MIAMI – The second season of the Formula 1 Academy is now in full swing, having just completed its second weekend of racing at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix alongside the Formula 1 circus. Abbi Pulling, driving for Rodin Motorsport and supported by Alpine, convincingly took first place in both 13-lap races around the Miami Autodrome.
This weekend was the only one the F1 Academy will spend in the US this year, as the other six race weekends will take place at various tracks around the globe. And if you missed it, you missed many exciting races that are already showcasing some outstanding drivers.
If you’re new to the F1 Academy (they started racing in 2023), you know that it’s a series created and supported by Formula 1 to prepare and develop female drivers in which Hope to promote them to higher series and maybe even all the way to F1. For example, 2023 series champion Marta Garcia has moved up to the Alpine Formula Regional European Championship and will also take part in a Formula E rookie test. And because the F1 Academy accompanies Formula 1 around the world (on seven of the 24 race weekends), that means its drivers race on the same tracks and in front of the same fans as F1. This is a huge boost in awareness, as Pulling told us in the media pen immediately after his step down from the podium.
“It’s definitely a different level: the fans when you get in the car, people screaming as you drive away, and you’re on the grid and people are waving at you, and that’s a lot, but I think that’s it so what we need and the buoyancy we need. It definitely motivates me to keep going and push harder. “This is a good thing for women’s sports,” Pulling said.
It’s also exciting to see as a motorsport fan. All the post-race ceremony you’re used to in F1 will play out exactly the same in the F1 Academy – there will even be a Drive To Survive-like documentary series. The podium finishers take their numbers in the Parc Fermé (celebrate!). They get on-camera interviews after the race; The podium procedure is a knock-off of Formula 1 and all the pomp and circumstance is there. However, the champagne is non-alcoholic (many of the racing drivers have not yet reached the legal drinking age).
American fans were able to witness Chloe Chambers, an American woman, take third place in the first race of the weekend in her Haas-liveried car. Chambers finished a strong fourth in the second race, but was the only American in an open car on the podium last weekend as the only American in Formula One, Logan Sargeant, retired from his race after a collision with Kevin Magnussen.
Another series favorite is Bianca Bustamente (McLaren). After stalling on the starting grid in her first race, she fought her way through the field and scored points in ninth place. In the second race she held off the fast Doriane Pin (Mercedes) and secured second place. Bustamente is only 19 years old but is already considered a potential star and had a great weekend in Miami.
“It’s intense,” Bustamente tells us about her races in Miami. “I always say Miami is like no other place, it’s just beautiful. The weather is good, the food is great, the people are great, the atmosphere is great, so it’s nice to race in the spotlight of F1, lots of people, lots of fans. But yeah, we didn’t really expect to be at the pace we were at the start of the weekend. I felt like we did our preparations to make sure we left here with no regrets and I didn’t really know we were that strong, but that’s just because of the hard work the team has put in.”
Aside from the close and extremely entertaining race, the local commentary at the track, which was played over the track’s loudspeakers (completely unrelated to the excellent television coverage), was neither good nor entertaining. A report from Jalopnik highlighted some of the low points as commenters descended into sexist remarks. An example of this is that at the start of the F1 Academy, the announcers told the viewers in Miami: “Girls, put your phones away, it’s time to watch.” Additionally, people around the track noticed that the commentators said several times: ” “I’m not supposed to be sexist…” and also made numerous comments about the drivers’ appearance, hair and age.
The race organizers noticed this and remedied the situation by releasing a statement on the second day.
“The inappropriate comment during the F1 Academy race on Saturday was brought to our attention and immediately addressed. The comments expressed are unacceptable and do not reflect on the Miami Grand Prix or its organizers. We were proud to support the F1 Academy this weekend and will continue to do so as they work to increase diversity and representation in motorsport.”
As bad as it all was, we’re thrilled to have attended an F1 weekend with the F1 Academy and would highly recommend checking the calendar for a weekend where the series will be racing. Competition is fierce; There are lots of overtaking maneuvers and it puts the spotlight on impressive riders who might not have had it otherwise. Pulling is quickly making a name for herself as a potential championship winner after winning three of the first four races, and by a wide margin. The series (available for live streaming on F1TV) next travels to Barcelona for the Formula 1 race weekend on June 21-23.