There’s a noticeable shift in the F1 Academy paddock in Jeddah this weekend: Formula 1 drivers and team leaders are finally showing up - publicly and proudly - for the series.
While the all-female F1 Academy has run alongside F1 for the past two seasons, it has largely operated on the fringes, with limited crossover with the wider F1 world. Until recently, meaningful support from drivers and team bosses was rare.
That seems to have shifted in Jeddah this weekend, where several key F1 figures were seen engaging with their affiliated junior drivers and documenting the interactions on social media. A cynic might argue that teams have simply recognised the marketing value in backing their female talent. But regardless of intent, the increased visibility and integration into the sport’s broader ecosystem is a net positive.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was spotted chatting with junior drivers from both Red Bull and RB, while Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley visited the paddock to spend time with the drivers supported by his team.
Oscar Piastri also made a paddock appearance, congratulating McLaren rookie Ella Lloyd on her Saturday win in Saudi Arabia. The Australian asked Lloyd about the F1 Academy weekend format and how the car compares to F4 machinery (she explained that it was harder to drive than the F4 car because of a difference in the respective aero packages). “Good luck this weekend, I’ll make sure I keep an eye out,” Piastri said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton invited the team’s Academy drivers, Maya Weug and Aurelia Nobels, to hang out in the F1 garage. “Bringing the family together in Jeddah,” one Ferrari Instagram post read. However, it was Mercedes that continued to lead the way by integrating Doriane Pin into its regular content with George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and reserve driver Valtteri Bottas.
The Brackley-based outfit has publicly supported F1 Academy since its launch in 2023, at which time Russell and his erstwhile team-mate Hamilton were among the only drivers who even visited the paddock. The series’ managing director Susie Wolff expressed concern over the lack of support from F1 drivers during its first year, noting that Hamilton was usually the only one consistently showing up.
"It's a little bit sad that it's always Lewis. He's always the one offering support and coming over,” she said at the time. “I think in the end, he knows what it's like to be the only one and so he has an affinity.”
