The first Chinese driver to enter the F1 Academy! Come on, Shi Wei!

The 2025 F1 (Formula One World Championship) Chinese Grand Prix will roar at the Shanghai International Circuit from March 21 to 23. At that time, Shanghai will also welcome the F1 Academy season opener, which will be participated by all female drivers. Chinese driver Shi Wei will participate in the competition with a wild card becoming the first Chinese driver to enter the F1 Academy

Recently, Shi Wei said in an interview I hope to bring the beauty of Chinese girls and the confident and sunny state of Chinese girls to the arena
"I have been interested in racing since I was a child. In 2020, by chance, I came into contact with the free formula racing for the first time at the Wuyi Circuit in Zhejiang." ‍

In 2024, Shi Wei participated in the FIA Formula 4 China Championship and won the Challenge Cup and the third place in the CFGP (China Formula Grand Prix).
F1 Academy is a female driver competition launched by F1 in 2023 aims to train young female drivers to enter higher-level competitions Compared with other drivers participating in F1 Academy competitions, Shi Wei is not an "academic" driver. She has been engaged in the self-media industry before and is a video blogger of extreme sports

Shi Wei is particularly concerned about racing. She obtained a racing license, participated in various brand-standard races, national-level competitions, and then went to Formula One racing training. She took every step firmly.
"I turned down most of my work in the past two months and have been training at Ningbo International Circuit, including physical training, vehicle training, and simulator training."

"I hope to step onto the international stage To participate in more international competitions Let the 'Chinese face' appear in the world competitions" Shi Wei said frankly Racing is a very challenging sport. "In summer, the temperature inside the car exceeds 50 degrees Celsius. Wearing a racing suit, fireproof suit, and helmet is an extreme test for the body."

"There were few female models of domestic racing equipment in the past. My helmet and racing suit had to be customized." In a competition, Shi Wei could not fully step on the brake pedal because of his small feet. "Boys have big feet, but my feet are only size 36, so I can only step on half of the brake pedal." The engineer communicated with the manufacturer overnight and adjusted the vehicle design for Shi Wei.
Nowadays More and more women are appearing in domestic competitions "When I participated in the competition in 2020, there were almost no girls on the track. Now there are female drivers active in drifting, rally and other fields."
Shi Wei has been insisting on making videos to share his sports experience. "I hope more people can understand the sport of racing. And join in, experience its fun and the changes it brings to me"

For the upcoming F1 Academy China race, Shi Wei designed his own design to incorporate cheongsam elements into the racing suit, embellished with blue and white porcelain patterns, and brought oriental aesthetics to the track. "I chose Zhou Guanyu's No. 24 for my car number, which is also a kind of inheritance," Shi Wei said‍

Shi Wei has an objective understanding of his own strength: "There is an objective gap when competing with top foreign professional drivers. All I can do is try my best to finish the race smoothly."
For the future, Shi Wei said: "(I) want to drive a GT car and compete in international events such as Le Mans WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship)"

"Racing has changed my attitude towards life. It pushes you to constantly break through yourself and sharpen your mind at the limit. When you retreat from the limit to normal life, you will feel that life has become easier and any problem can be solved," said Shi Wei.