Spanish racer wins thrilling all-female F1 Academy

An EFL and ESL English Lesson

Lesson Collection
A photo of an F1 racing car.

Date: 13th November 2023

Level: C1 Advanced

Grammar: Participial adjectives

Topics: Sport, Diversity & Equality, Money & Careers

Printable lesson: Lesson, Single-page lesson

Individual worksheets: Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading, Listening, Writing, Spelling

Audio files: Text, Paragraph, Keywords

Text

Spanish racer wins thrilling all-female F1 Academy

A new all-female racing series called Formula 1 Academy has crowned its first champion, 23-year-old Marta García. Over the course of its opening season the Spanish driver beat her rivals and topped the standings with seven wins and twelve podiums.

F1 Academy’s concluding race was a support event for the US F1 Grand Prix. Afterwards, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, British seven-time world champion, congratulated García and said her win was deserved.

F1 Academy is a new initiative that helps female racing drivers to reach the highest level of motorsport, namely Formula 1, a level often restricted and less accessible to women. With the exposure F1 Academy has given García, her seat in an F3 level championship next year is now fully funded. García said she is thrilled to be racing with her team Prema again next year and that she is “really determined to do well”.

The series looks to aid female drivers on a successful progression path. Next year it will provide collaboration with the F1 teams on the grid, such as Hamilton’s Mercedes team. The recruited teams will each be sponsoring a female driver and giving them a branded livery. Media coverage will be more widespread next year too with the seven races of the series featuring only at F1 weekends.

Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy, believes that its inspiring concept will bring more diversity to Formula 1. She said the racers have all “taken a leap of faith to join us on this mission”.

Information sources (external links): en.wikipedia.org, motorsport.com, sports.yahoo.com

lesson contents

Warm-up activities

Use the noun season to describe the weather, television, holidays, and sport. Also, what does the verb season mean? (Hint: it’s nothing to do with the same four topics!)

Discuss what kinds of racing sports there are.

What words are associated with teams that begin with the five letters of that word.

lesson contents

Reading/Listening comprehension true or false

1.
García won the F1 Academy race course.
2.
García earned 19 trophies.
3.
The F1 Academy race was before the F1 Grand Prix.
4.
Formula 1 is restricted to men only.
5.
García won’t have to pay to race in 2024.
6.
Mercedes are giving García a contract.
7.
The female series cars will have F1 team colours.
8.
F1 Academy will be easier to watch in its second season.
9.
Susie Wolff finished in second place this season.
10.
Wolff doesn’t know how successful F1 Academy will be.

printable reading worksheet with text
printable listening exercises worksheet
lesson contents

Phrases, synonyms, and antonyms match-up

Match the words to their endings to make phrases from the text.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Match the words from the text to their synonyms.

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Match the words from the text to their antonyms.

16.
17.
18.

lesson contents

Listening clip: keywords

Put the words in the order you hear them. There is one word that you don’t need.

accessible exposure funded grid initiative namely

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

printable listening exercises worksheet
lesson contents

Grammar pairs cloze: participial adjectives

A new all-female racing series called Formula 1 Academy has crowned its first champion, 23-year-old Marta García. Over the course of its
1.
season the Spanish driver beat her rivals and topped the standings with seven wins and twelve podiums.
F1 Academy’s
2.
race was a support event for the US F1 Grand Prix. Afterwards, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, British seven-time world champion, congratulated García and said her win was
3.
.
F1 Academy is a new initiative that helps female racing drivers to reach the highest level of motorsport, namely Formula 1, a level often
4.
and less accessible to women. With the exposure F1 Academy has given García, her seat in an F3 level championship next year is now fully
5.
.
García said she is thrilled to be racing with her team Prema again next year and that she is “really
6.
to do well”.
The series looks to aid female drivers on a successful progression path. Next year it will provide collaboration with the F1 teams on the grid, such as Hamilton’s Mercedes team. The
7.
teams will each be sponsoring a female driver and giving them a
8.
livery. Media coverage will be more widespread next year too with the seven races of the series featuring only at F1 weekends.
Susie Wolff, the
9.
director of F1 Academy, believes that its
10.
concept will bring more diversity to Formula 1. She said the racers have all “taken a leap of faith to join us on this mission”.

printable grammar worksheet
lesson contents

Vocabulary gap-fill cloze

A new all-female racing series called Formula 1 Academy has
1.
its first champion, 23-year-old Marta García. Over the course of its opening season the Spanish driver beat her
2.
and topped the standings with seven wins and twelve
3.
.
F1 Academy’s concluding race was a support event for the US F1 Grand Prix. Afterwards, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, British seven-time world champion, congratulated García and said her win was deserved.
F1 Academy is a new
4.
that helps female racing drivers to reach the highest level of motorsport, namely Formula 1, a level often restricted and less
5.
to women. With the
6.
F1 Academy has given García, her seat in an F3 level championship next year is now fully funded. García said she is thrilled to be racing with her team Prema again next year and that she is “really determined to do well”.
The series looks to aid female drivers on a successful progression path. Next year it will provide
7.
with the F1 teams on the grid, such as Hamilton’s Mercedes team. The recruited teams will each be sponsoring a female driver and giving them a branded livery. Media
8.
will be more widespread next year too with the seven races of the series featuring only at F1 weekends.
Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy, believes that its inspiring concept will bring more
9.
to Formula 1. She said the racers have all “taken a
10.
of faith to join us on this mission”.

printable vocabulary worksheet
lesson contents

Dictation

Type the words you hear. Each word is read twice and there is an autocheck feature for this exercise.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

printable listening exercises worksheet
lesson contents

Writing cloze

Spell the words 1-15 correctly. The first letters of 1-15 are the correct starting letters.

A new all-female racing series called Formula 1 Academy has
1.
its first champion, 23-year-old Marta García. Over the course of its opening season the Spanish driver beat her
2.
and topped the
3.
with seven wins and twelve
4.
.
F1 Academy’s concluding race was a support event for the US F1 Grand Prix. Afterwards, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, British seven-time world champion, congratulated García and said her win was deserved.
F1 Academy is a new
5.
that helps female racing drivers to reach the highest level of motorsport,
6.
Formula 1, a level often restricted and less
7.
to women. With the
8.
F1 Academy has given García, her seat in an F3 level championship next year is now fully
9.
.
García said she is thrilled to be racing with her team Prema again next year and that she is “really determined to do well”.
The series looks to aid female drivers on a successful
10.
path. Next year it will provide
11.
with the F1 teams on the
12.
,
such as Hamilton’s Mercedes team. The recruited teams will each be sponsoring a female driver and giving them a branded livery. Media
13.
will be more widespread next year too with the seven races of the series featuring only at F1 weekends.
Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy, believes that its inspiring concept will bring more
14.
to Formula 1. She said the racers have all “taken a
15.
of faith to join us on this mission”.

printable writing worksheet with practice page
lesson contents

Fill in vowels

Fill in the text with these three missing letters: e i u

A n_w all-f_mal_ rac_ng s_r__s call_d Formula 1 Academy has crown_d _ts f_rst champ_on, 23-y_ar-old Marta García. Ov_r th_ co_rs_ of _ts op_n_ng s_ason th_ Spanish dr_v_r b_at h_r r_vals and topp_d th_ stand_ngs w_th s_v_n w_ns and tw_lv_ pod__ms.

F1 Academy’s concl_d_ng rac_ was a s_pport _v_nt for th_ US F1 Grand Prix. Aft_rwards, F1 dr_v_r Lewis Hamilton, British s_v_n-t_m_ world champ_on, congrat_lat_d García and sa_d h_r w_n was d_s_rv_d.

F1 Academy _s a n_w _n_t_at_v_ that h_lps f_mal_ rac_ng dr_v_rs to r_ach th_ h_gh_st l_v_l of motorsport, nam_ly Formula 1, a l_v_l oft_n r_str_ct_d and l_ss acc_ss_bl_ to wom_n. W_th th_ _xpos_r_ F1 Academy has g_v_n García, h_r s_at _n an F3 l_v_l champ_onsh_p n_xt y_ar _s now f_lly f_nd_d. García sa_d sh_ _s thr_ll_d to b_ rac_ng w_th h_r t_am Prema aga_n n_xt y_ar and that sh_ _s “r_ally d_t_rm_n_d to do w_ll”.

Th_ s_r__s looks to a_d f_mal_ dr_v_rs on a s_cc_ssf_l progr_ss_on path. N_xt y_ar _t w_ll prov_d_ collaborat_on w_th th_ F1 t_ams on th_ gr_d, s_ch as Hamilton’s Mercedes t_am. Th_ r_cr__t_d t_ams w_ll _ach b_ sponsor_ng a f_mal_ dr_v_r and g_v_ng th_m a brand_d l_v_ry. M_d_a cov_rag_ w_ll b_ mor_ w_d_spr_ad n_xt y_ar too w_th th_ s_v_n rac_s of th_ s_r__s f_at_r_ng only at F1 w__k_nds.

Susie Wolff, th_ manag_ng d_r_ctor of F1 Academy, b_l__v_s that _ts _nsp_r_ng conc_pt w_ll br_ng mor_ d_v_rs_ty to Formula 1. Sh_ sa_d th_ rac_rs hav_ all “tak_n a l_ap of fa_th to jo_n _s on th_s m_ss_on”.

printable spelling worksheet
lesson contents

Cool-down discussion, keywords, and game

Discussion questions:

  • What kinds of prizes are there in sport for winning?
  • What is sponsorship?
  • What can stop people from climbing higher at something?
  • What sports don’t get enough coverage?
  • Who are some famous sports teams you can name and describe?

CEFR C1 10 lesson keywords:

Used in this lesson as an adjective (adj), noun (n), or verb (v).

  • accessible (adj)
  • collaboration (n)
  • coverage (n)
  • crown (v)
  • diversity (n)
  • exposure (n)
  • initiative (n)
  • leap (n)
  • podium (n)
  • rival (n)

Language game:

Beginning with each letter below, think of names with a number in them (e.g. Formula 1).

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

lesson contents

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