Written by Sophie Harvey, Edited by Tarun Suresh
After an incredible season, Marta Garcia is the first F1 hopeful to be crowned F1 Academy Champion at the Circuit of The Americas.
The Spaniard’s seventh victory of the year didn’t come easily, holding off the likes of championship contender Lena Buhler and a determined Abbi Pulling to secure an unassailable points lead during Race 1.
Garcia was met with a message of congratulations from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in Parc Fermé before receiving her trophy from his teammate, George Russell. She was also praised by her fellow countryman, Carlos Sainz, who stated he felt much pride for her success.
"[I’m feeling] really good, amazing, of course," said Garcia after the race had concluded. "When I won, when I crossed past the checkered flag, I didn’t feel it, I don’t know why!”
"It’s great to obviously win the championship, being the first champion of F1 Academy as well, it feels amazing.”
As for what’s next, we’ll have to wait and see. Even though Garcia’s plans for next year are not confirmed, we know she won’t continue in the series.
“We’re not just going to make sure our winner progresses, I want my winner to progress with the best chance of success, that means getting her into the right teams,” Susie Wolff, F1 Academy Managing Director, told the press regarding her driver’s future. “We need to make sure we’re doing work in the background to make sure she has the best chance of success at the next level.”
At the beginning of the season, Garcia had resorted to using a GoFundMe page to raise funds for her entry into the series; now, she can walk away knowing that all the hard work was worth it.
Garcia will continue to receive support from F1 Academy wherever she ends up next, alongside endless encouragement from fans worldwide. We wish her the best of luck for the future, and for us, the next season of F1 Academy can’t come quickly enough!