LAS VEGAS — The F1 Academy is wrapping up their 2025 season in Las Vegas and for some drivers, it means the sun is setting on their two years in the program.
That includes Salt Lake City native Lia Block, who was recruited to drive for Williams Racing. She is the daughter of legendary rally car driver Ken Block and says the racing bug bit at a young age.
"I did do a couple of different sports as I was growing up but I always found my way back to racing," Block told me. "I originally started in short course, off-road stuff, mostly dirt. Then, I transitioned to a bit of karting and eventually to rally. I'd done that for three years in the U.S. Championship. I won the rear wheel drive championship in 2023. I was the youngest ever to win it and the only female to ever win it. I did that with my co-driver Rhiannon Gelsomino."
Block also won the Baja 1000 off-road endurance race with her mom and Rodrigo Ampudia.
With a resume like that, it's no wonder that Williams came calling.
"I had done no previous open wheel racing before that. So it was kind of like oh, they want a rally driver to do it? Sure," Block told me. "It's kind of like a lottery ticket, especially with Williams and their history in F1. It was just a great experience and I've enjoyed learning this type of motor sports and the discipline of open wheel racing and the challenges it brings with it."
As viewers can watch in the Netflix documentary F1 Academy, Block faced challenges in her first season and says she has put in a lot of work to learn as much as she can from the Williams team.
"To be honest, it's been very difficult. The racing is totally different from anything I've done before," Block said. "I had three months to get ready for my first F1 Academy race two years ago so I started very much on the back foot compared to all of my competitors who had grown up around circuits and that's what they've done before."
Over the past two seasons, Block has continued building her skill set as she continued training and racing at circuits around the world.
"I work with a junior team out of France. So anytime I'm going to a racetrack, whether that's testing or a race, I always have to fly to Paris first for about a day and then fly to wherever we are," Block explained. "We're always just preparing as much as possible before we even get to the track."
That hard work paid off with Block winning the Singapore Grand Prix in October. Now, she's ready to round out her career in a city that she and her family know well: Las Vegas.
"I would say it's probably the closest home race I will ever get. For sure," Block said with a big grin on her face. "Vegas is obviously a great atmosphere. I think it's going to be really cool and, obviously, going to be an emotional one. It will be fun and I hope we get a good result to round off our season."
Block said her mom, younger brother, and sister are all in Las Vegas for the race this weekend. She says it will be bittersweet to say goodbye to her Williams family.
"I've just enjoyed the overall experience, getting to meet so many incredible people, work with an incredible team and be able to go behind-the-scenes with Williams and work with Carlos and Alex, as well as James Vowles," Block said. "I couldn't have asked for a better two years with the F1 Academy."
And as for what's next, she's already unveiled a YouTube series following her journey to create a rally-inspired vehicle. She unveiled that at SEMA earlier this month. She might also have surprises in store along the way.
"Next year, we're moving on to a new chapter," Block said. "I can't explain much more on it but I'm really excited about what we're going to do next year."
