Thank you, Lia: Her Williams Journey

It’s November 14th 2023, and Atlassian Williams Racing have just announced that then 17-year-old Lia Block would be taking her first steps into open-wheel racing.

A few weeks prior, F1 Academy had revealed that all 10 Formula 1 teams would be fielding a driver and car in the series from 2024, and for Williams, Lia would be our first representative in the category.

It was quite the change of scenery for Lia as up until then, her motorsport journey had – perhaps unsurprisingly – consisted of off-road and rally exploits, but she was ready to take a new direction, bringing the iconic Block name into the F1 weekend.

The learning curve for Lia would be steep, but this wasn’t something that phased her. She arrived in Jeddah for the first round of the 2024 season with the least amount of open-wheel experience amongst the 15-car field, having just a few rounds of Spanish Formula Winter Series under her belt. However, you would never have known it.

In her first-ever F1 Academy qualifying session around the fearsome streets of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, she secured P7 on the grid. It was a hugely impressive feat that earned praise throughout the paddock.

Despite this quick start, Lia would have to be patient for her first points in the category, but they couldn’t have come in a more fitting location – the United States.

At the second race of the second round at the Miami International Autodrome, Lia picked up three points following her P8 classification.

More points finishes would follow at Barcelona and Zandvoort, but it was in Singapore where Lia would have her best weekend to date.

Having qualified in P4, Lia kept it clean across both races in the daytime heat of Marina Bay to finish in that spot on both occasions – a result that saw her shoot up the drivers’ standings. However, that first podium remained elusive.

Her final points score of 2024 would come in the next round at Lusail, taking her to 44 for the season, meaning she finished her maiden season P8 in the standings.

During the large gaps between races, Lia also had appearances in Spanish and Italian F4 – offering her more time in that machinery and outings at some of Europe’s most famous venues, such as Jarama, Portimao and Monza.

2025 would be Lia’s sophomore year in F1 Academy and, as regulations dictate, also her last year. After some winter outings in the Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship, our young American was ready to go.

Unfortunately luck would not be on her side when, in the very first practice session at Shanghai, Lia was hit by a weaving Rafaela Ferreira through no fault of her own, leading to her missing qualifying and ultimately lining up at the back for both races.

Lia was more determined than ever to push forward, and push forward she did, gaining nine places in both races that weekend to secure a pair of P9 results in China.

Round 2 in Jeddah was again going to be a tricky weekend, after showing pace in practice, the slightest touch of the inside wall at the end of her first flying lap in qualifying sent her across the track and out of the session.

Again she’d have to do it from the back, and again she made her way through the pack, only to be spun around by her ART Grand Prix teammate Courtney Crone and tumble down the order – ultimately finishing P12 in race 1, prior to a P14 finish in race 2.

Next up was Miami, and F1 Academy had never enjoyed so much of the limelight. A new Netflix documentary called ‘F1: The Academy’ was premiering, one that shone the spotlight on Lia and followed the trials and tribulations of the 2024 campaign up and down the grid.

However, this new-found stardom regrettably didn’t bring any more luck. Lia qualified well in Miami, securing P5, which would be P4 for the reverse grid race. She enjoyed a good getaway but was forced onto the runoff to avoid a massive lock up from Ella Lloyd. She recovered well to P10, but it wasn’t to be the stateside podium she dreamed off.

Race 2 was rained off entirely, meaning three races were scheduled for the next round in Canada, and Lia would match her best result of a P4, as well as P8 across the weekend – sending her into the summer break with some positivity after a difficult start to the season.

Reset and refreshed, Lia arrived at Zandvoort with the bit between her teeth. A P6 in qualifying meant she’d start from P3 for race 1 – an opportunity at that first podium that she wasn’t going to pass up.

Our American sent it around the outside of the first corner to claim P2 almost immediately. She kept on the gearbox of the leader throughout, but soon had championship protagonist Maya Weug firmly in her mirrors.

An assured defence from the Utah native ensured she came home ahead of the Ferrari driver for that first visit to the rostrum that she had been waiting so long for, and it wouldn’t be too long before she returned.

Lia went into Singapore with a spring in her step. With one trophy in the bag there was just one more ambition she was hoping to tick off – that of winning a race.

With a solid visit to the Lion City the year prior, Lia navigated a tricky qualifying session to secure P8 on the grid, which would be pole position for the first race of the weekend.

By no means would that first win be handed to her though – a stern defence from her ART teammate Aurelia Nobels was needed in the opening corners, before the first of multiple safety car deployments.

Soon Lia would have the all-too-familiar sight of a scarlet red Ferrari in her rearview mirrors once again, but just like in Zandvoort, there would be no way past for Weug.

Lia crossed the line first, joining an exclusive club of rally and formula race winners. The emotion was clear to see, especially when she leapt from her car into the embrace of her mum.

Heading into the final round of the season in Las Vegas, Lia knew she was set for a farewell weekend – not just from F1 Academy, but from the Williams Driver Academy as well, having made the decision to return to rally in 2026.

Having qualified P12 for both races, Lia would be facing one final charge through the field as she looked for points. In Race 1, she kept it clean on an incredibly dramatic evening to secure a P5 result, before a P11 on her final outing in the series to lock-in P9 in the standings.

Wherever Lia’s motorsport journey takes her next, we’ll always have one eye on her progress.