The Beyond Equality initiative, a global development program aimed at helping women progress in Formula 1 and motorsport, has announced the selection of its first female drivers.
The six teenagers are considered the top prospects and will benefit most from participating in what is considered a unique approach, which uses Olympic-style talent ID and guidance from Lewis Hamilton’s former performance coach.
The scheme is the latest to address the gender imbalance in motorsport, which remains dominated by male drivers. F1 has not seen a woman compete in a grand prix since Lella Lombardi raced in Austria in 1976.
Beyond Equality is a privately funded program that aims to identify young female drivers and provide them with every possible help in their development outside the car, similar to what was done with Olympic athletes a few years ago to ensure they Being supported in every way, not just keeping them on track.
The girls, aged 13 to 14, were selected through a rigorous, data-driven process and extensive criteria. These include Briton Skye Parker from Trelogan, who competes for Argenti in the Junior X30 category of the British Karting Championship and was selected as part of the FIA’s Girls on Track Rising Stars programme. . She will be joined by Ivonn Simeonova of Austria, Katrina Thung of Malaysia, Kristýna Kalistová of the Czech Republic, Australia Lana Flack of Slovakia and Laura Bubenová of Slovakia.
They will now work with a team of experienced driving instructors and members of performance coaching group Hintsa, which provides F1 drivers with a number of high-level talents, including one who worked with Hamilton between 2016 and 2023. Angela Cullen.
Similar to the changes that sports bodies have seen in changing the way Olympic athletes prepare, the aim is to identify young talent and then fully support them in their long-term development, rather than just focusing on maximizing their time in the wheel and belt. Come exposure.
The announcement is supported by a Beyond Equality report released last year, which identified the barriers faced by girls and women in motorsport and suggested potential solutions.
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As the first part of next week’s program, six drivers will take part in the Wurz testing and training center in Austria established by Grand Prix Drivers Association President Alex Wurz.
Ali Donnelly, CEO of More More Equal, said: “We hope to show that by providing the right support early in their careers, we can accelerate the development of talented female riders so they can have equal opportunities to reach the top of the sport. “ Our drivers will benefit from a program with female athletes in mind from the start, whereas in motorsport girls are often forced to use programs and systems designed entirely for boys. “
