Cadillac Joins F1 Academy in Landmark Expansion, Securing All F1 Team Support
F1 Academy has secured a landmark multi-year agreement with all 10 Formula 1 teams, ensuring their continued support and driver sponsorship. Adding to this significant development, Cadillac is set to join the series from 2027. The series has also adjusted its two-season participation limit, allowing promising drivers to compete for a third year, bolstering its commitment to nurturing female talent in motorsport.
The F1 Academy series has secured a 'landmark' agreement with all 10 current Formula 1 teams confirming their continued presence, alongside a significant new entry: Cadillac, set to join from 2027. This expansion reinforces the series' mission to develop female talent within motorsport.
Why it matters:
After a relatively short existence, F1 Academy's ability to lock in long-term support from all ten F1 teams, coupled with Cadillac's future entry, marks a pivotal moment for the series. It signals robust confidence in its potential to nurture female drivers and provides a more stable, structured pathway for talent development, crucial for addressing the historic underrepresentation of women in top-tier motorsport.
The details:
- Universal F1 Team Commitment: All ten existing Formula 1 teams have committed to a multi-year partnership, continuing to sponsor a driver and her livery in the all-female series. This solidifies their integral role in the F1 Academy ecosystem.
- Cadillac's Entry: Cadillac will join the F1 Academy grid from the 2027 season, expanding its footprint in Formula 1 beyond its planned 2026 entry as the 11th F1 team. This move highlights a broader strategy to invest in talent development across motorsport.
- Adjusted Participation Limit: The two-season participation limit in F1 Academy has been relaxed for the 2027 season. Drivers demonstrating "strong potential for continued growth" in the 2025 and 2026 seasons may now be granted an exemption to compete for a third season.
- This change is designed to give promising drivers more time and opportunity to fully develop their skills before moving to higher categories, ensuring the most talented individuals get the support they need.
- Cadillac's Vision: Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac's team principal, emphasized the brand's desire to be deeply involved in developing talent, not just drivers. This includes investing in future engineers, mechanics, and other motorsport professionals.
What's next:
F1 Academy is entering its third year in 2025, with its races appearing on the Formula 1 support calendar at seven Grand Prix weekends, including the finale at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The reinforced support from F1 teams and Cadillac's upcoming entry are expected to elevate the series' profile and impact.
- Susie Wolff, F1 Academy Director, hailed the agreement as a "powerful message about the future," underscoring the collective effort to build a sustainable pathway for generations of female talent. She noted the increasing depth of female talent emerging from karting, indicating a growing pipeline for the series.
- The strategic adjustment to the participation limit aims to maximize the development of individual drivers, ensuring that the F1 Academy grid consistently features the very best female talent ready for the next step in their careers.