Courtney Crone joins F1 Academy grid

Courtney Crone has been announced as a Wild Card entry for the second round of the 2024 F1 Academy season in Miami.

The 23-year-old American racer will join PREMA Racing and is being backed by shoppable entertainment retailer QVC. She will thus have QVC branding on her car and race suit for the Miami race. 

F1 Academy has introduced the Wild Card entry in order to “strengthen the talent pool in the regions where F1 ACADEMY races”. These Wild Card entries will be presented by partners at select rounds throughout the F1 Academy calendar.

Susie Wolff, F1 Academy Managing Director, commented:

“The Wild Card entries are designed to promote regional talent and show young women in all our race locations that there is a clear pathway into our sport for anyone who is committed and talented. We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the Wild Card since it was introduced in Jeddah and I’d like to thank QVC for supporting our vision and joining us to present our Wild Card entry, Courtney Crone, for the second round of our season alongside Formula 1 at the Miami Grand Prix.“

Courtney Crone said:

“It’s a huge opportunity that F1 ACADEMY is giving drivers through Wild Card entries, especially in America. It can be difficult for young girls from outside Europe to know how to get into international series like this, and the support that I’ve been given by F1 ACADEMY, and the PREMA Racing team, has been hugely positive for me. I’d also like to say thank you to QVC for their support of the Wild Card initiative here in Miami. I think this is an amazing opportunity to grow both this series and the sport.“

Annette Dunleavey, VP of Brand Marketing for QVC, added:

“QVC is a leader in live shoppable entertainment, bringing our customers — largely women over the age of 50 — to unexpected places to discover new finds and experiences. Our new Age of Possibility campaign is all about supporting our customers to live their best and most empowered lives. F1 has been innovating and influencing live sports for more than 70 years. The launch of the all-female driver category, F1 ACADEMY, is a testament to their commitment to elevating women in the sport and we are proud to support this vision and Courtney Crone in the race.“