According to a seven-round, 21-race calendar released on Thursday, Formula 1’s new all-female Academy series will be part of the supporting program for the US Grand Prix in Austin next October. The six other routes used are Austria’s Spielberg in April, Spain’s Valencia and Barcelona in May, Zandvoort in the Netherlands in June and Italy’s Monza and France’s Le Castellet in July.
There will then be a long break before the finals in Texas to have cars and equipment transported by ship to save on logistics costs. The five three-driver teams will be managed by teams currently competing in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Drivers must be at least 16 years old and each bring €150,000 (US$159,225) in funding, with Formula 1 matching this amount and teams providing the remainder of the budget. The first and third races of each weekend last half an hour and the second race lasts 20 minutes.
“Our goal was to be able to race on as many Formula 1 Grand Prix circuits as possible, with circuits that could pose a great challenge for the drivers,” said Bruno Michel, General Manager of F1 Academy. “The teams know these facilities very well so that they can quickly help their young talents to find their way around.”
The aim of the series is to help young women climb the motorsport ladder. No female driver has started a Grand Prix since the late Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976.
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