Maya Weug faces career hurdles after F1 Academy

Maya Weug, a prominent driver in the F1 Academy and the first female member of Ferrari’s young driver program, has faced significant professional setbacks in 2026. After finishing as the F1 Academy runner-up in 2025, Weug’s planned transition into GT sportscar racing collapsed in March due to factors described as being beyond her control.

Weug’s situation underscores a broader challenge for female racers exiting the F1 Academy, a series launched in 2023 to provide a platform for women in a male-dominated sport. Even top graduates often struggle to secure the necessary sponsorship funding and track time required to progress to higher levels of competition.

Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy, acknowledged the difficulty in seeing champions transition to sustained success, noting that the series is still in its fourth season and continues to work on challenging stereotypes within motorsports.