Susie Wolff: F1 Academy must be commercially viable, not a charity project

Wolff sets out F1 Academy’s commercial mandate

Susie Wolff says F1 Academy must stand as a commercially viable racing platform, not a symbolic initiative carried by goodwill alone, as the all-female championship continues to expand its presence within Formula 1.

“We don't expect, as the female arm within Formula 1, for it to be a charity project. It needs to make sense. We need to build a platform that works for our partners,” Wolff said.

The championship has also moved beyond the paddock through its own Netflix production, F1: The Academy, a Drive to Survive-style series that has further amplified its profile. As the series continues to broaden its reach, new entries such as Chiara Bättig’s F1 Academy debut at Silverstone underline how the platform is being used to create visible opportunities within the Formula 1 ecosystem.

Merit remains central to the F1 pathway

Wolff’s ambition is clear, but so is her caution. While placing a woman in Formula 1 remains one of the most discussed objectives around F1 Academy, she stressed that the route must be based on performance rather than optics.

“Will it happen? I think yes. Can I give you a definitive date? No, because it comes down to talent,” she explained.

Wolff added: “A door shouldn't be opened or an opportunity given just because it's a woman, but we will find a young girl that's going to be talented enough, and I have no doubt that there will be a team that gives her the chance.”

Early champions are already moving forward

F1 Academy’s first three seasons have already produced tangible progression. 2023 champion Marta Garcia moved into the Formula Regional European Championship before switching to endurance racing with the Iron Dames.

The 2024 champion, Abbi Pulling, stepped up to the GB3 Championship, where she became the first woman to claim both a pole position and a race victory. She also works as a rookie and simulator driver for the Nissan Formula E Team.

Doriane Pin, following her 2025 title, earned a development driver role with the Mercedes F1 team and became the first woman to test a Mercedes F1 car. She has also secured a race seat in the European Le Mans Series LMP2 class.

For Wolff, those outcomes reinforce the central point: F1 Academy’s growth must be ambitious, professional and sustainable. As she put it, she is “incredibly proud” of what has been achieved, but remains “very ambitious” about what can follow, especially at a time when women’s sport is on fire.