FIA PROMISES NEW JUNIOR LEVEL SINGLE-SEATER SERIES FOR FEMALES
Formula 1 has officially announced the formation of a new all-women series that will begin in 2023.
The F1 Academy will be run and financially backed by the sport’s owners, Formula One Management, with the intent of helping more young women progress in motor racing and ultimately into F1.
The new championship will consist of five teams, each with three drivers run by existing competitors in the F1 feeder series, F2 and F3. The season will be held across seven meetings, with three races at each event. The calendar has yet to be confirmed but is expected to include one F1 weekend. “Everyone should have the opportunity to follow their dreams and achieve their potential and Formula 1 wants to ensure we are doing everything we can to create greater diversity and routes into this incredible sport,” said F1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Meanwhile, the head of the sport’s global governing the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has said that changes will be made to junior single-seater categories to make them more accessible for females. He said the lack of power steering on cars such as the Formula 2 and Formula 3 chassis gives female racers a disadvantage over their male counterparts. Speaking at a conference last week, Ben Sulayem said that junior formulae chassis builders could be forced to alter their machines. Ben Sulayem said: “We are talking with our departments when it comes to technical [aspects].”