publish time

18/10/2023

author name Arab Times

publish time

18/10/2023

author name Arab Times

LONDON, Oct 18, (AP): Formula One’s F1 Academy series for female drivers will race next year in Saudi Arabia to start an expanded schedule with a more prominent role in grand prix weekends. The event in March in Saudi Arabia - which lifted a ban on women driving on its roads in 2018 - starts an expanded seven-round calendar announced for the F1 Academy in its second season.

W Series driver Abbi Pulling and Saudi Arabian racer Aseel Al Hamad have become the first women to drive a Formula 1 car in Saudi Arabia as part of a demonstration held by Alpine.

The series will also race in Miami in May before heading to Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. For the first time, all F1 Academy events will be held as support races for the F1 championship. Of the six F1 Academy events in this year’s inaugural season, only the finale this week at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas is supporting an F1 event. Spanish driver Marta Garcia leads the standings with three races remaining