As the 2025 F1 Academy reaches the halfway mark of the season, the series has unveiled a new Driver Development Guide to educate and empower women in motorsport. The guide, available completely free-of-charge, specifically targets girls at any stage of their motorsport journey.
The series has created a new “first-of-its-kind” guide readily available for women in the industry. F1 Academy has developed the Development Guide in response to the continuous growing popularity growth seen in motorsport. Subsequently, it has been curated to address the urgent need for a clearer understanding of the specifics girls need to enter and progress in the sport.
F1 Academy has structured the guide to offer detailed insights for both young drivers and their support networks. They have built a resource for girls to lay strong foundations for a future in motorsport, covering a variety of topics like technical race craft, health-focused advice for female athletes, physical training, mental skills, and more.
Newly launched Driver Development Hub is the go-to place for information
In addition to the guide, F1 Academy has launched a new section on their website called the Driver Development Hub. Over the course of the future, the series will continue to grow the hub as a central resource, offering a variety of tools to upcoming talents. Additionally, the hub can be useful to their support systems, as it will provide useful links and information about guiding an athlete’s diet and the opportunities available to expand their horizons.
In the near-future, drivers and their caregivers will be available to sign up for virtual workshops made available through the hub. These interactive workshops will hopefully aid in bringing the guide to life by offering deeper insights into key development areas. In the workshops, participants will have the chance to engage directly with motorsport professionals and receive hands-on advice for applying the guide’s practical tasks.
Wolff excited at new approach to support upcoming talent
Managing Director of F1 Academy Susie Wolff expressed her excitement about the launch of the new guide. She explained that the project had been long time in the making, with many hours of hard work behind. In the series’ statement that announced the release of the guide, Wolff said:
“We know for the long-term success of F1 ACADEMY, it’s essential that we have more girls racing so that the best can rise to the top. It has taken a lot of hard work over the past year to create this first-of-its-kind guide. Supporting and nurturing young female talent is at the heart of this series; that’s why we have worked with experts to provide a comprehensive resource that can inform and help any young girl in her motorsport journey.”
“The guide is designed to support drivers and their parents in whatever category their daughters are racing, or even if they are just interested in entering the sport. This guide, the Driver Development Hub, and the online webinars are providing the resources we hope will help young girls maximise their potential to become the best racing drivers they can be.”
Holistic approach at the core of new guide, says Talent Manager Katie Denver
Alongside Wolff’s statement, F1 Academy’s Performance and Talent Development Manager Katie Denver explained the holistic approach the guide takes. In hopes of supporting women in the industry from every aspect, Denver hopes the guide will build “well-rounded” drivers.
Denver added: “We know that unlocking the final few tenths on track is crucial, and young drivers often have to look beyond the car to find small improvement areas or ‘marginal gains.’ With this in mind, we want to support every aspect of up-and-coming female talent development; and so, with the support of industry experts, the driver development guide takes a truly holistic approach – from physical and mental conditioning guidance to understanding technical skill and tactical thinking. It’s about building well-rounded young drivers who are prepared for the demands and pressures of the highest levels of the sport, both on and off track.”
