Women haven’t raced in Formula 1 since Lella Lombardi at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix; nor taken part in any race weekend from a driving capacity since Susie Wolff logged a practice session for Williams Racing at the 2014 British Grand Prix. But according to ESPN, that might be set to change as early as next year with reports of an all-women F1 feeder series in the works.
Projected to debut as the same time as the 2023 season, this championship will apparently aim to seat upwards of 15 drivers right from the jump, providing a “clearer path up the existing pyramid of Formula 2 and Formula 3,” and eventually leading to Formula 1 (if all goes to plan).
“Sources said the new category would be aimed at drivers in their teens, with a feeling existing at F1 that many of the women who enter W Series are already too old to have a realistic chance of making F1’s feeder categories or the main championship itself,” writes Nate Saunders of ESPN.
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“The F1 feeder series aims to have seats for upward of 15 drivers in its first season. It would have no affiliation with W Series, the all-women championship set up in 2018.”
This revelation comes to light as the the W Series was forced to cancel its penultimate round of the year in support of this past weekend’s United States Grand Prix due to financial difficulties. In fact, at this stage, the W Series’ entire future remains uncertain.
As a result, Britain’s Jamie Chadwick of Jenner Racing – and development driver for Williams Racing – was crowned champion for the third time. The 24-year-old motorsport talent has never lost a single W Series championship.
“There has not been enough focus on women in the sport the whole of F1’s life and there is not enough emphasis on it now. And they are not magnifying enough the great work that is being done there,” seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton has previously noted.
“There is not enough representation across the board, within the industry, and there’s not really a pathway for those young, amazing drivers to even get to Formula 1, and then you have some people who say we’re never going to see [another] female F1 driver ever. So that’s not a good narrative to be putting out.”
“So I think we need to be doing more, and with the organization, with Formula 1 and Liberty Media [F1 owners] doing so well it’s not a lot for them to be able to help out in that space.”
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While an all-women Formula 1 feeder series is on the immediate horizon, it still might be a hot minute before we actually see any female pilots break up the boy’s club.
Back in August, Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali explained why he couldn’t foresee a scenario in which this happens within the next five years. Now before you get outraged and decide to crucify the old bloke on Twitter, read the full quote.
“Realistically speaking, unless there is something like a meteorite, I don’t see a girl coming into F1 in the next five years… that is very unlikely,” said Stefano Domenicali (via Sky News).
“We believe that to be able to give the chance for girls to be at the same level with the guys, they need to be at the same age when they start to fight on the track.”
Domenicali then alluded to what we’ve only recently discovered: “We are working on that to see what we can do to improve the system. And you will see soon some action.”
Keep an eye out for updates on Formula 1’s all-women racing championship here.
