F1 Academy is not a “feminist crusade” as female participation in motorsport is rising

Susie Wolff believes it is wrong to suggest she is on “a feminist crusade” with F1 Academy saying the championship is helping motorsport appeal to female fans of Formula 1.

The managing director of the single-seater, all-female series revealed the goal of F1 Academy is to have women competing equally against their male counterparts.

F1 Academy began in 2023 following the demise of W Series, which entered administration and later liquidated, and is set for its third season in 2025.

Speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange: London, Wolff said: “There is a huge audience out there of females who love Formula 1, and rightly so.

“I love F1, we can love this sport, and it is right as we move forward that we show this sport is evolving and it is taking mindful actions to connect with the female audience.

“That doesn’t mean I am on a feminist crusade to show what women can do, absolutely not.

“But this is a sport where men and women can compete against each other, one of the few sports in the world, and when you have your helmet on, it doesn’t matter what your gender is.

Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport leads at the start

Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images

“When I took on the role, I went and saw the F1 team principals. I said to them, please don’t view me as a woman running a women’s thing.

“I think the F1 Academy can be a very supportive thing for the development of F1 but I need them on the journey.”

Wolff thinks that the series also provides a career pathway, not only to aspiring female racers but also those who wish to work in motorsport in other capacities.

She added: “If we don’t increase participation, and we don’t get more young girls racing, the best will never rise to the top, and in the end, it comes down to talent.

“We are here to create that opportunity that hopefully the most talented can grab with both hands and move onwards and upwards.

“But we definitely had to focus on trying to change the preconception that it’s a man’s world and inspire not just the next generation of young girls, but the parents of the next generation to realise there is a chance.

“There are possibilities now for young women in racing, on and off track. Suddenly these young women and the mothers of these young women, they can see there is a pathway.”