If you think Formula 1 is all podium Champagne and men in racing jackets, think again. Netflix’s newest sports series, F1: The Academy, is here to shift gears — and perspectives — by spotlighting the rising generation of women tearing up the track. In the 2024 F1 Academy racing series, it was the women breaking barriers in one of the most demanding (and male-dominated) sports in the world.
The seven-part series offers unprecedented access to the adrenaline, grit, and emotional turmoil on race day, and everything that leads up to it. At the center of it all is Susie Wolff, a former professional driver and now managing director of F1 Academy. In 2014, Wolff was the first woman in 22 years to participate in a Formula 1 weekend, and remains one of the most respected people in motorsport. Wolff now leads the new stable of drivers with a rare blend of strategic vision and firsthand experience.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. For many of the women featured in F1: The Academy, this is more than just another big race. It’s a shot at changing the game. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access, the series tracks rivalries, setbacks, victories, as well as the quiet moments in between, revealing what it really takes to succeed in the high-octane world of Formula 1.
Backed by Hello Sunshine, the production company founded by Reese Witherspoon, the show is as emotionally charged as it is visually thrilling. Expect pulse-pounding action, vulnerability, and the undeniable energy of a movement gaining speed. Along with Witherspoon, F1: The Academy is executive produced by Sara Rea, Sarah Lazenby for Hello Sunshine, Wolff, Isabelle Stewart, and Ian Holmes for F1. The showrunner is Lisa Keane.
Created by Formula 1 and supported by the Formula One teams, F1 Academy is a starting ground for young women in motorsport, built to help them grow their skills and move up the ranks — from Formula 4 to Formula 3, and maybe even all the way to F1.
Prior to entering the world of F1, Lia Block had a successful career as a rally racer, becoming the youngest American Rally Association champion at just 16 years old. Now she looks to make her mark on a new track under the Williams umbrella.
Filipino driver Bianca Bustamante is the first woman member of McLaren’s Driver Development Programme. As one of the sports rising stars, Bustamante competes with the weight of a country on her shoulders.
American driver Chloe Chambers started karting at just 8 years old, winning regional and national championships over the next decade. Now she looks to emerge as a top prospect in the F1 Academy.
Swiss driver Tina Hausmann found success in Formula 4, winning multiple trophies in 2023. Originally drawn to motorsport after seeing a race kart at a car dealership at age 7, Hausmann has come a long way, now seeking to stake a claim in Formula 1 .
French driver Lola Lovinfosse found success at the highest level of karting, then advanced to Spanish F4, showing an ability to learn fast in her first two seasons. Now she puts her skills to the test on F1 circuits.
Brazilian driver Aurelia Nobels started out carting prior to making the jump to single-seaters, becoming the only woman driver on the 2022 Brazilian F4 grid. Nobel aims to to continue developing in her F1 Academy debut.
French driver Doriane Pin is nicknamed “the Pocket Rocket,” and it's crystal clear why when you watch her speedy performances. After blazing to success in endurance racing, Pin flourished in 2022, winning 9 of 14 races in the Ferrari Challenge Europe Series. Her next quest is F1 Academy podiums.
British driver Abbi Pulling’s career began with karting at 8 years old, and it’s been full of accolades. After making the leap to British Formula 4 and W Series racing, Pulling found her way to multiple podiums and pole positions, momentum she hopes to continue.
German driver Carrie Schreiner found success karting from 2011 to 2014 before moving to Formula 4 in 2015. After racking up top-three finishes in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Schreiner transitioned to F1 Academy.
Amna Al Qubaisi is the first woman Emirati race driver, and her career began with karting in 2014. Four years later, Al Qubaisi made her single-seater debut in the Italian F4 Championship, before joining MP Motorsports for the inaugural F1 Academy season before joining RB.
Emirati driver Hamda Al Qubaisi started her motorosport career at 13, rising through the karting ranks before making history in 2021 as the first woman to score a podium in the Italian F4 Championship. Sister to Amna, Hamda looks to break more barriers in F1 Academy.
Dutch driver Maya Weug began carting at 7 years old, finding success that led to her single-seater debut in the Italian F4. In 2021, Weug made history by becoming first woman member of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
A former driver and team principal, Susie Wolff is a motorsport pioneer. Once a developmental driver for Williams in Formula One, Wolff is now focused on clearing a path for women in racing by overseeing the growth of the next generation of drivers as the managing director of F1 Academy.
The Netflix Sports Club Podcast is here to take you deeper into the story of F1: The Academy. Host Kay Adams and F1 Correspondent Kirsten Watson take you behind the scenes, into the paddock, and even onto the red carpet premiere of Netflix’s newest sports title to binge. Plus, Kirsten sits down Susie Wolff to discuss the talented young women behind the wheel in F1 Academy and why she believes the future of racing is female.
Watch F1: The Academy on Netflix now.
