Spaniard Marta Garcia will transfer up the motorsport ladder to a fully-funded drive within the Formulation Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) subsequent season after profitable the inaugural all-female F1 Academy sequence, Formulation One mentioned on Thursday.
The 23-year-old, who additionally competed within the defunct W Collection, will now race towards up-and-coming male drivers with prime junior crew Prema Racing within the European sequence which sits beneath Formulation Three.
The drive can be funded by tyre provider Pirelli, F1 Academy, the crew and automotive maker Tatuus.
“F1 Academy is all about development and creating extra alternatives for younger girls throughout motorsport, so to supply a completely funded seat in FRECA for our inaugural champion is a big second,” mentioned F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff in a press release.
Italy-based PREMA are the reigning champions in FRECA and are additionally lively in Formulation Three and Formulation Two.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri each gained the FIA F2 championship with PREMA, as did Michael Schumacher’s son Mick. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon had been European F3 champions with them additionally.
No girl has began a Formulation One grand prix because the late Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976.
F1 Academy can be supporting seven grands prix subsequent season with races on three continents beginning in Saudi Arabia and ending in Abu Dhabi.
Britain’s Jamie Chadwick, who gained the W Collection title 3 times, is now racing with Andretti Autosport within the U.S.-based Indy NXT championship, a feeder sequence for IndyCar.