She’s 17, strapped into a $300,000 race car, going 180 mph, and she hasn’t even taken the SATs yet.
F1: The Academy is what happens when Mean Girls meets Mach 1.
Trailer for “F1: The Academy”
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Susie Wolff is the first woman in 22 years to take part in an F1 race weekend—now she’s leading an entire league.
- Lia Block, daughter of racing legend Ken Block, jumped from F1 Academy testing to real competition in just 100 days. Even with less experience than her rivals, she still finished P3 in free practice at Jeddah against drivers with years more track time.
Watch “F1: The Academy”
You can watch “F1: The Academy” on Netflix.
For the latest streaming options, check JustWatch.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 85/100
- IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Director’s Note: The series is produced by F1 ACADEMY’s Managing Director Susie Wolff alongside Ian Holmes and Isabelle Stewart for F1, with Reese Witherspoon, Sara Rea, and Sarah Lazenby as Executive Producers for Hello Sunshine. The showrunner is Lisa Keane. Runtime: 7 episodes, approx. 40 minutes each.
Release Date: May 28, 2025
My Review of “F1: The Academy”
The Setup
The doc centers on 15 young women, ages 16–25, competing across 7 global tracks to prove they belong in Formula 1. Led by Susie Wolff—former Williams F1 test driver and now the managing director of the F1 Academy—the series doesn’t sugarcoat the stakes. It dives into what it means to be a woman in a sport that hasn’t had a female F1 driver since 1992.
From karting school debt to body image pressure to the politics of sponsorships, each episode is a brutal reminder that talent alone won’t get these women on the grid.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Chloe Chambers—adopted from China as a baby—wins her first F1 Academy race in Barcelona with her entire family watching from the paddock. She drives for the Haas team.
- The drivers are all teenagers or barely in their 20s, but some have 10+ years of racing behind them.
- We follow trackside drama across 7 races including Spielberg, Monza, Zandvoort, and Barcelona.
- The behind-the-scenes fights aren’t just on the track—there’s tension between teams, coaches, and even parents in the paddock.
- One episode digs into the politics of helmet sponsorships—some drivers go seasons without major backers.
- Wolff coaches the girls through both media training and mental burnout, sharing her own stories from the F1 circuit.
- The finale hints at future moves for the stars—at least two drivers are already being scouted for Formula 3.
Cameos
- Reese Witherspoon (executive producer via Hello Sunshine) appears briefly in the pilot episode.
- Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff make brief appearances at Silverstone and Monza, cheering the women on.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- The F1 Academy was launched in 2023 as a direct response to criticism that F1 had no pipeline for female talent.
- Each team is backed by an actual F1 constructor (e.g. McLaren, Haas, Red Bull), but funding varies widely.
- Drivers were often asked to cold-DM sponsors on LinkedIn to raise money for travel, training, and gear.
- One episode reveals how a single bad qualifying lap can kill a year’s worth of work if scouts aren’t watching.
Wrap Up
“F1: The Academy” isn’t just for racing fans—it’s about grit, glass ceilings, and second chances. This is one of the most high-octane, emotional sports docs I’ve seen.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc