F1 Academy’s Mission: Susie Wolff on Building a Pathway for Women in F1 4/30/26

Susie Wolff (Managing Director, F1 Academy) sits down with Alex Sherman for a candid conversation about what F1 Academy is building—and why its mission goes far beyond a single “first woman in F1” headline. Wolff breaks down the structural and financial barriers that have kept women from advancing in motorsport, how F1 Academy is designed to grow a real talent pipeline, and why visibility matters for the next generation of drivers.   Key topics and takeaways: The real end goal of F1 Academy: developing talent, challenging perceptions, and expanding opportunity—not creating permanent segregation in racing Why funding matters: reducing the pay-to-race burden so drivers can prove performance without the usual financial gatekeeping Whether an all-women series could evolve in the future—and why the current priority is building depth in the talent pool Momentum in fandom: Wolff points to the rapid growth of younger female fans and what that means for the sport’s future Brand and team alignment: how F1 Academy secured buy-in from all F1 teams to run shared car identity and liveries, and why that matters for legitimacy and reach The media flywheel: why Formula One’s storytelling boom (Drive to Survive and beyond) changed the sport’s reach—and what that template unlocks for new audiences Wolff’s personal journey: early racing roots in Scotland, learning to compete in a male-dominated environment, and the mindset shift that comes with confidence and leadership How the NFL Draft became a traveling mega-event—and why it delivers huge value for the league and host cities “Monetizing hope”: why the draft functions like a Super Bowl moment for every fan base, even the worst teams The mock draft / draft grades media machine—and why the “report cards” are largely unknowable in real time Why investor demand is pushing up valuations in MLB, NHL, and the NWSL as NFL/NBA prices soar NWSL expansion fees as a proxy for broader second-tier sports growth and scarcity dynamics Conversation timeline (mm:ss): 02:10 Why F1 Academy exists and what success really looks like 03:31 Should there be a separate women’s racing league? 05:12 How F1 Academy got every F1 team to back the series 07:48 Wolff’s memoir Driven and lessons from racing’s toughest moments 09:45 How she got started in racing—and when F1 became the goal 12:30 Leadership ambitions, focus, and building F1 Academy for the long term 13:21 Why docuseries changed F1’s global audience 15:18 New storytelling partnerships and reaching new fans 16:49 What needs to change next: education, access, and expanding opportunity   Links & resources: F1 Academy (official): https://www.f1academy.com/ F1: The Academy on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81722244 Hello Sunshine (Reese Witherspoon’s production company): https://hello-sunshine.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.