F1 Academy releases 2024 racing calendar

F1 released the 2024 racing calendar of its all-female championship F1 Academy, who is set to permanently join the F1 package with a 7 event global schedule.

Photo credits: Racers - Behind the Helmet

F1 Academy announced its second season racing calendar, which is set to start in Saudi Arabia on March 7 for a seven event schedule across three continents and, for the first time, as part of the F1 supporting bill in all its rounds.

The second season will only feature two European rounds, one North American round and four rounds in Asia - with three in the Middle East.

The championship - which is joining this weekend's F1 US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, for its first ever race as a support series of F1 - will kick off its sophomore year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before heading to Miami International Autodrome, in a back to back event on street circuits.

The paddock will make its way back to Europe in June, visiting Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, then is set to return to Zandvoort, Netherlands, in August - in the only two returning rounds from the 2023 season.

The Singapore Marina Bay track will make it three street circuits on the calendar, before F1 Academy will embark on its final rounds in the Middle East: Qatar and Abu Dhabi will round out the championship in November and December, in a very spaced out calendar.

Extensive testing and track time was the main selling point of the all-female championship in the inaugural season, which featured 15 collective test days plus triple-headers alongside two practice sessions and two qualifying sessions. While the weekend format has not been confirmed yet, F1 confirmed that an extensive official testing calendar will be maintained - and will be announced in due course.

“I am delighted to announce our seven-round season for 2024", said Susie Wolff, Managing Director of the championship. "This calendar cements our ambition to become a truly global series, expanding our reach and improving visibility for our mission."

"We want to inspire young girls and women across the globe and show them that there’s a place for them in our sport, and racing alongside F1 will help us achieve this. I want to thank all seven promoters for supporting us in our mission and embarking on this journey with us in 2024.”

As confirmed in July, all current F1 teams will be involved in the championship, lining up one liveried-car. The five remaining cars will be branded with series' sponsors, as the current five teams - Prema Racing, ART Grand Prix, Rodin Carlin, MP Motorsport and Campos Racing - are set to remain in charge of running the 15 F4 Tatuus cars.

“It is fantastic to welcome F1 Academy onto seven rounds of the F1 calendar next year" - added Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1. "This global platform, combined with the support of all ten F1 teams, will take the series to the next level, providing not only the opportunity for the drivers to develop their skills on F1 tracks, but to inspire young girls around the world to pursue a future in motorsport. I want to thank our promoters, our F1 teams, and the wider motorsport community for their support of F1 Academy as we move towards our exciting second season.”

F1 Academy will join FIA F2 on the supporting schedule of the Jeddah round, as well as the Qatari and Emirati rounds. In Barcelona, the support package will feature a busy weekend with Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy. On the other hand, the female series will share the paddock with Porsche Supercup only in Zandvoort.

With such a global calendar replacing the mainly Europe-based one of the inaugural season - which included only the flyaway round of COTA - it is not clear at the moment if budgets required to drivers and subsidized share of the budget will remain unchanged.

2024 F1 Academy Calendar

March 7-9 / Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

May 3-5 / Miami, United States

June 21-23 / Barcelona, Spain

August 23-25 / Zandvoort, Netherlands

September 20-22 / Marina Bay, Singapore

November 29-December 1 / Lusail, Qatar

December 6-8 / Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi