Garcia bagged seven race wins on her option to profitable the 2023 F1 Academy title in Austin, because the all-female collection supported a Components 1 spherical for the primary time finally weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
High junior single-seater workforce Prema Racing, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this yr, ran Garcia and its driver, hotly tipped Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, received the FRECA crown this time period.
Prema will mix with F1 Academy, FRECA chassis producer Tatuus and tyre provider Pirelli to “present a monetary contribution in direction of the price of the seat”, in keeping with an announcement from F1.
FRECA is primarily used for junior drivers as a bridge between F4 and F3. The collection will now allow groups to run a fourth automobile in the event that they signal a racer who has completed within the top-three of the F1 Academy standings.
F1 Academy additionally states that it “will work in shut collaboration with groups to help its winner in progressing up the motorsport ladder”.
To additional enhance accessibility, F1 Academy has reduce the entry charge {that a} driver should contribute in direction of her seat from €150,000 to €100,000 for subsequent season.
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff mentioned: “F1 Academy is all about development and creating extra alternatives for younger ladies throughout motorsport, so to supply a completely funded seat in FRECA for our inaugural champion is a major second.
“The truth that [Garcia] can even proceed to race with PREMA, whom she has constructed a relationship with and are present workforce champions on this class, can even assist in her future growth.”
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari and Marta Garcia winner of F1 Academy
Garcia added: “I’m so thrilled and excited to be racing in FRECA subsequent yr. Coming from F1 Academy, it’s going to be a giant step. We all know we must work quite a bit with the workforce to succeed however I’m actually decided to do nicely.
“I can’t thank F1 Academy sufficient. It’s such a implausible initiative, and it’s the proper option to do it, attempting to take drivers with the very best outcomes to the highest degree.”
Following widespread criticism for an absence of publicity at launch, when F1 Academy was restricted to being proven through spotlight compilations slightly than gaining dwell broadcasts, the collection will help F1 occasions for every of its seven rounds in 2024.
Subsequent yr, all 10 F1 groups should area a driver within the collection and model a automobile of their livery.
Tatuus Racing group CEO Giovanni Delfino mentioned: “[F1’s] belief in our skills and the each day cooperation between F1 and [Tatuus] is on the similar time an honour and one thing that pushes us to work tougher and tougher, wanting ahead to all future challenges.
“The primary [F1 Academy] season already supplied some superb outcomes and allowed the 15 drivers to continue to grow on their path to the best of the motorsports, with the Austin GP assuring the worldwide protection that such an necessary undertaking deserves.”
In the meantime, three-time W Sequence champion and Aston Martin BRDC Younger Driver Award finalist Jamie Chadwick has been confirmed as continuing in the Indy NXT support series for an additional season with Andretti Autosport.
Rodin Automobiles (Carlin), having examined Chadwick towards AlphaTauri F1 substitute Liam Lawson, mentioned that if its proposal to type an eleventh F1 workforce had not been denied by the FIA, it could have given Chadwick a full-time topflight drive.