F1 to launch women’s championship in 2023

Formula 1 has taken another step towards equality by continuing its efforts to increase female presence in motorsports. They want to give more access, more time on the track, more races and tests to women. For this reason, the organization announced the launch of a new competition exclusively for women and, at the same time, the birth of the F1 Academy, also exclusive. Here, the drivers “will grow working with professional teams, renowned in motorsports for nurturing young drivers, and that will help them develop crucial technical, physical and mental preparation.” They will be trained to participate in different levels: the W Series, Formula 3, Formula 2 and, to top it off, Formula 1.

More track time for women

The project will begin in 2023. The academy intends to put women on an equal footing with their male counterparts of the same age who have much more time on the track. The competition will feature five teams, led by strong and experienced F2 and F3 teams, each of which will enter three cars to form a 15-car grid. The inaugural season will feature seven events of three races each.

This comes to a total of 21 races, which add up to 15 more days of official tests. Pirelli will provide the tires, and the cars that will be used with the F4 will have Tatuus T421 chassis, turbocharged engine, 165 horsepower. In view of the complications that often arise in financing, Formula 1 will subsidize each car with a budget of €150,000.

Moving up to Formula 1

“Everyone should have the opportunity to follow their dreams and reach their potential, and Formula 1 wants to make sure we are doing everything we can to create more diversity and routes in this incredible sport. That’s why I’m delighted to announce the F1 Academy, which will offer young drivers the best chance to fulfill their ambitions through a comprehensive program that supports their careers and gives them everything they need to progress to F3 and hopefully F2 and then on to the pinnacle of Formula 1,” according to Stefano Domenicali, F1 President and CEO,

But Domenicali wants to make clear that the new project does not go against the W-Series that has earned so much prestige which the F1 Academy does not want to diminish.

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“They have done an incredible job to develop the position of women in motorsport, and we as F1 have given them the platform to expand. We want to offer a project for young women, a complementary product so that more women can come,” he said.

“The objective is to prepare the female drivers to compete in F3 and F2 against men,” adds Bruno Michel, CEO of both competitions who will also lead the project as general director of the academy. “Diversity is extremely important in motorsport, and with the F1 Academy we will show that female drivers have what it takes to compete at high levels”, he adds.