Formula 1 needs female drivers

Women at the wheel - 2nd December 2024

Formula 1 has always been dominated by men but now F1 Academy's seeking to change that by inspiring and supporting young girls and women.

Established in 2023, the F1 Academy racing championship's for female drivers aged 16 to 25. Competing in identical cars, drivers develop skills which prepare them for higher levels of competition.

Whilst the Academy's principally financed by Formula 1 itself, participants must each contribute 100,000 euros to take part.

Additionally, one driver's selected by each F1 team to race with them. In the 2025 season, Ella Lloyd, age 19 from Wales, was favoured by one of F1's biggest brands, McLaren. Lloyd already has four medals in Formula 4, where she races against both men and women drivers. In an interview with the BBC she said "there is no reason we can not be as good or even better" than men.

Despite only two women having ever participated in an F1 race, the number of female test and development drivers, engineers and team captains is slowly growing. Research was conducted in 2023 by More than Equal, a not-for-profit founded by 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard. This revealed that there are no physical or psychological barriers to F1 for women. However, it also found that only 13 percent of drivers involved with go-karting, where F1 drivers perfect their skills, are girls. That's where the F1 Academy's Discover your Drive are concentrating their efforts.

Young girls may also be inspired by a new documentary, produced by Hollywood's Reece Witherspoon. The programme follows the journey of girls like Lloyd as they battle for the top spot in the 2025 Academy series. With any luck, girls who watch will be tempted to try the sport.