I hate to see that some "Formula 1 pursits" get really upset about F1 Academy. These people will always say, "F1 Academy is just a glorified over-hyped series with crappy F4 cars." While the legitimacy of this statement is already questionable, it's just a ignorant and disresepctful thing to say. These same people will get mad that F1 Academy has "F1" in the title, since the cars are clearly not of the same caliber. They also get upset that the all-women series is given so much publicity and recognition.
First of all, F1 Academy as never claimed to be on the same technical level as F1 (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), which is why it doesn't feed directly into Formula 1 like F2 does. In my mind, the main point of F1 Academy is to give women opportunities in the sport and promote the capability of female racers to other aspiring girls (as well as the whole world in general). This is the reason why it is important to broadcast it and give it publicity.
In my mind, there will (hopefully) come a time when F1 Academy is not needed. In an ideal future, I would like to see girls throughout all of the series up to Formula 1: karting, F4, F3, F2, etc. However right now, Formula 1 Academy is crucial in cultivating inclusivity among fans and our future generation of F1 drivers. Susie Wolff says her goal is to see a female driver in F1 by 2030.
That being said, I know a majority of fans are all for F1 Academy and it is awesome to see that growth within the Formula series. I hope that those "F1 purists" can hopefully educate themselves a little more and realize why F1 Academy is the way that it is.
This post is all my opinion, but I don't think anyone should speak out against a series that is working towards something bigger within the racing world, even if they don't fully understand its purpose. I do realize that many of these folks unfortunately do see F1 Academy for what it is, but still dislike it for out-dated cultural sexist beliefs, which is EXACTLY what F1 Academy is looking to overcome.
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