Williams parts ways with Lia Block as F1 Academy star is set to return to rally

Williams Racing Academy has parted ways with Lia Block after two years in F1 Academy.

The American driver finished her second season in the all-female racing series in ninth with 37 points. Drivers can only compete in the F1 Academy for two seasons before moving on, and Block is now set to return to her roots in rally.

Prior to joining the F1 Academy, Block raced in the American Rally Association, Extreme E and Nitrocross. She became the youngest champion in the American Rally Association in 2023 at just 16 years old.

“After two years as a Williams Racing Academy driver, we can confirm that Lia Block will leave the team at the end of 2025 and return to rally,” Williams shared.

“It’s been a pleasure joining her on the journey and we wish her all the best as she embarks on a new chapter in her career. As a team, we remain committed to the F1 Academy project and look forward to sharing our 2026 entrant in due course.”

Block described her move back to rally as “coming home”.

“I’m coming home,” she told DirtFish. “These past few years, obviously I took a break from rally and off-road and went to the big boy world of F1. It’s certainly been an experience and I’ve learned so much. But ultimately, it’s not the world I necessarily feel like I belong in. And rally has always been home. It’s where I’ve had the most success and the most fun.

“My decision for coming back, it’s been a hard one and it’s something I’ve contemplated for a while. But it all comes down to, what do I love the most? And what will I enjoy doing for the rest of my career? My answer is rally. And I think it’s kind of always been that way.”

Lia Block, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: Peter Fox / Getty Images

She added: “I wanted to try open-wheel racing. I feel I’ve done every discipline in motorsport so far in my career, to be honest, and I didn’t want to leave that page blank in a way. I wanted to try it and just give a shot and I’m really, really glad I did. You know, I wouldn’t trade these two years for anything. And the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met have been so valuable.

“I think the way I’ve grown over the past two years, matured as a driver and as a person, I think all of that mental strength I will definitely be able to carry into whatever I do next year.

“Especially coming off of winning a championship in the US and going to a discipline I had zero clue about and having to work my way up back to the top and learn so much. That mentality of the small gains means so much, and just taking everything as a learning opportunity going forward will definitely help me when I’m starting again in rally.”

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– The Motorsport.com Team