It has been 47 years since a woman drove in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, when Lella Lombardi of Italy finished 12th at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1976.
In 2019, the all-female W Series started in an attempt to provide a way to get women behind the wheel, but it collapsed in June without seeing a woman close to a Formula 1 seat.
Now, F1 Academy has filled the void, an all-female racing series started by Formula 1 in April, with 15 drivers competing in three races during seven rounds. The first six are in Europe and the last in Austin, Texas.
But the series is more than about trying to find the next woman Formula 1 driver. It is also an attempt to bring women into other positions in the sport, such as engineers and mechanics.
“The concept of F1 Academy is to create a platform where women can be nurtured to progress further up the ladder, but also to inspire the next generation and to create opportunity, not just on track, but also off it,” Susie Wolff, managing director of the academy, said in an interview.
“We’re not just focused on finding the next female Formula 1 driver; we want to become a movement, which actually has impactful change in the sport and increases diversity in every area.”
Wolff enjoyed a healthy motorsport career. Following many successful years in karting,…
