Women in Motorsports

How many women do you see in motorsports? Not many, but in order for us to increase the number of females in the industry let’s dive into the history!

(Image credit to F1 Academy)

Why are women in motorsports talked about?

How many of you have turned on your TV to see the likes of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc celebrating, triumphantly their F1 win? But have you ever seen a woman on the top step of a Formula 1 podium, hoisting her trophy up high? I can answer for you… no. That is because there are no current female F1 drivers and the last was Giovanna Amati in 1992. I would like to introduce you to some of the hidden figures beyond the world stage of F1, who deserve to be on it. 

What is Formula 1?

Firstly, Formula 1 is a highly competitive, exclusive sport with only 20 seats available for the best in the world. Currently, all of these seats are held by men. In addition most jobs in Formula 1 are held by men, along with the FIA: which is the governing body for F1. This means that F1 is a male dominant sport where women have previously struggled to be accepted in. 

Who is Susie Wolff? 

The most well known female figure in the world of Formula 1 has to be Susie Wolff. Her relationship with Formula 1 began in 2012 when she became Williams Racing’s test and development driver. She holds the position of being the last woman to participate in a Formula 1 event, which was a Free Practice 1 session at the British Grand Prix in 2014. The following year she announced her retirement as a driver and then 2 years later became the Team Principal for Venturi Racing in Formula Electric. Following this, she became CEO of the series before stepping down in 2022 to launch her latest project; F1 Academy. 

(Image credit to F1 Academy)

What’s F1 Academy?

F1 Academy is an all female single seater championship of Formula 4 spec. Its aim is to get young women into Formula 3, Formula 2 and then Formula 1. If you’d like to learn more read this article.

(Image credit to F1 Academy)

Who are the F1 Academy drivers this year?

F1 academy consists of 6 teams; Prema Racing, Rodin Motorsport, Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, ART Grand Prix, and Hitech TGR. But they are supported by different brands. So the drivers consist of, 

PREMA:

• Nina Gademann (Alpine)

• Doriane Pin (Mercedes)

• Tina Hausmann (Aston Martin)

RODIN:

• Emma Felbermayr (Kick Sauber)

• Ella Lloyd (McLaren)

• Chloe Chong (Charlotte Tilbury)

CAMPOS:

• Chloe Chambers (Red Bull Ford)

• Rafeala Ferreira (Racing Bulls) 

• Alisha Palmowski (Red Bull Racing)

MP:

• Alba Larsen (Tommy Hilfiger) 

• Joanne Ciconte (F1 Academy)

• Maya Weug (Ferrari) 

ART:

• Courtney Crone (Haas)

• Aurelia Nobles (Puma) 

• Lia Block (Williams) 

HITECH:

• Aiva Anagnostiadis (TAG Hauer) 

• Nicole Harvarda (American Express) 

• Wild Card Entry 

The last Wild Card Entry was Mathilda Paatz for the race in Montreal, Canada 

Is there a female driver to look out for?

A previous talent who stood out against the 15 person grid last season was Abbi Pulling. She led the F1 Academy championship, resulting in her winning the title. In addition, she was competing in British Formula 4 simultaneously. Abbi is an Alpine academy member, meaning Alpine Formula One Team were supporting her in F1 Academy and GB3, to get her into F3, F2 then hopefully F1, as their contracted driver: making her the future of women in motorsports. 

(Image Credit to F1 Academy)

Other female racers:

Susie and Abbi are just two of the countless, inspiring women in the motorsport industry. Some others are: Maria Teresa De Fillipas, who was the first woman to complete in a Grand Prix; Danica Patrick who was the first woman to win an Indy Series race in 2008; Jamie Chadwick who holds various records (The most wins, podiums, pole positions and points in the W Series - an all-female series before F1 Academy was created). Jamie is the only woman to still compete as a driver in the Indy NXT Series. All of these women I have named haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve due to the patriarchal nature of motorsports. There are so many talented women who could have and should have been in F1. They may not have a chance now, but someone like Abbi Pulling does. However, teams are still plagued by the idea of having a woman race their car as it’s not what is expected in the media or by many fans. 

Why we must continue talking about women in motorsports:

We have to break these expectations and cure the teams of this outdated mindset; to finally give women the chance they deserve, in a place they should feel welcome and appreciated in. Now only one question remains: Will you advocate for women in F1 and stand with me? 

Article written by Alice Seager ©️ Alice Seager 2025