F1: The Academy set to premiere all-female Netflix documentary

Netflix’s new series, F1: The Academy premieres on 28 May with a new focus on female drivers in Formula One.

Each episode of this seven-part docuseries will focus on one of the seven race weekends of the 2024 Formula One Academy season, which was won by Abbi Pulling, an Alpine-supported driver from Rodin.

Whilst the series is expected to be similar to Drive to Survive in terms of providing exclusive access to drivers behind-the-scenes, it is produced by a different company, Hello Sunshine.

This production company, cofounded by Reese Witherspoon, focuses on placing women “at the centre of every story”. This makes it a brilliant choice to executive produce a documentary following the female-only motorsport category with the aim of making the field “more diverse, inclusive and accessible”.

The emphasis on drawing attention to female success and talent in such a strongly male-dominated sport means the stakes of this series are higher. So, hopefully F1: The Academy will not receive the same criticism as Drive To Survive, which is known and mocked for dramatising team relationships and races by both Formula One fans and the male drivers themselves. This even led to Max Verstappen, Red Bull racer and four-time F1 world champion, refusing to participate in seasons three and four of the hit series, claiming that storylines had been manipulated in previous seasons.

The F1 Academy’s ability to break boundaries extends beyond the track

Fans are most excited to see F1 Academy racers Doriane Pin, Chloe Chambers, and of course, champion Abbi Pulling, who took all three pole positions during Abu Dhabi’s race weekend, the final race of the 2024 season.

Doriane Pin, French Mercedes-supported driver at Prema Racing, won the first race at the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia but continued racing for two laps after it was officially over. The resulting 20-second penalty demoted Pin and gave the win to Pulling. Pin was the biggest threat to Pulling’s acquisition of the title, taking pole position for both finale races in Qatar

Chloe Chambers, an American Haas-supported driver at Campos Racing, dominated the second race in Barcelona. However, Pulling won both Miami and Singapore races from pole position, as well as winning the first race in Barcelona.

Pulling is the first female driver to win a race in the British F4 Championship in 2024 and is no stranger to making history. In 2022, as part of an Alpine-led demonstration, Pulling and Saudi Arabian racer Aseel Al Hamad became the first women to drive a Formula One car in Saudi Arabia, a country where women have only been permitted to drive on roads since 2018. This just proves how the F1 Academy’s ability to break boundaries extends beyond the track.

The release of F1: The Academy comes with high expectations

Fans also expect to see a lot of Susie Wolff in this new series. A part of the show’s production team, Susie Wolff is also a former professional driver and Managing Director of F1 Academy. She outlined the purpose of the series, claiming: “We want to inspire and empower the next generation of young women, and Netflix will open up F1 Academy to a global audience of existing and future fans.”

There will also be features from her husband Toto Wolff, who is Team Principal of Mercedes AMG-Petronas.

Appearances from Formula One drivers and other team principals, such as fan-favourites Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, alongside Stefano Domenicali (the Formula One CEO), are also highly anticipated.

There has been speculation that Jamie Chadwick, the most-decorated female racing driver, will appear in the series – however, this rumour has not been commented on. Chadwick is a three-time champion of W Series, an all-female open-wheel series that came before F1 Academy but entered administration in 2022. The folding of the W Series, resulting in the 2022 season ending early, was due to a lack of investment and reinforces the additional difficulties which women racers face.

It will focus on highlighting the talent of female racers 

The release of F1: The Academy comes with high expectations that it will boost awareness of F1 Academy. F1 Academy itself is an initiative that encourages female participation in motorsport, and this docuseries is symbolic of that progression.

Fans are hopeful that the series will not be as dramatised as Drive To Survive and instead, it will focus on highlighting the talent of female racers in such a dangerous and adrenaline-packed sport. Ultimately, F1: The Academy has not just the potential, but also the responsibility, of showcasing the skill and ambition of the female drivers in Formula One on the world’s biggest streaming platform.