Women have always existed in the world of motorsport, as marginalised as they may have been (and, sigh, sometimes still are). Thankfully, we are seeing increased female viewership, with women making up 40 percent of the global Formula 1 fan base, and a noticeably huge rise in women working in the industry, taking up more space than ever before.
Let me take you through just a few of the many, many reasons as to why having women in motorsport is so vital.
Photo Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
The female talent pool is more than just a puddle
Over the last few years, we have seen a meteoric rise in the visibility of female drivers. The development and inauguration of F1 Academy in 2023 provided a stable platform to showcase young women drivers from all over the world. Now a staple of the F1 calendar, fans are always looking forward to the next race (its Zandvoort, by the way!). The backing of F1 teams has also helped to boost visibility of women on the grid, but in other racing series’, we are seeing women and girls take on men and boys in the same categories and more than hold their own. Just recently, we saw Abbi Pulling claim a podium at Brands Hatch in the GB3 Championship. She is currently competing in the male dominated series with Bianca Bustamante, fellow F1 Academy alum.
The inclusion of female drivers also opens up a door to a vast world of new sponsors. Charlotte Tilbury has become a staple in the F1 Academy paddock, with the brand joining the grid as a title sponsor. The more women are welcomed into the space, the more potential there is for diverse sponsorship deals.
Who would have thought, huh? Women can do it too! Women are proving time and time again that they are more than deserving of taking up space in the industry. Across every grid, we see a range of talented individuals that keep the weekend running smoothly. From Communications to Media to Race Control to Stewards, we would never get to see our favourite drivers on track if it wasn’t for the diverse teams that operate behind the scenes.
Proven success stories line paddocks: Susie Wolff heads F1 Academy, Claire Dubbelman oversees every race weekend as the FIA Deputy Race Director, Maya Weug made history as the first female driver to be signed with Ferrari Driver Academy. In Indycar, we have Cara Krstolic, Director of tyre engineering for Bridgestone Motorsport, Krystol Smith who oversees everything social and digital at Arrow McLaren, Kate Gundlach who is excelling as an engineer with Arrow McLaren. These are just a few examples of excellence that make up a much bigger picture. Fans, viewers and critics must remember that the sports that they love would not exist without the hard work of skilled, powerful women.
There is immense power in having inclusivity within motorsport. Diverse teams and drivers lead to a more diverse audience, which allows the industry to grow and evolve. Brehanna Daniels became the first Black woman to join a NASCAR pit crew and is the first Black woman to change tyres in NASCAR history. Without visibility, we would have a limited talent pool as the next few generations make their way on to the grid. In F1 Academy, we see a range of nationalities take to the track, encouraged by the series’ Wild Card entry initiative. Diversity is not just about the inclusion of women, but female presence and inclusion is a major stepping stone in getting where we need to be within motorsport.
Women and girls across the grid deserve to be celebrated for what they bring, but equally, their place in the sport should no longer come with bells and whistles, it should just be the norm that they show up to work and get the job done.