As the F1 Academy season kicks off in Shanghai this weekend, we begin to see the F1 Academy exclusive ‘Wild Card’s’ that are featured in each round of racing. The current field of full-time drivers consists of 6 teams and 17 women at the wheel of the identical cars. In addition to this, each round features a Wild Card entry which differs race to race, this seat was introduced in the previous 2024 season and is managed by the team HiTech.
HiTech joins F1 Academy as a new team in 2025, allowing the grid to expand from 5 teams to 6. As well as managing the Wild Card entries at each round, HiTech has two full-time drivers. Nicole Havrda, an 18 year old Canadian driver who recently graduated from the Formula Regional Americas Championship, and Aiva Anagnostiadis, an Australian driver who at only 17 years old is making her F1 Academy debut with the HiTech team. On the discussion of the new participation Oliver Oakes, the owner of HiTech said:
“I’m delighted to confirm Hitech’s participation in F1 ACADEMY from the 2025 season. A platform that inspires and supports young girls and women to embark on their motorsport journey is one that we have always fundamentally believed in”.
This week Shi Wei – Chinese competitive driver, who also is known as ‘Tie Dou’ – debuts as the very first Wild Card qith HiTech. Shi is not only the Wild Card season opener, but also the very first Chinese driver to be apart of the F1 Academy grid, making history for the sport and the country. When discussing this, Shi stated:
“For me, participating in this event is not only a breakthrough for Chinese women in motorsports, but also an important step in breaking the stereotype that motorsports are male-dominated.”. Shi began her racing career quite recently, becoming introduced to racing in 2020 then only four years later winning the FIA F4 Chinese Championship.
However, the question is – Why is the continuation of Wild Cards in F1 academy so important?
After being introduced in 2024, the Wild Card initiative has proven to be very successful in many ways. Four out of the seven Wild Cards from the 2024 season have since graduated to become full-time F1 Academy Drivers in 2025.
Nina Gademan caught the attention many when she not only became the first Wild Card to score points, but also the highest points scorer out of all the Wild Cards by the end of the season. The Dutch driver was the Zandvoort 2024 Wild Card and finished P4 and P10 by the end of both races on her home turf. Gademan is entering the 2025 season representing BWT Alpine Formula One Team with Prima Racing, hoping to score many more points and stand on podiums.
The 24-year-old American, Courtney Crone, was just 2.256 seconds behind the top ten finishers as the Wild Card in the Miami 2024 run. This drive clearly caught the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s attention as in November 2024, it was announced the American would be representing the Haas team with Art Grand Prix in 2025.
Ella Lloyd was also one of four Wild Cards who have joined the 2025 grid, full-time. Ella debuted in F1 Academy during the 2024 Shanghai weekend, securing points finishes in both races of the fifth round of the 2024 season – finishing P9 and impressively, P7. She later joined the Mclaren Driver Development programme, who will be supporting her during the 2025 season along with her team Rodin Motorsport.
The fourth and final Wild Card to full-time driver graduate is Alisha Palmowski, the Brit has already landed herself on many ‘One to Watch Lists’, after debuting as the Wild Card for Qatar 2024, Alisha impressed everyone by landing P3 in the second free practice session- the highest out of any of the 2024 Wild Card entries – and then qualifying P6 and P4 for the two races in Qatar. Unfortunately she was only able to drive one race during the sixth round as the second was cancelled due to damage to the barrier, still she made an impressive finish of P5. This year, the 18-year-old joins the Red Bull Racing Pepe Jeans Academy Programme with Campos Racing to make moves in the full F1 Academy season.
The progress made by each of these women clearly shows that the Wild Card initiative is extremely successful. The aim of Wild Cards is to allow new talents to compete in an international racing championship, therefore allowing further exposure and experience for the drivers. This is especially useful as the girls race weekends are alongside some of the F1 weekends, meaning the teams can scout new talent from the pit. This was especially relevant for Ella Lloyd who was apart of the 2024 Wild Card initiative and was then invited to the Formula E 2024 Women’s Test which was an amazing experience for all of those involved. As well as this the Wild Card initiative is useful for drivers who have not secured the funding or sponsors that is required for a full time seat in the sport.
All in all, the Wild Card initiative has proven to be a game-changer in the world of women’s motorsport and F1 Academy. It has not only enhanced the sport itself but also created more pathways for women to enter and thrive in the highly competitive field of international racing. With the addition of seven new Wild Card entries this season, the potential for growth, talent discovery, and exciting new opportunities has never been greater. As we move forward, the Wild Card initiative continues to break barriers, inspire future generations, and elevate the standard of competition within the F1 Academy, paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive racing environment
