Susie Wolff: F1 Academy Must Prove Its Commercial Worth, Not Rely on Goodwill

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

:::analysis Wolff's commercial argument rests on a roster of partners that extends well beyond traditional motorsport categories. CNBC's 2026 Changemaker profile lists Charlotte Tilbury (the first beauty brand to sponsor motorsport), TAG Heuer, Tommy Hilfiger, Gatorade, American Express, Puma, Standard Chartered, Wella Professionals, and Perelli as existing partners, with Lego and Morgan Stanley joining in 2025. That breadth suggests the series is drawing brand investment from sectors that rarely engage with junior single-seater racing, which strengthens the case that F1 Academy occupies a commercially distinct position in the marketplace. :::

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

:::analysis Commercial viability and driver development are not separate arguments; they reinforce each other. A series that places graduates in higher-tier programmes gives sponsors a tangible story to tell. That narrative matters when Wolff is in a room at Cannes Lions making the case that F1 Academy deserves investment at the same level as other women's sports properties currently attracting record audiences and brand spend. :::

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]

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