Williams has announced that American driver Lia Block will represent it in the 2024 F1 Academy season, racing with ART Grand Prix.

Block, the daughter of rally legend Ken Block, who dies earlier this year, is an accomplished driver across numerous disciplines, including rally, Extreme E, and rallycross.

The 17-year-old began karting and rallying as an 11-year-old, however her debut in F1 Academy will mark her first full season of open-wheel racing. She has recently undertaken testing in open-wheel cars in preparation for this new challenge.

Block has grown up in the world of motorsport and has multiple accolades to her name, most notably winning the 2023 American Rally Association Open Two-Wheel Drive class to become the youngest ARA champion in history.

As part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy, the team will be supporting Block's learning and development to maximise her potential throughout the F1 Academy season. She will work closely with the team at Grove to hone her skills, with access to the full spectrum of Academy support.

The all-female racing series established by Formula 1, will enter its sophomore season in 2024 with each Formula 1 team fielding a driver. All seven rounds of the series will support F1 races across Europe, Asia, and North America, with the season commencing in Saudi Arabia before taking in rounds at Miami, Barcelona, Zandvoort, Singapore, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

"I am so excited to be joining the Williams Driver Academy and competing in F1 Academy in 2024," said Block. "This is something I never could have dreamed of. I can't wait to embrace this new experience and learn as much as possible."

"We are excited to welcome Lia to Williams Racing as our F1 Academy driver for 2024," added James Vowles. "Lia has already achieved a tremendous amount in motorsport, has incredible natural talent, and the champion mind-set and dedication to make a success of her journey into open-wheel racing.

"We cannot wait to get started on this journey together. As a team, we are committed to Formula 1 and F1 Academy's joint efforts to improve female representation in motorsport, and we look forward to working with Lia as a key part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Defiant, 15/11/2023 22:59

"This pretty much proves that in certain aspects the difference between women and men is zero. There are so many great women drivers out there but Williams are going to pick this one in the search of publicity and the almighty dollar..... just like so many men before her.... Lance for example. At least he did actually have some real accolades to bring to the table.
This is actually a pretty sad indictment of the minds involved in F1."

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2. Posted by elsiebc, 15/11/2023 19:02

"The article mentions she has a long list of accomplishments and accolades but only mentions one, aside from her pedigree and her lack of attachments, so she certainly is deserving of the drive."

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3. Posted by Hobgoblin, 15/11/2023 12:33

"Good call Williams. Looking forward to seeing her take a Williams sideways around La Source!"

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Williams recruits daughter of Ken Block

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