To support and strengthen the talent pool in regions where F1 Academy races, the all-female series introduced the initiative of Wild Card entries before the start of the 2024 season. In selected rounds of the calendar, identified young talented female drivers will be given the opportunity to be part of the weekend and score points in the Driver’s Championship.
We could already see it at the season’s opener in Jeddah, where Saudi Arabian racer Reema Juffali became the first ever Wild Card entry and ended up eleventh and fifteenth in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively.
For Miami, American racing driver Courtney Crone will get the chance to show what’s in her and gain attention thanks to F1 Academy’s increasing fan engagement. She’ll team up with reigning champions PREMA Racing and drive branded livery of American shopping channel QVC.
Although only 23 years of age, Crone has been sitting behind the wheel for more than two decades, falling in love with motorsport at a very young age and trying go-karting for the first time at only 3 years old. She comes from California and has experience in a diverse range of vehicles and series, including speedway motorcycles, Sprint Cars, various junior Formula Cars, LMP3 prototypes and most recently Lamborghini Super Trofeo, joining the championship in 2024.
Courtney Crone spoke about the unique chance to be part of the developing series: “I think it’s a huge opportunity that F1 Academy is giving with the Wild Card, especially in America. I know there’s a bit of a stigma — it might seem very difficult for American girls, or girls not from Europe in general, on how to enter a series like this.
“The support that I’ve been given from F1 Academy and PREMA Racing so far is a big positive for me that I need to share with girls that are maybe not just from Europe. It’s a very accessible series if they want to come over here and race. It’s an amazing opportunity to really grow this sport and grow this series.”
Susie Wolff, the Managing Director of F1 Academy, added: “The Wild Card entries are designed to promote regional talent and show young women in all our race locations that there is a clear pathway into our sport for anyone who is committed and talented.
“We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the Wild Card since it was introduced in Jeddah and I’d like to thank QVC for supporting our vision and joining us to present our Wild Card entry, Courtney Crone, for the second round of our season alongside Formula 1 at the Miami Grand Prix.”
The weekend in Miami will be Crone’s first time on a street circuit, plus the difference in the cars she’s accustomed to and the ones F1 Academy uses are quite considerable. She at least had the chance to get the feel of it in Zandvoort two weeks ago, during an official two-day in-season testing, nonetheless.
“I think probably the biggest transition coming from this year, where I’m racing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, is the power to weight differences are astronomically different. From a heavy, really fast car to a lower horsepower, lightweight formula car has been a bit of a change. Getting used to those differences has taken some time, but I always enjoy my time in formula cars, so I’m just really excited to be back in them,” Crone explained.
“I’m expecting a really fun atmosphere. Hopefully, the weather stays really nice for us all throughout the weekend. That’s the biggest number one and as long as that happens, I think we will all have a really exciting time there on the street course.”
She also reflected on the testing and process of working with a team such as PREMA Racing, and also driving along the other talented female drivers on the grid:
“I’ve learned a tonne. The PREMA Racing team is a first-class operation. They’ve really helped me get up to speed very quickly, which was crucial obviously after this test, working with the engineers and the whole team.
“I’m going to go home, do some sim time and just prepare as best as I can for Miami to try to be on it as quick as I can. I know some of the other girls have quite a lot of experience in these cars, so it’s just up to me to be ready to push when it counts.”
At the end, Courtney Crone concluded that her goal is to “just keep all four wheels on track”.
“If I can make some passes and be at least in the hunt with the girls, that’s a great goal to have. Just coming away clean from the weekend will be an amazing accomplishment and just being a part of the atmosphere.”
She and the whole of F1 Academy are set up for hopefully an exciting weekend full of action at the Miami International Autodrome, acting as the support series for Formula 1. With two Free Practices on Friday, Qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday, the Wild Card will have plenty of chances to shine and potentially gain more opportunities for her future in motorsport. Because after all, that’s exactly what F1 Academy is here for.
