THE RACE FOR INCLUSION

I SPEAK TO F1 ACADEMY HEAD OF RACE OPERATIONS DELPHINE BISCAYE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON GENDER EQUALITY AND INCLUSION IN FORMULA 1.

- WORDS SUFFIAN HAKIM

THE F1 ACADEMY was established in late 2022 not merely as a racing series, but as a strategic catalyst for gender equality within the high-pressure environment of global motorsport. Under the leadership of managing director Susie Wolff, the championship tackles the "participation gap" by providing 15 young drivers (expanded to 18 for the 2025 season) with a highly subsidised, professional platform to sharpen their skills in identical Tatuus T-421 chassis.

It was the subject of F1: The Academy, a seven-part docuseries produced by Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, that premiered globally on Netflix last year.

By integrating with the Formula 1 calendar and securing the branding of all 10 teams, the series uses its massive visibility to challenge the “you can't be what you can't see” narrative. The goal is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where the presence of women in the paddock—from the cockpit to the pit wall—is no longer a milestone, but the standard.

This commitment to systemic change is the driving force behind the series's technical and operational structure, which intentionally highlights roles for women in STEM and leadership. Programmes like “Discover Your Drive” work at the grassroots level to inspire the next generation of female engineers, mechanics, and strategists, moving the needle on the statistic that women currently make up only a fraction of the technical workforce in racing.

The series has attracted significant commercial support, with TAG Heuer serving as Official Partner and first-ever Official Timekeeper, a multiyear commitment that began in the 2025 season.