Picture: Getty Images
First unveiled last year, F1: The Academy will debut on Netflix globally on May 28, 2025, providing insider access to the relatively new Formula division, featuring the world’s best female race drivers.
The official logline for the series, which follows the second season of the sport, reads, “The multi-part, adrenaline-fueled series will give fans exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to the all-women driving category, highlighting the drama of the races, as well as the personal stories and high stakes for the drivers, their teams, sponsors, and families involved, as they break barriers in one of the most demanding sports in the world.”
For those unfamiliar, F1 Academy was established in 2023 to help develop young female drivers and progress them in the sport. It’s not to be confused with W Series, which launched in 2019 but ultimately fell into financial difficulty and ceased to exist in mid-2023. It’s one of several divisions that race alongside the main Formula 1 teams throughout the year, alongside Formula 2 and Formula 3.
For the 2024 season, there were five teams, each with three drivers, excluding the wildcard drivers who participated throughout the year. Those include:
- Prema Racing
- Doriane Pin
- Maya Weug
- Tina Hausmann
- Rodin Motorsport
- Abbi Pulling
- Jessica Edgar
- Lola Lovinfosse
- MP Motorsport
- Hamda Al Qubaisi
- Amna Al Qubaisi
- Emely de Heus
- ART Grand Prix
- Bianca Bustamante
- Lia Block
- Aurelia Nobels
- Campos Racing
- Chloe Chambers
- Carrie Schreiner
- Nerea Martí
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine is behind the new partnership. Speaking about the project in a statement last year, Witherspoon said, “We started Hello Sunshine to change the narrative for women, and Susie Wolff and F1 Academy are doing just that by creating new opportunities in the thrilling world of motorsport. As these dynamic and fearless drivers break barriers behind the wheel, we are excited to partner with Netflix to tell the stories of these powerhouse leaders. What we know is that when we put women at the center, people show up to watch.”
The F1 Academy has continued into 2025 with the opening races taking place in China and an additional six rounds due to take place alongside the Formula 1 season throughout the year. There’s currently no word as to whether Netflix has given the series an early season 2 renewal.
Netflix remains invested in Formula 1 with Drive to Survive from Box to Box Films, which recently released its seventh season. It continues to attract good viewership, albeit on a slight downward trend. We’ve also already confirmed that filming is underway on the eighth season of the show, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli saying hello to the Netflix cameras again over the weekend at the Jeddah Grand Prix. There are continued rumors that Netflix may bid on the live rights as and when they become available in certain regions.
