F1 Academy reveals 2023 calendar, race format

The calendar, which features a near three month gap after round six, is mostly located in Europe, with the only round outside the continent being in support of the US Grand Prix at Austin.

The season kicks off at the Red Bull Ring on 28^th-29^th April before rounds at Valencia, Barcelong, Zandvoort, Monza and Le Castellet form the bulk of the season.

Each race weekend will see 15 drivers compete in three races, with grids set during a pair of 15-minute qualifying sessions. The grid for race one will be set by the first qualifying session and race three by the second. Race two’s starting order will be the finish of race one with the top eight reversed.

Races one and three of the weekend will be 30 minute long while race two will be 20 minutes. Points for races one and three follow the same format as F1 (25 for the winner, 18 for second etc) while race two’s winner will receive 10 points, second 8, third 6 continuing down to 1 for eight.

The championship will also offer 15 days of testing for the drivers across the year, with the first test day scheduled for Barcelona on 11^th-12^th April.

Bruno Michel, the General Manager of F1 Academy, said: “I’m very pleased to reveal the calendar of F1 Academy’s inaugural season. Our goal was to be able to race on as many Formula 1 Grand Prix tracks as possible, with circuits that could be a great challenge for the drivers. The teams know these layouts very well, so they will be able to help their young talents get to grips quickly.

“We had announced that F1 Academy would be racing alongside Formula 1 at one event, so it’s fantastic to be part of the F1 Grand Prix package in Austin, where we will also conclude the first season, in front of the F1 paddock and the American crowd.”

Michel said that the gap between the sixth and seventh round was due to the need to ship cars by boat from Europe to America to save on logistical costs.