Lia Block explains leap from rally to F1 Academy: "I was very quickly humbled"

Williams F1 Academy driver Lia Block has discussed the challenges involved with transitioning from her life in rally and off-road racing to the all-female single-seater series.

The American driver joined F1 Academy in 2024 with ART Grand Prix, backed by the Williams Formula 1 team. Unlike many of her rivals in the series, Block has not risen through the ranks of karting, but instead comes from a background in rally, having previously raced in the American Rally Association, Extreme E, and Nitrocross.

"We’re talking a lot of things that I had no idea existed before I entered the world of F1. So, a little more context to that is I’d never driven a formula-style car until last year. So, this is my first time in the world of F1, which is what I say is the world of burning money, because that’s how I feel every time I go on track," Block explained during an appearance on The Bomb Hole podcast.

"But it’s quite insane. I mean, coming from rally, which is such a - I wouldn’t say grassroots - but you’re in the middle of nowhere. You’re on a dirt road, there are no fancy paddocks and people wearing crazy red carpet clothes to a race track. So, for me it was like a big switch around of just aesthetic and world.

"So for me it was a big struggle in the beginning with learning that whole world and switching my entire driving style. Going from rally, I won the championship in 2023, and immediately went over to F1 Academy, which is so different. And I definitely questioned my decision a couple of times in those first couple of months, just relearning how to drive a car, which is so different."

Block finished the 2024 F1 Academy drivers' championship in eighth position and is currently sitting 10th in the 2025 drivers' standings.

"I’ve enjoyed it so far, and there’s been lots of ups and downs," she continued. "But to be honest, it’s so expensive to do that stuff. And there’s a reason why there’s only 20 F1 drivers in the world, and a very small percentage get to the top. Because there’s so much money and hard work that goes into that type of racing. Not to say that there isn’t in other types, but there’s just - add a couple more zeros to the end of your budget each year.

Lia Block, Gedlich Valencia testing

Photo by: Gedlich Racing

"It’s been fun and it’s very different. And I’m at one of the lower tiers of the F1 world, which is F1 Academy. I race for Williams Racing and they’re great. And I’ve been able to learn so much and meet so many cool people and influential people in my career and my driving style, even as a person from last year to now, I feel so different."

Unfortunately for Block, few skills from her years in rally have translated to F1 Academy, besides being used to racing in wet weather conditions.

"I mean, for me, it’s more of a disadvantage than an advantage in a way. I guess I’m not as scared to have a car go sideways on me because I know how to control that.

She added: "The biggest advantage I’ve seen from coming from off-road has been driving in the wet, which can relate much more to off-road than maybe what the girls who came up through karting the traditional way maybe haven’t experienced or don’t have the confidence with as much. But not to say that I’m the best at it - just that I’ve had a bit more of an advantage learning that type of skill.

"I’m never going to say coming into F1 Academy, I was like, 'OK, this won’t be too hard, right?' I did a bit of karting growing up and everything like that. Yeah, I was very quickly humbled. Very quickly."