Opening of the F1 Academy: key points to remember

While Formula 1 cars were racing in Azerbaijan, the very first stage of the F1 Academy started in Austria, with a packed schedule marking the beginning of this first season.

The first campaign of the series, which aims to help prepare young female drivers to advance in the ranks of motorsport, saw fifteen drivers take to the track at the Red Bull Ring to participate in three races over the weekend.

Although the F1 Academy is not yet being broadcasted on television, several key points were addressed during this historic weekend in Spielberg.

How to watch F1 Academy races?

A few days before the 2023 F1 Academy opening weekend, questions remained about whether or not this competition would be broadcasted.

It was confirmed just before the event that the category would not be broadcasted live. Instead, a highlight video will be aired in the days following the races.

During the weekend, fans can follow the action through social media and stay informed with live timing. However, many have expressed their dissatisfaction: the race has video coverage, commentators, and yet, it is not being broadcast.

A Spaniard makes history!

This weekend, saw the Spanish Marta Garcia emerge victorious in the very first race.

After losing his head during the ordeal in a battle with Nerea Marti, Garcia fought his way back to reclaim first place and secure the victory 8 seconds ahead of his teammate, Bianca Bustamante.

It’s not the only success of the weekend for Marta Garcia! She won another victory in race 3, only three tenths ahead of her pursuer, Hamba Al Qubaisi.

During the second race, it was Hamba’s sister, Amna, from the MP Motorsport stable, who came out on top ahead of Lena Buhler and the French Lola Lovinfosse.

After this eventful weekend in Austria, Garcia scored 58 points and is currently leading the drivers’ standings, giving him a 22-point advantage over the second-placed Amna Al Qubaisi.

Hamda Al Qubaisi follows her sister in third position, while Pulling is just one point behind in fourth position.

A stable already disqualified in qualifying rounds!

British driver Abbi Pulling was disqualified from both qualifying sessions during the opening weekend of the F1 Academy series. After taking pole position for race 1, it was later confirmed that Pulling and her teammates from Rodin Carlin, Jessica Edgar and Megan Gilkes, had all been disqualified from the qualifying sessions after an unintentional technical infringement was discovered on their cars, in violation of the technical regulations.

Abbi Pulling reacts on her Twitter account. In motorsports, we often experience ups and downs, and that’s what happened today. During the post-qualification checks, it was found that all Rodin Carlin cars were equipped with a non-compliant part, which does not improve performance in any way. Due to this reason, my pole laps were removed. Tomorrow is another day, and I will give it my all.

Despite the disqualification, the Rodin Carlin team is in third place in the constructor championship with 53 points, behind Prema Racing (82 points) and MP Motorsport (65 points).

The next stage of the 2023 F1 Academy season will be in Valence, from May 5th to 7th, for the second round!