As announced in 2024, F1 Academy’s new docu-series will air on Netflix, with a final date in sight. The F1 Academy documentary will air globally on Netflix on May 28.
Consisting of seven episodes, this documentary will mirror the likes of Formula One’s Drive to Survive and NASCAR: Full Speed. The storyline takes viewers along the tales of female racers, showcasing their battles during the 2024 F1 Academy season, which spanned seven rounds.
The proposal to shoot a docu-series on the all-female F1 Academy championship was revealed in 2024, with an anticipated release in 2025.
The docu-series is co-produced by F1 Academy’s Managing Director, Susie Wolff, and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine productions. Lisa Keane is the showrunner, overseeing production, writing and direction of the docu-series.
F1 Academy’s 2024 season: A major step-up
F1 Academy’s 2024 season proved to be a massive step up from its inaugural campaign. Major changes to the series included bringing it under F1’s support bill, meaning it served as F1’s support series on seven weekends in 2024.
This major change brought F1 Academy in line with the other support series, offering the drivers greater visibility. Fans were also able to follow the racing action live on F1’s streaming platform, F1 TV, for no additional cost.
Another major change enacted saw all ten F1 teams mandated to support at least one driver in the all-female series. F1’s significantly greater involvement reaped rewards, as drivers benefitted massively from the support of their respective F1 teams.
Additionally, F1 Academy inked partnerships with lifestyle brands, such as Charlotte Tilbury, PUMA and Tommy Hilfiger. This gave the championship a presence beyond the racetrack as well. Lola Lovinfosse, Aurelia Nobels and Nerea Martí sporting special liveries on track.
Another distinct addition to the series saw the introduction of wild-card drivers. Reigning champions PREMA Racing would field an additional fourth driver at each venue. These would be drivers hailing from the host nation. This initiative opened up opportunities to the likes of Reema Juffali, Nina Gademan, and Courtney Crone to race at their respective home events.
Another important regulation capped the number of seasons for an F1 Academy driver to a maximum of two seasons. This opened the door for newer names to take to the series, whilst turning away racers from doing multiple seasons in the championship.
This simply added to the dynamic nature of the series, with teams bringing in a wide pool of talent. Endurance specialist Doriane Pin, Extreme E racer Lia Block, and Formula Regional racer Maya Weug were among the top names joining the championship in 2024.
The documentary’s impact on F1 Academy
Accordingly, F1 Academy attempts to take the docu-series route to grow its follower base. By giving an insight into the lives of F1 Academy’s drivers, it aims to showcase female racers and their back stories.
The docu-series will also attempt to portray motor racing as a lucrative career for budding females. By giving an insight into an F1 Academy racer’s life, it aims to motivate females to take up motorsport.
Similarly, this docu-series stands as F1 Academy’s path to reach newer audiences. It aims to mirror the likes of Formula One’s Drive to Survive and NASCAR’s Full Speed and their respective success.
