F1 Academy announces Shi Wei as first wildcard of 2025
F1 Academy has announced Shi Wei as the first wildcard driver of the 2025 season. Wildcard entries were introduced at several races last year, with the likes of Nina Gademan and Ella Lloyd earning full-time drives in the series off the back of impressive performances in F1 Academy’s 16th car.
That initiative has been expanded to cover every round of the 2025 F1 Academy season, with Hitech joining the grid as the sixth team on the grid and taking over the running of the wildcard entry from Prema.
Where possible, each round of this year’s F1 Academy Championship will feature a local driver who will be able to showcase their talents on a global stage as part of a Formula 1 race weekend. As part of this opportunity, Shi Wei will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Shi Wei, also known as ‘Tie Dou’, will be the first Chinese driver to compete in F1 Academy, and will be hoping to make a good impression in the third Hitech car and make the most of her single weekend in it.
In 2024, she won the Challenge Cup at the F4 Chinese Championship in Shanghai and finished third in the CFGP category. She’ll make the step up to F1 Academy on 21st-23rd March as part of the support card for the second round of the F1 World Championship.
“It’s an incredible honour to receive the wildcard for F1 Academy,” she said. “Giving me the opportunity to compete and learn alongside top drivers on a larger stage, making a dream that once seemed out of reach come true.
"Hopefully, I can inspire the young generation and raise greater attention to motorsport and the development of the automotive industry."
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