F1 Academy has revealed its seven-round calendar, which includes a season finale alongside the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin.
As previously announced, the series will include 15 female drivers over five different, well-established teams known from both Formula 2 and Formula 3.
The new calendar now reveals that the series will be racing at seven different tracks in six different countries, with the majority of races taking place at grand prix tracks.
A two-day test session will take place on 11-12 April in Barcelona, prior to the season opener in Spielberg in late April, with a further 13 test days to be revealed in the coming weeks.
| Round | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28-29 April | Spielberg, Austria |
| 2 | 5-7 May | Valencia, Spain |
| 3 | 19-21 May | Barcelona, Spain |
| 4 | 23-25 June | Zandvoort, Netherlands |
| 5 | 7-9 July | Monza, Italy |
| 6 | 29-30 July | Le Castellet, France |
| 7 | 20-22 October | Austin, United States |
Alongside the calendar, the weekend format was also revealed, with two free practice sessions of 40 minutes each starting the weekend.
This will be followed by two 15-minute qualifying sessions, the first of which will set the grid for the first race, while the second will set the grid for the third race.
The pole sitter of each qualifying session will be awarded two additional points.
The grid for the second race will be set by reversing the top eight finishers of the first qualifying session.
The first and third race of the weekend will be 30 minutes long, while the second race will be 20 minutes long.
| Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | |||
| Position | Points | Position | Points | Position | Points |
| 1 | 25 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
| 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
Every race will award an additional point to the driver who sets the fastest lap, providing she finishes in the top 10.
F1 Academy General Manager Bruno Michel says: “I’m very pleased to reveal the calendar of F1 Academy’s inaugural season.
“Our goal was to be able to race on as many Formula 1 Grand Prix tracks as possible, with circuits that could be a great challenge for the drivers.
“The teams know these layouts very well, so they will be able to help their young talents get to grips quickly.
“We had announced that F1 Academy would be racing alongside Formula 1 at one event, so it’s fantastic to be part of the F1 Grand Prix package in Austin, where we will also conclude the first season, in front of the F1 paddock and the American crowd.
“There is quite a gap in between Rounds 6 and 7, but that is mainly due to the fact that we will be sending the cars and equipment by ship, to save on logistical costs.”
