Despite the anger surrounding the sport and the debate about how to deal with it, far from center stage, Formula 1 will continue its efforts to advance diversity and inclusion this weekend as the all-female F1 Academy series makes groundbreaking strides in its second season.
The first race will take place on Friday, International Women’s Day, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and the series, which ultimately aims to help women return to racing in F1 for the first time in 40 years, is trying to stay positive. The sport is in the midst of damaging headlines emerging from the Christian Horner dispute and the latest allegations against FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
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However, the location of the season-opening race of a series that aims to promote diversity did not go unnoticed; Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly accused of exploiting F1 and sportswashing by the Academy.
Human rights groups still express serious concerns about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia; This includes the plight of Leeds University student Salma al-Shehab, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for tweeting about women’s rights.
Amnesty International states: “Despite Saudi Arabia’s claims of ‘reform’, women are still second-class citizens in the country and anyone who dares to speak out about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia risks arrest and long prison sentences.”
The series is making a concerted effort to bring more women into motorsport and ultimately into F1, where no woman has started a grand prix since Lella Lombardi raced in Austria in 1976. She and Maria Teresa de Filippis remain the only two women competing. He has been in F1 since the championship started in 1950.
After a relatively low-key inaugural season in 2023, this year represents a serious advance for the championship in terms of visibility. 10 of the 15 drivers competing this season will represent an F1 team and compete in their own livery in seven meetings across the 14-race season, all of which will take place on F1 race weekends.
Each of the teams chose a driver they would support. Doriane Pin from France will race for Mercedes, Maya Weug from the Netherlands will race for Ferrari and Abbi Pulling from England will race for Alpine.
The standard Tatuus F4 car will be raced on the same machine, which will be run by five experienced F3 and F2 teams with three drivers each, but the collaboration is expected to be hugely beneficial for those drivers and in establishing a strong link between F1 and F1. and the Academy, with the aim of increasing interest in sports among girls and young women.
Lewis Hamilton has been a vocal supporter from the start and visited the drivers in the Academy paddock at last year’s US Grand Prix, praising the forward steps they had taken. “Really glad to hear about the progress [F1 Academy’s] done,” he said at the time. “I think the steps we’ve taken are really great. “I’m really glad to hear that the whole of Formula 1 is on board.”
The series has also been more enthusiastically supported by other F1 drivers this year, with a direct link now to their teams. Mercedes driver George Russell said: “It’s great that F1 is giving these women the chance to showcase their talents and with F1 teams supporting them and extra visibility racing on F1 weekends, this is the start of great things to come.” In Jeddah.
His positivity was matched by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. “It’s very important,” he said. “It’s great to see this new series with all the F1 teams participating, giving all these women hoping to join F1 a chance and giving them a platform to show what they can really do.”
The inaugural season was won by Spaniard Marta García, who secured a seat and support to race alongside the men in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship, along with runner-up Léna Bühler. F1 feeder series, F3 and F2. They will have vital knowledge and experience to advance their careers and this year’s winners will continue to do the same. This year, the series will also award FIA super license points, which are required for drivers who want to compete in F1.
The academy was created and supported by F1’s owners to find a solution to one of the biggest hurdles in the sport: closing the gap between 16-25 year-olds in karting and single-seaters at a time when costs are soaring and many are struggling. young women are away from sports.
The championship also wants to address the long-term problem that women’s participation in motorsport has never risen above 5%.