Formula 1 Academy unveils its first ever driver joining ART Grand Prix team for 2023

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The Formula 1 Academy has unveiled Léna Bühler as its first ever driver ahead of the inaugural 2023 season.

Bühler has joined the ART Grand Prix team and takes the first spot on the roster of the new all-female driver series.

She will soon be joined by 14 other drivers as the five F1 Academy teams continue to roll out their announcements.

Who is Lena Buhler?

Bühler is a 25-year-old single seater racing driver from Switzerland.

She is currently competing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship ahead of her F1 Academy debut.

Bühler got into racing considerably later than most when she made her karting debut at 17 years of age in the Swiss Karting Championship. Prior to this, she competed in BMX at European level.

Read: Everything to know about F1 Academy

She made her racing debut in the 2020 F4 Spanish Championship and claimed six top 10 finishes, before going on to join the Formula Regional European Championship.

The Swiss star became to first female ever to race in the tournament and made 17 starts overall.

“This will only be my fourth year in motorsport and I still have a lot to learn, but I am ready to give 100 percent both mentally and physically to honour the trust ART Grand Prix has in me, together with that of my partners, without whom this adventure would not be possible,” Bühler said.

She joins the rich history of the ART Grand Prix team, as global stars including Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton once raced for the outfit.

What is the F1 Academy?

The F1 Academy aims to develop rising stars in the female racing world and propel them up the motorsport ladder.

It was first introduced in November 2022 and is managed by CEO of Formula Motorsport Limited Bruno Michel.

The five teams — ART, Campos Racing, Carlin, MP Motorsport, and PREMA Racing — will field three drivers each for the 2023 season.

A full calendar is yet to be released, but the inaugural F1 Academy campaign will feature seven event consisting of three races each. A total of 21 races will be scheduled, along with 15 days of official testing.

The season start date is yet to be confirmed, but you can keep track of all the latest F1 Academy announcements via this link.

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