Courtney Crone ‘ready to push when it counts’ on F1 ACADEMY Wild Card debut

Courtney Crone is just days away from hitting the track in front of her home crowd and the American driver says she’s doing all she can to put her best foot forward in Miami.

Announced as Round 2’s Wild Card entry, Crone is the second Wild Card entry of the 2024 campaign so far after Reema Juffali’s appearance at the Jeddah season opener.

The third driver in the field to be enjoying a home weekend — alongside Haas’ Chloe Chambers and Williams driver Lia Block — the 23-year-old praised F1 ACADEMY’s global mission to provide pathways for more young women to enter motorsport and is excited to showcase some of the breadth of American talent.

“I think it’s a huge opportunity that F1 ACADEMY is giving with the Wild Card, especially in America,” said Crone. “I know there’s a bit of a stigma — it might seem very difficult for American girls, or girls not from Europe in general, on how to enter a series like this.

“The support that I’ve been given from F1 ACADEMY and PREMA Racing so far is a big positive for me that I need to share with girls that are maybe not just from Europe. It’s a very accessible series if they want to come over here and race. It’s an amazing opportunity to really grow this sport and grow this series.”

Making a name for herself in LMP3 and Sportscars, Crone returns to single seaters for the first time since 2020. Despite the tricky weather conditions in Zandvoort, she quickly found her groove across the two days running during in-season testing.

Whilst the adjustment period has been short, she’s taken the transition in her stride in the #77 car. However, her task will be made more difficult as the Miami International Autodrome will be her first experience of a street circuit, coupled with the fact that the chance of showers isn’t completely off the table this weekend.

“I think probably the biggest transition coming from this year, where I’m racing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, is the power to weight differences are astronomically different,” Crone reflected. “From a heavy, really fast car to a lower horsepower, lightweight formula car has been a bit of a change. Getting used to those differences has taken some time, but I always enjoy my time in formula cars, so I’m just really excited to be back in them.”

Crone continued: “I'm expecting a really fun atmosphere. Hopefully, the weather stays really nice for us all throughout the weekend. That's the biggest number one and as long as that happens, I think we will all have a really exciting time there on the street course.”

Based with reigning Drivers’ and Teams’ Champions PREMA Racing, Crone thanked the Italian squad’s efforts, having been close at hand to aid in her preparations. With two weeks between testing and the opening Free Practice session on Friday, she believes it has given her valuable time to home in on what she’s learnt before getting back behind the wheel.

“I’ve learnt a tonne,” she reflected. “The PREMA Racing team is a first-class operation. They’ve really helped me get up to speed very quickly, which was crucial obviously after this test, working with the engineers and the whole team.

“I’m going to go home, do some sim time and just prepare as best as I can for Miami to try to be on it as quick as I can. I know some of the other girls have quite a lot of experience in these cars, so it’s just up to me to be ready to push when it counts.”

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Naturally looking to give her compatriots something to celebrate, Crone admits she’s taking a pragmatic approach to setting any goals for her F1 ACADEMY appearance but is eager to enjoy every second of it.

“I think just keep all four wheels on track,” she said. “If I can make some passes and be at least in the hunt with the girls, that’s a great goal to have. Just coming away clean from the weekend will be an amazing accomplishment and just being a part of the atmosphere.”