Carrie Schreiner aiming to continue 2023 growth throughout ‘tougher’ second season

Carrie Schreiner believes her fight to be crowned the 2024 F1 ACADEMY Champion will be even more difficult a second time around, but she plans to put her best foot forward from the get-go.

After trading GT racing for her first return to single seaters since 2016, the German driver enjoyed an upwards trajectory last season. Securing one win and a further 10 points-scoring finishes, she finished 11th in the Standings.

Setting her aspirations higher for her sophomore campaign, she expects the battles to be even fiercer, but is determined to drive herself up the order with Kick Sauber operated by Campos Racing.

“I’m really happy that I’m back and super proud that I’m with the Kick Sauber F1 Team,” Schreiner said. “Of course, I want to end the season more at the front than last year, but on the other hand, it’s also going to be tougher than last year because the competition is even higher. I just want to improve as a driver and finish as far forward as I can.

“I’m really happy that I’m driving with Campos because the team is like a big family, I had a really warm welcome. I worked with them already from December to get to know the team and to stay a little bit in the rhythm. “

Her drive towards that goal is boosted by the backing of the Sauber Academy. Chosen as Kick Sauber’s nominated driver for the 2024 campaign, Schreiner praised their efforts in supporting her.

“It’s an amazing feeling!” Schreiner remarked. “In the beginning of course I had a little bit of pressure when I knew that there was an F1 team supporting me, but meanwhile I feel really supported. I can ask them everything and they help me in every corner.”

The 25-year-old says she’s already been getting back into her racing rhythm over the winter break with her first ventures back behind the wheel in the Formula 4 UAE Championship and Formula Winter Series.

Learning lessons from her transition last season, Schreiner has taken the opportunity to get as much mileage as possible in to address the areas that she felt limited her previously.

“My season preparation has been quite full,” she noted. “I tried to prepare much better than last year because last year it was not enough. This year, I’ll have raced five rounds before the actual season, plus a few test days. I’ve driven in the Spanish Formula Winter Series and also in the UAE, so I feel really well prepared for this season.”

READ MORE: Pulling ‘focusing on the process’ to build consistent momentum across sophomore campaign

She added: “Of course, I have some weak points which I would like to work on. In the last couple of years, I was not only driving single seater cars. I’m coming from GT sportscars so I had to change quite a lot, but I have the feeling that the more I drive, the more I get into it, and I feel quite good now.”

Reflecting on the seven round calendar ahead, there is one round that Schreiner is eagerly anticipating returning to – Zandvoort, the home of her first F1 ACADEMY win. Whilst Round 1’s visit to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a very different track for her to master, she says she’s ready to push herself to the limit around the tight and twisty streets.

“I’m looking forward to Zandvoort because I have good memories from last year,” she said. “Also, I’m really excited for Jeddah because it’s so different to all the tracks I’ve driven so far and, of course, Singapore and Miami because they’re such good places.

“For me, I have the most respect for street circuits because there is no runoff and at these tracks you usually can’t test before, but on other (permanent) tracks you can test before. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but I think with my team Campos, we have a really good chance to prepare in the simulator.”