Shock McLaren driver AXE confirms huge F1 problem

What do Marc Marquez and Ollie Bearman have in common?

They all featured below Bianca Bustamante on SportsPro’s list of most marketable athletes.

Yes, that’s right, the six-time MotoGP champion placed 117th whilst the F1 Academy star was named the 64th most marketable athlete - and was just one place below George Russell!

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Marketability isn’t everything of course - just look at Daniel Ricciardo - but Bustamante’s fanbase and popularity should not be ignored, and reflects that the interest in female sports personalities is here to stay.

Whilst Bustamante will continue her racing career in GB3, McLaren have confirmed that she will no longer be part of their driver development programme in 2025, with Ella Lloyd joining the team instead.

The ending of this partnership poses an interesting question in regards to female participation in motorsport; how are F1 teams aiding the development of female drivers once they leave the F1 Academy?

F1 teams must ensure their support for female drivers goes beyond a box-ticking exercise, and focus on developing their talent, even when they leave the F1 paddock.

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How does the F1 Academy help female drivers?

First thing’s first, the F1 Academy is not supposed to separate men and women in motorsport.

The series is a place for young female drivers to develop their racing abilities, without the threat of losing their seat due to budget constraints.

Abbi Pulling, the 2024 F1 Academy champion, was forced to end her British F4 campaign due to financial issues, but the all-female series offered her a crucial career lifeline that has rewarded her with a fully funded GB3 seat.

Furthermore, the series has put female drivers in the spotlight as a support series for F1, allowing the whole world to witness their racing abilities.

However, the F1 Academy’s success will be judged on the long-term impact it has on Pulling and Bustamante’s career, who will both move to GB3 in 2025.

Bustamante's McLaren exit highlights F1 Academy issue

F1 teams will typically support their young drivers throughout their junior career, such as Kimi Antonelli who has been part of Mercedes’ young driver programme since 2019.

Undoubtedly receiving the support and the opportunities a F1 team can provide aids young drivers to develop beyond their natural abilities, and equips them with the skills to progress up the motorsport ladder.

However, if F1 teams only support female racing drivers during their one/two year stint in the F1 Academy, these drivers are missing out on the crucial development and support their male counterparts receive all throughout their junior careers.

In regards to Bustamante, she failed to reach the level of talent Pulling displayed in 2024 and did not claim a single win, but McLaren’s decision to end their relationship still signals a much wider problem.

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The F1 Academy cannot purely be a box-ticking exercise for teams, who must continue to develop and invest in female drivers beyond the series to ensure women’s progression in motorsport.

A promising example of a F1 team’s long term strategy to develop their female drivers, is Aston Martin and their continued relationship with Jessica Hawkins.

Hawkins competed in W Series from 2019 until 2022, and has acted as an ambassador for Aston Martin since 2021 where she tested in their F1 car in 2023.

The British driver not only enjoys a strong relationship with the team, but will also coach Tina Hausmann, their 2025 F1 Academy driver, and shows Aston Martin have a fledgling system in place to develop their young female drivers.

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If all 10 F1 teams adopted this philosophy and emphasis on longevity, this could be an excellent starting point to help women gain the experience and insight to move up the motorsport ladder.

The F1 Academy remains in its infancy and still has a long way to go before it completes its goal of bringing a female driver into Formula 1.

However, the series must put pressure on F1 teams to see female participation as a long-term project, rather than for just one season of the F1 Academy.

Pulling and Bustamante’s success in GB3, and how their career progresses subsequently, will indicate how valuable the F1 Academy is and whether it can help female drivers achieve their goals.

It could also show just how important it is to have the support from a F1 team, not only for driver development, but also in terms of visibility that can help attract crucial sponsorship for female racers.

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

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