another, set up to develop and nurture female drivers towards the start of their racing journey, to unearth the first female F1 world champion.

As the gender shift in motorsport persists for the good of all participants, Wolff running for president could help quell the imbalance for good.

READ MORE – Susie Wolff launches criminal complaint against FIA

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Don’t miss out on the latest edition of Motorsport Monday where Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda is our cover star.

READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF MOTORSPORT MONDAY FOR FREE

This week’s edition begins with the FIA Formula E Championship as Season 11 resumed in Mexico. Porsche locked out the front row, but it was Nissan’s Oliver Rowland who won. Jack Smith reported on the weekend’s action, whilst covering the paddock gossip.

The 2025 Dakar completed its first week with seven stages comprising six stage winners, as young South African charger Henk Lategan heads the overall standings. David Ledbitter covers one of motorsport’s most gruelling challenges.

Elsewhere, the past week in F1 saw Alpine announce that it has signed Franco Colapinto from Williams. But while the Argentine will begin 2025 as a reserve driver, Dan Lawrence and Taylor Powling discuss in this week’s Start Your Engines why it’s just a matter of time until he takes over Jack Doohan’s spot to return to the grid.

READ MORE – Isack Hadjar has ‘always looked up to’ new Racing Bulls team-mate Yuki Tsunoda

Tsunoda delivered his most impressive F1 campaign to date in 2024, though it wasn’t enough to land the coveted promotion to Red Bull that he craves. Taylor sat down with the Japanese driver recently to discuss his evolution as a driver and the factors that could tempt him to move teams.

Following a successful 2024 campaign, F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff revealed that there’s been a positive uptick in female participation in motorsport. Shayni Solanki looks to what the future holds for the all-female single-seater series.

Last week Mo Rehman previewed the upcoming FIA World Endurance campaign and this time it’s the turn of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as he looks ahead to the 2025 season with five key storylines ahead of his trip to this year’s 24 hours of Daytona.

And, as always, we have all the usual news, views and stories in this week’s edition of the most widely read weekly motorsport magazine in the world!

SUBSCRIBE TO MOTORSPORT MONDAY

The post Motorsport Monday: Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls Exclusive appeared first on Motorsport Week.

F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff discusses the “F1 Academy effect” in grassroots motorsports with female participation levels increasing to 25%.

Wolff took to the F1 Acacemy helm shortly before its inaugural season in 2023 and set out to diversify motorsport’s playing field.

In two years Wolff has sent two champions to FRECA and GB3, facilitated driver signings in F1 team driver programmes, and helped boost female participation levels in motorsport.

During an interview with Goodwood, Wolff explained: “We’ve never had so much female participation – 25 per cent – and when you speak to those in the world of karting, they’re calling it the F1 Academy effect.” 

“We’re giving that huge female fan base the impression that, ‘Okay, this sport isn’t just for men’, and I think that’s one of the big hurdles that we have to break down, particularly for the next generation.

“They need to see these young women in race suits, on the pit wall and in the garages for them to believe that they can do it.

“I don’t have the hard numbers and the data, but I certainly feel a wave of impact.”

The “F1 Academy effect” in karting

Not only does Wolff run the single-seater racing series, but she has also created several new opportunities for females participating in grassroots motorsport.

F1 Academy scouts female drivers from karting centres across the world, offering them sponsorships and connections with their number of high-profile partners.

Some of F1 Academy’s partners include Tommy Hilfiger, Charlotte Tilbury, Puma, Pirelli, Red Bull, and American Express.

Wolff continued: “With the huge exposure we’ve managed to gather in year one, and bearing in mind that we have nearly all the F1 broadcasters with us, the fact we’re racing with F1, that we have brands like Charlotte Tilbury and Tommy Hilfiger helping us reach a brand new audience, I think we really are changing that perception.

“I think we’ve achieved a lot this year. We’ve already announced we’re increasing to more cars for next season.

“So I think we’re off to a very solid start. But this is a long-term project, and we’ll only see the results kind of mid-term.

“So, it’s about continuing to progress, continuing to make sure we make the right decisions, to make sure, for example, that our champion progresses in the right way.”

Wolff on F1 Academy’s exposure for drivers

Exposure is not just limited to brands, female drivers spotted by F1 Academy have the chance of building relationships with F1 teams.

The sophomore season of F1 Academy saw the relationship with F1 broaden, with all ten teams required to sponsor an F1 Academy driver on the grid.

This has given drivers like Abbi Pulling and Doriane Pin the chance to be signed into both Alpine and Mercedes’ driver programmes respectively.

“I was always very ambitious with my plans for F1 Academy, racing, with F1, getting the F1 teams on board, and of course, it was up to us to show them that this was a platform that was going to be impactful.

“In the end, I don’t want the success of F1 Academy to be judged on if I get one girl into Formula 1.

“I think it will come down to finding that exceptional talent because to make it to F1 you need to be exceptional.

“But you also need to have the right trajectory, and that means having the funding, getting into the right team and getting noticed by the right people.

“The more that we are existing, the more the involvement from the Formula 1 teams, means they will know when we come across an outstanding talent.”

The third season of the all-female series is set to kick off on the 21st of March with a season-opener at the Shanghai International Circuit.

READ MORE – Red Bull sign Alisha Palmowski for 2025 F1 Academy assault

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Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff believes there are still “plenty of adventures” for Lewis Hamilton and himself to “embark on” when his time in Formula 1 with Ferrari comes to an end.

The seven-time World Champion is officially a Ferrari driver as we enter into 2025, bringing an end to 12 seasons with the Silver Arrows.

Hamilton and Mercedes share the most successful partnership in the sport’s history with the British driver winning six of of seven world titles for the German outfit.

The 39-year-old also became a centurion with his 100th win in F1 after victory at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix as well as his 100th pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix in the same season – holding the record for the most wins and pole positions in history.

However, after leaving McLaren in a move that shook the paddock back in 2013, Hamilton once again stunned the world of F1 by ending his time with Mercedes to race in red for 2025.

But Wolff feels there will be a reunion at one point once Hamilton ends his F1 career with the Prancing Horse, as he hinted at a return in some capacity for the multiple World Champion.

“There is no such thing in an end to the relationship that Mercedes has with Lewis, neither what we as a team have nor I and Susie [Wolff, wife] personally,” he said on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.

“On the contrary, I think Lewis has decided to do something else for the last part of his career, which I understand – or I can understand – but he’s always going to be part of that family and always welcome in the family.

“And one day, maybe when the driving ends, there’s going to be plenty of adventures we’re going to embark on.”

Wolff: Lauda deserved more ‘credit’ for Hamilton signing

One of the key reasons Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 was due to the influence of the late Niki Lauda.

The legendary three-time World Champion was a leading figure within the ranks of the team as he was appointed non-executive chairman of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport.

Famously, Lauda persuaded Hamilton to join Mercedes in a hotel room at the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix.

“Without Niki, there wouldn’t be any Lewis with Mercedes,” Wolff said.

“I think Niki was so persistent in trying to convince him to join Mercedes and, particularly, he just scored the goal with him on that Sunday night in Singapore, where Lewis DNF’d with the McLaren and convinced him to join the team.

“Everything else just followed suit – I’m not sure Niki was ever given enough credit for that.

[He] took no prisoners – what’s the salary you want? – and convinced the board of Mercedes to do this.

“Niki was always a very good liaison between the team and Lewis in the first few years because he was talking as a three-time World Champion and had the respect of Lewis.

“Eventually it became the three of us and the whole team became one.

“We sometimes call drivers contractors: they come, you pay them well, if they don’t have the right car anymore and they’re getting paid well somewhere else, they leave.

“Lewis changed from a contractor to team member and that was because everybody else just embraced the notion of the team that we had then.”

The news first broke thanks to former F1 team owner, Eddie Jordan, at the 2012 Italian Grand Prix.

The Irishman recently revealed that he made regular visits to McLaren’s hospitality unit to talk to Hamilton on behalf of Lauda – whose connections to Mercedes meant he was not welcome in McLaren’s building in the paddock – therefore giving him the inside scoop.

“Niki Lauda used to push me into McLaren to go and speak to Lewis, to do all the little messaging for him, because he couldn’t do it because of the connection [with Mercedes],” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast.

“He was so strongly involved with Mercedes.”

READ MORE: Toto Wolff: Mercedes to continue Lewis Hamilton’s diversity mission

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The 2025 F1 Academy grid will grow from 15 full-time entries to 18 with the addition of Hitech, the all-female single-seater series announced on Friday.

In 2024 there were 15 full-time entries with three cars each operated by Prema, Rodin, MP Motorsport, Campos and ART Grand Prix.

Prema then operated a fourth machine at each round with a wildcard driver.

Next year Hitech will field two full-time drivers with a third rotating wildcard competitor at each round to make up the 18-car field.

This addition expands Hitech’s junior formula operation with the outfit competing in FIA Formula 2, Formula 3, as well as the GB3 Championship, British Formula 4 and Formula Winter Series.

Alpine Formula 1 Team Principal and Hitech founder Oliver Oakes said: “I’m delighted to confirm Hitech’s participation in F1 ACADEMY from the 2025 season.

“A platform that inspires and supports young girls and women to embark on their motorsport journey is one that we have always fundamentally believed in and the opportunity to translate support into positive action by entering a team in F1 ACADEMY is really important to us.

“We applaud the commitment and determination of Susie Wolff as the force behind the change that the series is driving.”

F1 Academy ‘proud’ to add Hitech to the 2025 grid

Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 ACADEMY said: “We are proud to be expanding the F1 ACADEMY grid to 18 cars in just our third season of racing.

“It’s clear to us that change is already in motion, and this expansion reflects not just the growing talent pool of drivers ready to make the step up but also the incredible growth of F1 ACADEMY as a platform to develop female talent.

“Hitech Grand Prix have an impressive history in the junior formula, including FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 and we are pleased to welcome them to our grid from 2025.”

Motorsport Week spoke exclusively to F1 Academy Competition Manager Delphine Biscaye in Zandvoort earlier this year where she revealed an intention to expand the grid in the near future.

“I think to make [the series] sustainable, the end goal is to increase the number of cars to show we’re stronger,” Biscaye explained.

“20 cars would make sense, probably, in the next three, four, five years.”

With the addition of Hitech, Biscaye and F1 Academy are just two cars short of that 20-strong goal.

READ MORE – Exclusive: what does the future hold for F1 Academy?

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