Susie Wolff: F1 Academy Must Prove Its Commercial Worth, Not Rely on Goodwill
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff says the all-female single-seater series must operate as a commercially self-sustaining platform, not a charity backed by goodwill. Speaking at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Wolff pointed to growing sponsorship revenue, broadcast deals, and all-10-F1-team support as proof the series is building a durable business model.
Wolff sets commercial bar for F1 Academy's future
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff has made clear that the all-female single-seater championship cannot exist as a passion project propped up by goodwill. Speaking to Yahoo Finance at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Wolff stated: "We don't expect, as the female arm within Formula 1, for it to be a charity project. It needs to make sense. We need to build a platform that works for our partners." [1] [2]
From empty stands to a full support series
The series launched in 2023 in front of largely empty grandstands and with minimal broadcast coverage outside of a single season-finale event in Austin. [1] Since then, Wolff has expanded the championship's footprint considerably. All 10 Formula 1 teams now back an F1 Academy driver and carry the series' branding on their cars, a shift Wolff described at the time as a "pinch-me moment." [1]
The British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone underlines how far the series has traveled. F1 Academy features as a support event alongside Formula 2 and Formula 3, with Race 1 scheduled for Saturday July 4 and Race 2 on Sunday July 5. [5] [6] It marks the first time in 2026 that all three major single-seater support categories share a full sprint-format weekend with Formula 1. [6]
A sponsorship portfolio that reflects the commercial ambition
CNBC named Wolff a Changemaker in February 2026, citing her work in "broadening F1's commercial and broadcast reach, establishing a sustainable business model, while inspiring the next generation of women racing talent." [3] [4]
Driver progression as proof of concept
Wolff has noted that getting a woman onto the Formula 1 grid is not the sole objective. [2] The series positions itself as the only junior single-seater programme globally where a driver's talent, rather than personal funding, determines opportunity, a model made possible by the corporate sponsorship revenue Wolff is working to grow. [4]
Related reading
- [1]Susie Wolff explains why F1 Academy cannot be a 'charity project' as series grows (motorsport). Accessed 2026-07-01.
- [2]F1 Academy chief and racing trailblazer Susie Wolff: 'Women's sport is on fire' (yahoo-finance). Accessed 2026-07-01.
- [3]F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff receives major CNBC recognition (motorsport). Accessed 2026-07-01.
- [4]Susie Wolff: 2026 CNBC Changemaker (cnbc). Accessed 2026-07-01.
- [5]British GP 2026 Sprint weekend dates, schedule and how to watch (skysports). Accessed 2026-07-01.
- [6]F1 2026 British Grand Prix – Full Schedule (motorsportweek). Accessed 2026-07-01.