Haas and Ferrari announce female drivers for their F1 Academy campaign
Ferrari and Haas have become the latest F1 teams to confirm their nominated driver for the 2024 F1 Academy season, with Maya Weug and Chloe Chambers having been
Ferrari have revealed that Maya Weug will represent them in the F1 Academy in 2024. Born in Spain, Weug also holds Belgian and Dutch nationalities. Starting to compete in karting aged seven, she went on to enjoy a successful run, including winning the 2016 WSK Final Cup.
She went on to becoming the inaugural winner of the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, becoming the first woman to secure a place in the FDA.
Stepping up to single-seaters in 2021, Weug had two consecutive campaigns in Italian F4, earning a best result of sixth. Last year saw the 19-year-old join the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine grid, claiming one rookie victory alongside several top-10 finishes.
“I’m super excited to get back on track this season! I’m sure it will be a great season working together with such a prestigious team as PREMA in the second year of an interesting category like F1 Academy,” said Weug.
“It is a great honor to represent Ferrari again this season and I can’t wait to continue the hard work with the Academy and PREMA to prepare the season the best way possible!”
PREMA Racing Team Principal Rene Rosin added: “We deeply respected Maya as a competitor, and we were always impressed by her potential and achievements. We are really delighted to finally get her on board for the second season of F1 Academy, and we think we will do a great job together.
“Our lineup is really promising, with three outstanding racers and the support of three great Formula 1 teams. We are proud of the trust we received and cannot wait for the season to start."
LET’S GO MAYA 👏
— Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy (@insideFDA) January 18, 2024
We’re pleased to announce @WeugMaya will be racing with @PREMA_Team for the @f1academy 2024 season 😍#FDA #F1Academy pic.twitter.com/bOIAOU3wzw
Elsewhere, Haas has announced that they have added Chloe Chambers to their F1 Academy programme. The 19-year-old began karting aged eight, winning several regional and national Championships. In 2020, aged 16, she claimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest vehicle slalom.
Stepping up to single-seaters the next year, she competed in the Formula 4 United States Championship before moving to W Series in 2022.
Last year, Chambers made history in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, becoming the New Zealand-based series’ first female polesitter and winner, and receiving the “Most Improved Driver” award. In addition, she competed in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America.
“I’m super excited to be driving for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team with Campos Racing in F1 Academy,” said Chambers. “Having the backing of Haas is going to open many doors for new experiences and it’s going to be a place where I can learn.
“I’m excited to be going to Miami for Haas’s and my home race, that’s a race I’m looking forward to. It’s my first season in F1 Academy, so I’m looking forward to getting good results and developing as a driver. I did some testing over the winter with Campos Racing, and the team and I work very well together.”
Speaking of the news, Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu added: “As a father to two karting enthusiasts myself, I know the importance of representation in encouraging the next generation to take that leap and follow their dreams.
“It was great to meet Chloe and see her enthusiasm for the season ahead, and the team thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her at the factory – from speaking with our engineers, participating in pit stop practice and undertaking her first media obligations. MoneyGram Haas F1 Team fully supports Formula 1 and F1 Academy in its objectives, and we’re committed to increasing the talent pool of young girls and women entering the sport, utilizing our resources.”