What is F1 Academy? Here’s everything you need to know about Formula 1’s female-only racing series

Wolff herself is no stranger to racing — she remains the most recent woman to have driven in an official Formula 1 practice session, doing so with Williams in 2014. After her own racing career ended, she joined Formula E, the electric racing series, as team principal of Venturi Racing, serving in that role for four years.

“I know what those young women are going through,” she said. “And I know the business side, I understand the complexities. I wanted to give something back and hoped my involvement would help shape the future of the sport and make sure it becomes more diverse.”

She also happens to be married to Toto Wolff, the popular team principal of the Mercedes F1 team, so racing is a major part of her life, both personally and professionally.

As F1 Academy heads into its fifth round this weekend in Singapore, here are some of the series’ key players to keep an eye on.

Abbi Pulling

The series’ current championship leader — with an impressive 71-point lead — Pulling is a name to watch in motorsports. The 21-year-old British driver has won the bulk of this year’s F1 Academy races and also competes in British F4, where she made history earlier this year by becoming the first woman to win a race in that series.

“Of course, I always had the dream of Formula 1 in my head since I was 4 years old,” Pin told F1 Academy earlier this year. “It’s always been my target, and I think learning in endurance is not too bad.”

Pin made waves early in the season by winning the first sprint race of the year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and she remains a threat for the championship despite some unlucky results as the season has gone on. Regardless of results, she views the series as a learning opportunity and another stepping stone in her promising career.

“It’s a good series to learn in, and I’m happy to do the step to single-seaters after three years in endurance,” she told F1 Academy.

Chloe Chambers

Third in the standings — tied for second on points — is Chambers, a 20-year-old American racer. She previously competed in W Series and has enjoyed her time so far with F1 Academy, which she describes as a “streamlined” series.

“They have a plan for the drivers who do well,” said Chambers, whose highlight of the year was a dramatic victory in Spain. “All the support from the Formula 1 teams themselves has also been terrific.”

Chambers is sponsored by the MoneyGram Haas F1 team — the only American team in the sport. On race weekends, she’s been able to shadow the team’s Formula 1 drivers and get a behind-the-scenes look at how teams operate.

“Being able to do things away from my side of racing and see the Formula 1 world up close has been really nice,” she said.

Most importantly, though, she’s grateful for the amount of testing and practice time that F1 Academy provides. As Wolff mentioned, “seat time” is the biggest obstacle women face when aspiring to become professional racecar drivers, but Chambers feels she is gaining the necessary experience that could translate to any major series, including Formula 1.

“Of course, I’d love to make Formula 1 someday,” she said. “But there are a lot of great racing series, so I’m keeping my options open. What’s that phrase? Shoot for the moon — at least you’ll land amongst the stars.”