Maya Weug has been one of the best female drivers in the world over the past few years. Her excellence in Formula 1 Academy, finishing third in 2024 and second in 2025, had her primed for a future outside of the developmental series.
However, the Dutch driver has been open about her struggles to secure a seat in any series this season to race consistently. Weug took to social media in an effort to reach a broader audience to look for any potential racing opportunities in the near future.
The 22-year-old has reached a point of desperation where her successful racing career may be forced to end soon. This is a result of the lack of support female drivers actually receive, despite the many apparent commitments from different entities.
Something must change
F1 Academy’s premise was a supported pathway to develop the skills of young female drivers, with the reward for the winner being a fully funded place in a higher series. However, there is a lack of structural support for the series’ drivers beyond that.
F1 teams pledge support for their drivers participating in the series while partnering with the junior manufacturers. Very few have been incredibly supportive, like Mercedes have been with Doriane Pin. The Silver Arrows offered her a position as a reserve driver and even gave her a test with the W12 this past April.
As for Weug, it looks like Ferrari have not been nearly has helpful in finding the 2025 F1 Academy runner-up a racing seat. Unfortunately, a lot of this comes down to a team in any series actually willing to take the chance.
A typical step up from F1 Academy would be GB3 or FRECA, followed by FIA’s Formula 3. Abbi Pulling has seemingly been paving the way forward, as the former F1 Academy champion is currently P9 in the GB3 championship standings. The hope is that more teams take notice and become more willing to give a chance to a successful female junior driver.
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