Motorsport fans, get ready to binge the latest Netflix docuseries following the international open-wheel racing scene!
“F1: The Academy” is a new seven-episode docuseries set to hit Netflix on May 28, 2025. In the same vein of “Drive to Survive,” “F1: The Academy” follows the F1 Academy field as these young women pursue their dreams.
What is F1: The Academy?
“F1: The Academy” is a new Netflix docuseries produced by Reese Witherspoon that centers on the 2024 F1 Academy season.
The series will be divided into seven parts, with each episode centering on one of F1 Academy’s seven race weekends in 2024.
It will be produced by Hello Sunshine, a production company helmed by actress Reese Witherspoon that aims to “put women at the center of every story.” This means telling women’s stories through a female perspective.
Hello Sunshine was the perfect production company to meet F1 Academy’s aims.
As Susie Wolff, series manager, said, “We want to be the rocket fuel that drives female participation in our sport, both on and off the track.
“To have the F1 Academy docuseries launch globally with Netflix is not just a huge step forward in visibility for our mission, but also a resounding statement about the momentum and demand for women’s sport.
“We want to inspire and empower the next generation of young women, and Netflix will open up F1 Academy to a global audience of existing and future fans.”
Who’s in F1: The Academy?
“F1: The Academy” will feature a variety of people, including drivers, team owners, and more. The cast includes:
- Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 Academy and former racing driver
- Toto Wolff, husband of Susie Wolff and team principal of Mercedes F1
- Abbi Pulling, Alpine-supported driver from Rodin and 2024 F1 Academy champion
- Jessica Edgar and Lola Lovinfosse, Rodin drivers
- Hamda Al Qubaisi, Red Bull Racing-supported driver at MP Motorsport
- Amna Al Qubaisi, RB-supported driver at MP Motorsport
- Emely de Heus, driver at MP Motorsport
- Chloe Chambers, Haas-supported driver at Campos Racing
- Carrie Schreiner, Sauber-supported driver at Campos Racing
- Nerea Marti, Campos Racing driver
- Bianca Bustamante, McLaren-supported driver at ART Grand Prix
- Lia Block, Williams-supported driver at ART Grand Prix
- Aurelia Nobels, ART Grand Prix driver
- Tina Hausman, Aston Martin-supported driver at Prema Racing
- Doriane Pin, Mercedes-supported driver at Prema Racing
- Maya Weug, Ferrari-supported driver at Prema Racing
- Nina Gademan, Ella Lloyd, Alisha Palmowski, Reema Juffali, Logan Hannah, and Courtney Crone as wildcard drivers
Many Formula 1 drivers are also expected to appear, including Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, while F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali will also make an appearance.
While many have wondered if Jamie Chadwick will pop up in the series, there is no indication one way or the other whether or not she will play a role. Chadwick is a three-time W Series champion; W Series was an all-female open-wheel series that preceded F1 Academy but that folded in 2022.
More on F1 and Netflix:
👉 Five things we learned from watching Drive to Survive Season 7
👉 Netflix eyeing major F1 broadcast deal after Drive to Survive success – reports
How can I watch F1: The Academy?
“F1: The Academy” will be available exclusively on Netflix on May 28, 2025.
Keen viewers can watch Netflix in a variety of ways: On your television, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.
To watch, you’ll need to be a Netflix subscriber. There are three subscription tiers:
- Standard with Ads: £5.99 per month (UK), $7.99 per month (USA)
Standard: £12.99 per month (UK), $17.99 per month (USA)
Premium: £18.99 per month (UK), $24.99 per month (USA)
Standard subscriptions allow subscribers to watch 1080p video on two supported devices at a time; upgrading to premium expands viewing options to 4K streaming on four supported devices simultaneously.
Adding extra members to the streaming plan is possible for extra fees.
When is F1: The Academy released?
All seven episodes of “F1: The Academy” will be released globally on Netflix on 28 May, 2025.
As with many Netflix launches, “F1: The Academy” will be released as 12 a.m. Pacific Time. In major time zones around the world, that would be:
- 3 a.m. EDT (East Coast of America)
- 8 a.m. BST (United Kingdom)
- 9 a.m. CEST (Continental Europe)
- 3 p.m. CST (China)
- 4 p.m. JST (Japan)
Which races was F1: The Academy at?
“F1: The Academy” followed the F1 Academy series through all 14 of its races at seven different venues: Jeddah, Miami, Barcelona, Zandvoort, Marina Bay, Lusail, and Yas Marina.
Because the first episode centers around Lia Block and Bianca Bustamante during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, it is not clear if the series will be formatted chronologically.
In the season-opening race in Jeddah, Doriane Pin took a convincing win in the first race, but drama struck in the second when she accidentally took the chequered flag twice – earning herself a penalty in doing so and handing the win to Brit Abbi Pulling.
Pulling carried that momentum into Miami, winning both races from pole position, and into the first round in Barcelona. American racer Chloe Chambers dominated the second race, but Pulling took a strong hold over the championship lead as title rival Pin struggled to race with fractured ribs.
In round 4, Pulling continued her dominant pole-to-win streak in a weather-shortened first race, while Pin made a resounding recovery for the second race, winning from pole position and taking the fastest lap in the process.
In Singapore, Pulling yet again won both events from pole position as the rest of the field battled for the remaining steps of the podium. The first race was shortened when Bianca Bustamante missed her grid position, with Pin being penalized for jumping the start.
Doriane Pin took pole for both Qatar races, and went on to take her third win of the season in Race 1 — but the second event of the weekend was cancelled when a crash in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East caused barrier damage that couldn’t be repaired in time.
As a result, a third race was scheduled in Abu Dhabi. Pulling took all three pole positions — enough to crown her F1 Academy Champion. She’d cement her victory with two race wins, while Maya Weug took he first victory of the year in the season finale.
Is F1: The Academy done by the same people as Drive to Survive?
While “F1: The Academy” is a motorsport docuseries inspired by “Drive to Survive,” the two productions are actually made by different companies.
“Drive to Survive” is produced by Box to Box Films,” a production company that features James Gay-Rees, Paul Martin, and Warren Smith as executive producers.
Box to Box Films is also responsible for other sports docuseries such as “Race for the Crown,” “Full Swing,” and “Tour de France: Unchained.”
By contrast, “F1: The Academy” is being produced by Hello Sunshine, a production company designed to “put women at the center of every story.” The company is helmed by actress Reese Witherspoon, with Witherspoon, Susie Wolff, Isabelle Stewart, Sara Rea, Ian Holmes, and Sarah Lazenby serving as executive producers.
Other unscripted productions from Hello Sunshine include “Wynonna Judd: Between Hell and Hallelujah,” “Making the Cut,” and “Meet Me in Rome: A Reality Rom-Com.”
“F1: The Academy” will naturally take inspiration from Box to Box Films and “Drive to Survive,” but with a more female-forward approach.
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