(Motorsport-Total.com) – Opinions are divided on the F1 Academy. While the series offers a great platform to give women more visibility in the immediate environment of Formula 1, critics argue that it is not necessarily a step forward in the careers of the participating female drivers.
Read more Halftime report engines: Which driver is still facing a penalty?
A good example of this is 22-year-old Maya Weug, who last year competed in the women’s series with support from Ferrari – and quite successfully. Weug won a total of three races in the 2025 season and finished as runner-up at the end of the season.
However, the hoped-for next career step did not materialize afterwards, which is why Weug has now published an emotional statement on social media in which she writes: “I don’t really know how to put this. I only showed you the positive sides throughout the season, but in truth, this was by far the hardest year of my career.”
“A year ago, I was still fighting for the championship, winning races and standing on the podium almost every weekend. I never thought I would be in this situation not even a year later,” says the 22-year-old, who completed her second season in the F1 Academy in 2025.
Because a driver is allowed to race in the women’s series for a maximum of two years, it was already clear beforehand that 2025 would be her last season. Weug hoped to recommend herself for further tasks in motorsport with good performances – but was bitterly disappointed.
No more races for the rest of the year
She reveals: “There was a great plan for this season. Shortly before the start of the season, everything fell apart for reasons beyond my control. By then, it was already too late to put something else together, and it was really difficult to participate in races at all on my own.”
So far in 2026, Weug has only participated in a few races in the Belcar Endurance Championship, a Belgian endurance series. “But the upcoming 24-hour race at Zolder, which I was supposed to take part in, will now take place without me,” she reveals.
“Therefore, I currently have no races on the schedule,” reveals Weug, who emphasizes that she has continued to work hard on herself off the track this year. “I have learned an incredible amount this year and have developed a lot,” she stresses.
Read more Ferrari junior Rafael Camara: What he says about the Haas rumors
“But I don’t just want to watch. I want to race – at the highest level – and show what I am really capable of,” says Weug, who knows: “Motorsport is a tough environment. I think I just expected that the results I achieved in recent years would have counted for something.”
Counterexample Pin: It can also go better
Weug finished her first F1 Academy season in 2024 in 3rd place in the championship with one win. In 2025, she followed as runner-up behind Doriane Pin, who was supported by Mercedes – and for whom things went significantly better after the women’s series.
In 2026, she is competing, among other things, in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class, and is a development driver for Mercedes in Formula 1 and for Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). She also completed a Formula 1 test for the Silver Arrows as the first woman.
Not every driver suffers the same fate as Weug, with Pin certainly being the prime example of how things can continue after the F1 Academy. Chloe Chambers, who finished third last year, is racing in 2026 in her home North America in the less significant Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
Weug remains combative and explains: “The people close to me keep telling me that when one door closes, another opens, and I choose to believe them.”
In 2026, there is also a German driver in the F1 Academy with Mathilda Paatz. After the first three race weekends of the season, she is in seventh place overall. Leading at the summer break is Alisha Palmowski, supported by Red Bull, ahead of Emma Felbermayr from Austria.
Read more Montoya: Verstappen and Antonelli benefit from the Malaysia return