F1 Academy turns up the heat: Montreal and Austin get turbo charged with three new race weekends

 

F1 Academy (F1A), Susie Wolff along with promoters in Montreal and Austin have announced that F1A is introducing a new three race weekend format featuring a brand new opening race alongside the existing reverse grid race in addition to the feature race. The opening race uses each driver’s second fastest qualifying lap to set the grid and awards full championship points that also provides flexibility to replace postponed races making better use of available track time. Which hopes to increase competitive track time, enhance fan experience, add strategic depth to qualifying and maintain a 14 race calendar after the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The introduction of the three race weekend format marks one of the most significant structural changes in F1A’s short history, reflecting the series’ rapid evolution and its ambition to offer a more robust competitive platform for young female drivers. By adding the new opening race, the championship not only restores its 14 race calendar after the loss of the Saudi Arabian round but also strengthens the sporting integrity of the season by ensuring that drivers still face a full competitive workload. This move aligns with the series’ broader mission to provide meaningful track time and create a clearer developmental pathway toward higher tier single seater categories.

The decision to set the opening race grid using each driver’s second fastest qualifying lap introduces a fresh strategic dimension that teams and drivers will need to master quickly. Instead of delivering one perfect lap, competitors must now produce two competitive laps under pressure, forcing new considerations around tyre preparation, traffic management and run timing. This subtle but impactful rule change is designed to reward consistency and adaptability – qualities essential for drivers hoping to progress through the motorsport ladder. It also ensures that qualifying becomes a more layered and tactically rich session rather than a single shot sprint.

Montreal and Austin were chosen not only because they could accommodate the expanded format but because both promoters actively collaborated with F1A to enhance the fan experience. These events already attract large, diverse crowds and the addition of a third race gives spectators more on track action across the weekend. For fans attending on Saturday in particular, the new format delivers a more compelling schedule with two races instead of one. This aligns with Formula One’s (F1) broader push to make support series more visible and engaging, ensuring that F1A continues to grow its audience both at the circuit and through global broadcasts.

Behind the scenes, the updated format also provides the series with greater operational flexibility. With global calendars increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions, weather related cancellations and logistical constraints, the ability to add an opening race at selected rounds gives F1A a built in mechanism to maintain race counts without compromising sporting fairness. As Delphine Biscaye noted, the format allows the championship to “evolve the race weekend while protecting the sporting integrity of the series,” ensuring that teams and drivers can rely on a stable, competitive structure even in unpredictable seasons.

By Charlie Gardner 

📸 Imagery courtesy of Formula One (F1)