F1 Academy: How Big Can It Get?

F1 Academy is only in its fourth season, but it’s already developing into a much bigger motorsport and entertainment business. With Alisha Palmowski leading the 2026 championship, emerging drivers building their profiles, and major brands including LEGO, Sephora, Gatorade and Disney expanding their involvement, there’s a lot happening around the series.

In this episode, I look at how F1 Academy is growing its audience, the role of Formula 1 in supporting its development, and why individual drivers are becoming increasingly important to its commercial potential. With fanbase growth of 31% and live YouTube race viewing up 67% in 2025, the competition entered this season with meaningful momentum.

We also explore how different partnerships are contributing to that growth, from LEGO’s F1 Academy race car and Sephora’s driver sponsorship to Disney’s consumer products collaboration and newly announced documentary coming to Disney+.

But there’s another interesting challenge for F1 Academy. Unlike established sports leagues, its purpose is to help its most talented drivers progress into higher racing categories. That means developing new stars while keeping audiences connected to the competition and the athletes who graduate.

How far can F1 Academy grow its audience, sponsorships and consumer products business while continuing to develop the next generation of motorsport talent?