DDespite the furore surrounding the sport and the controversy over how it is handled, Formula 1, far away from center stage, will continue its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion this weekend as the all-female F1 Academy series takes a step forward in its second season. A groundbreaking step.
The first race will be held at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday, International Women’s Day, as the series aims to finally help women return to F1 for the first time in 40 years and try to maintain a positive direction for F1. The Christian Horner dispute and recent allegations against FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem have generated damaging headlines.
However, the location of the series-opening event, which aims to promote diversity, has also raised eyebrows, with Saudi Arabia repeatedly accused of exploiting F1 and the sport’s associated shuffle academy.
Human rights groups have expressed serious concerns about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, including highlighting the plight of Leeds University student Salma al-Shehab, who was jailed for tweeting about women’s rights He was sentenced to 27 years in prison and is currently serving his sentence.
Amnesty International noted: “Despite Saudi Arabia’s claims of ‘reform,’ women remain second-class citizens in the country, and anyone who dares to speak out about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia risks arrest and lengthy prison terms.”
The series is making a concerted effort to get more women into motorsport and ultimately more women into F1. No woman has competed in a grand prix in F1 since Lella Lombardi raced in Austria in 1976. She and Maria Teresa de Filippis remain the only two women to have competed in the F1 championship since its inception in 1950.
After a relatively low-key start to the season in 2023, the profile of the Academy Champions has grown significantly this year. This season, 10 of the 15 drivers competing will represent an F1 team, wearing their own livery in seven of the 14 races, all of which will take place on an F1 race weekend.
Each team has chosen the driver they will support. French driver Doriane Pin will compete for Mercedes, Maya Weug from the Netherlands will compete for Ferrari and British driver Abbi Pulling will compete for Alpine.
They will drive the same car, the standard Tatuus F4 is operated by five experienced F3 and F2 teams, each with three drivers, but the partnership is expected to bring huge benefits to the drivers involved and create a strong connection between F1 and F1. build strong connections between them. Academy, which aims to increase interest in the sport among girls and young women.
Lewis Hamilton has been an outspoken supporter from the start and paid a visit to drivers in the Academy paddock at last year’s United States Grand Prix when he praised the progress made by the Academy. “Glad to hear the progress [F1 Academy’s] Made,” he said at the time. “I think the steps we are taking are really great. It’s great to hear that everyone in Formula 1 is on board.”
The series has also received more enthusiastic support from other F1 drivers this year and now has direct links with their teams. Mercedes driver George Russell said: “It’s fantastic that F1 is giving these women the opportunity to showcase their talent, and with the support of an F1 team and the greater visibility of an F1 race weekend , this is the beginning of great things to come.” in Jeddah.
His motivation is on par with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. “This is very important,” he said. “It’s great to see this new series involving all the F1 teams, giving all these women who want to join F1 a chance and giving them a platform to show what they can really do.”
The inaugural season was won by Spain’s Marta García, who, together with runner-up Léna Bühler, secured a place and support in the 2024 European Formula Regional Championship, alongside the men’s Competing in the series, an important stepping stone towards the 2024 European Regional Formula Championship, is the F1 Feeder Series, F3 and F2. They will gain exposure and experience critical to career advancement, and this year’s recipients will do the same. This year, the series will also award the FIA Super License points needed to drivers wishing to compete in F1.
Created and backed by F1 owners, the academy aims to tackle one of the sport’s main obstacles: narrowing the gap between karting and single-seater racing for 16- to 25-year-olds at a time when costs have soared and forced many into karting. the gap between. Young women are dropping out of the sport.
The championship also hopes to address the long-standing issue of female participation in motorsport, which has never exceeded 5%.
