Marta Garcia, the winner of the inaugural F1 Academy championship, will step up to the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024 and enjoy a fully-funded campaign in the feeder series with powerhouse outfit PREMA Racing.
Garcia was crowned F1 Academy champion last weekend at The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, capping off her year in the all-female series with a seventh race win to comfortably take the title.
The 23-year-old Spanish drivers promotion – which will be financially supported by F1 Academy, PREMA Racing, Tatuus and Pirelli – validates the series’ dedication to preparing drivers for higher-level competition and supporting their advancement up the single-seater ladder.
Launched in 2021 after the merger of the Formula Regional European Championship and Formula Renault Eurocup, FRECA has swiftly become a well-established and esteemed proving ground for young drivers seeking to develop the skills necessary to advance from an F4-level series to the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
As part of a milestone agreement between F1 Academy and FRECA, the latter will grant its top teams a season-long fourth entry if they sign a driver who finishes P1, P2 or P3 in the F1 Academy standings.
“So thrilled and excited to be racing in FRECA next year," said Garcia. "Coming from F1 Academy, it’s going to be a big step.
“We know we will have to work a lot with the team to succeed but I’m really determined to do well.
"I can’t thank F1 Academy enough. It is such a fantastic initiative, and it is the right way to do it, trying to take drivers with the best results to the top level.
“What an amazing opportunity, I’m looking forward to it and to the work that we have ahead, inside and outside the track."
In addition to supporting its inaugural champion in FRECA, F1 Academy will also lower the driver contribution from €150,000 to €100,000 for the 2024 season.
This reduction further highlights the series' commitment to establishing a more accessible entry point for young women into the single-seater racing ladder.
"F1 Academy is all about progression and creating more opportunities for young women across motorsport, so to offer a fully funded seat in FRECA for our inaugural champion is a significant moment," said Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 Academy.
"The fact that she will also continue to race with PREMA, whom she has built a relationship with and are current team champions in this category, will also aid in her future development.
"I am proud of the progress we have made in our first season, and as we begin to build for our 2024 season where we will join the F1 calendar, this announcement, alongside the decision to further subsidise the 2024 F1 Academy driver contribution to €100,000, is a statement of our continued commitment to make motorsport more accessible and break down the barriers faced by female drivers."
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