Since the beginning of time, Formula 1 has been a male-dominated sport. Any motorsport for that matter. And it’s been as rare as a season without a crash to see a woman’s name pop up. But in recent times there has been a change with a shift of focus towards more women in key roles both in the driver’s seat and behind the scenes.
Female representation in motorsport is on the rise, and 2025 could be a breakthrough year. With key players like the F1 Academy paving the way, the next step feels more within reach than ever.
So with the continued rise of women in the sport being greater than ever, here’s what to expect this year.
Female Drivers In The Formula 1? Quite Possibly
The question on everybody’s lips – Will we see a female driver back on the grid anytime soon?
This question remains and everybody has their own forecast. The last driver of the female breed was Lella Lombardi back in the 70’s, but with a new wave of investment into female driver development, who knows? It might be time. Some industry insiders speculate this might be the year that we see a woman landing an F1 reserve driver role.
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F1 Academy
Let’s take a look at the F1 Academy – Formula 1’s all-female driving series which has been acting as a feeder for women to break into F3, F2 and ultimately F1.
Having made a splash in 2024 with a plethora of media coverage and financial support (as well as partnerships with iconic female led brands like Charlotte Tilbury), the series is backing women hard.
The aim is not just to create a separate series for women, but to bridge the gap between karting and professional F1 driving, with the end game being more females having an opportunity to compete.
The academy has been making major moves, and has already organised partnerships with all ten F1 teams to sponsor a female driver in the series, leading to the creation of further initiatives like the Red Bull Ford Academy targeted at female driver development.
F2 & F3
And are any female drivers driving in F2 or F3? Yes! Recently, F1 Academy drivers have participated in both, which is huge.
F1 Academy driver Sophia Floersch participated in a Formula 2 test at Silverstone in July 2024, and Chloe Chambers participated in a Formula 3 test at the same race weekend. A handful of talented female drivers have also been seen in recent years participating in tests for Formula E series.
With the sport’s increasing focus on diversity, it’s only a matter of time before a woman breaks through to motorsport’s top tier, so watch this space.
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Women BTS In The Formula 1
While the fight for a seat continues, women behind the scenes are also making strides in the industry, and have been in the past too. Some familiar faces that might not even be known as such legends are around. Take for instance Australia’s own Lune Croissant founder Kate Reid, who was a Formula 1 engineer in her past life almost 20 years ago.
Although Kate has since moved on to the culinary world of pastries, there are some other key females in the sport that aren’t going anywhere.
Hannah Schmitz; principal strategy engineer of Red Bull Racing; is another great example! She has been the mastermind behind some of the most genius race-winning strategies and proves that strategy is just as important as driving. And hey, she must be doing something right. Red Bull is still at the top!
Similarly, women across the board are stepping into high-level roles, and engineering programs that aim at young women run by teams like Mercedes, Mclaren and Ferrari are helping bring in that next generation of F1 engineer talent.
Women are also taking roles in F1 testing. Jess Hawkins for example became the first woman in almost five years to test a F1 car for Aston Martin back in 2023. This proves that teams are open to giving female drivers opportunities in top-level machinery.
Where Else Could Women Fit In?
With the success and growth of women representation in the sport, another question could be raised as to whether we might see a female team principal in the years to come. This is not unheard of, with Williams Racing having had Clare Williams as team principal back in 2020. And now Susie Wolff (director of the F1 Academy, former racer, and wife to F1 icon Toto Wolff) is sitting as a hot candidate to take on a similar role with both back and front-end experience.
It would mark a historical moment and also inspire new generations for other management roles within F1 to be taken on by females.
So What’s Next For Women In Formula 1?
Foundations are on their way to being set for women in F1. While there is no female driver in a full-time seat, there are increased opportunities and an entire F1-backed female development system in place, as well as multiple female brands like Elemis and Charlotte Tilbury sponsoring and supporting the shift.
At a high level, women are about to make their mark.
2025 F1 Academy Racing Series Calendar
| DATE | VENUE |
|---|---|
| March 21-23 | Shanghai International Circuit, China |
| April 18-20 | Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Saudi Arabia |
| May 2-4 | Miami International Autodrome, United States |
| June 13-15 | Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Canada |
| August 29-31 | Circuit Zandvoort, Netherlands |
| October 3-5 | Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore |
| November 20-22 | Las Vegas Strip Circuit, United States |
The post Here Are The Women To Watch In This Year’s F1 appeared first on Women’s Health Australia.
