“This Is a Joke Right?”: Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Saint Mleux’s Endorsement of F1 Academy Leaves Fans Fuming

Susie Wolff has been vocal about how Lewis Hamilton has been the only driver who’s gone out of his way to visit the F1 Academy drivers and show his support. After all, the 7X champ has been demanding diversity in the sport, and F1 Academy looks to solve a part of that issue. However, the Ferrari boys, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, didn’t feel like being left out and asked their girlfriends to support the initiative. However, both Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Saint Mleux’s endorsements seem to have left the fans fuming.

Coming into the Miami GP, F1 Academy announced its partnership with American Express, which previously had been F1’s payment partner for the American races. To celebrate the partnership, American Express organized an event prior to the Miami GP with F1 Academy Director Susie Wolff, joined by Camila Cabello, to talk about the role of women in various businesses and how female leaders have been able to drive the impact. 

Both Wolff and Cabello have excelled in their fields, and their showing support for the initiative makes complete sense. However, as far as Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc’s girlfriends go, the fans are not so sure about their support and contributions to the F1 Academy. With F1 Academy taking place as the junior Formula event for the Miami GP weekend, Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Saint Mleux decided to team up like their boyfriends and support the F1 Academy.

Both the Ferrari drivers’ girlfriends were seen in the paddock of the Miami GP, and a video of them supporting the F1 Academy has surfaced recently. In the video, Rebecca Donaldson can be heard saying, “Hi guys, we’re here at the F1 Academy paddock, getting to support all the girls. Super great experience whilst we’re here at the Miami GP”, whereas Alexandra Saint Mleux just stood next to her, looking at the camera. 

Fans aren’t pleased with F1 and F1 Academy’s attempt to bring in the F1 WAGS to support the initiative to promote females across all divisions of motorsports on and off the track. Let’s see what the fans have to say.

Fans of the F1 Academy attempt to describe the F1 WAGS as “annoying” and “ridiculous.”

As soon as the video surfaced on social media platforms, fans took to Instagram to slam Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc’s girlfriends as they supported F1 Academy. Many fans questioned what Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Saint Mleux have achieved and that they’re supporting the initiative, as just being the girlfriend of an F1 driver isn’t a good enough reason and is just bad PR on the F1 academy end. 

“This is so annoying. They are formula 1 driver girlfriends, nothing to do with F1 academy girls. Rather, they just distract from the F1 academy”

As Susie Wolff suggested, Hamilton has been the only driver actively supporting the initiative, and a fan pointed out that the F1 academy cannot get the drivers and bring in their girlfriends to do the same.

“f1 can’t bring the drivers to show some support for the girls so they’re using wags, also literally yesterday their sponsor chosen to invite them over the actual racers to an event, this is embarrassing, they have no idea of what to do with this category”

Some suggested that Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Saint Mleux are only capable of stealing the F1 Academy drivers’ place at a sponsored event pointing at their interest in grabbing attention.

“This is a joke, right? How do this lame wags support the F1 Academy girls? By stealing their place on a sponsor event? F1 Academy do better”

Then some called this PR stunt ridiculous and asked what Leclerc and Sainz’s Girlfriend had to do with the sport apart from just being their partner.

“I mean this is ridiculous what do they have in common with Flaccademy ?? An F1 driver as boyfriend??”

“So now be a wag is like an achievement or something… that’s ridiculous, to be honest.”

“Really???? Use wags to promote F1 Academy as yesterday w that event????? This is ridiculous”

“they shouldn’t do this video in the first place”

Some even suggested that Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Saint Mleux should not have agreed to do this video. But what do you think about the video? Is it the right thing to have the F1 WAGS become partly a face of this initiative?