Search for female F1 World Champion begins

More than Equal has opened up the application process to become apart of its first driver development programme in the quest to findthe next female F1 star. The initiative, launched by former F1championship runner-up David Coulthard and philanthropist KarelKomarec, aims to help boost the support for up-and-coming femaletalent with a view to finding the first female World Champion.Applications are now being accepted to join the driver developmentprogramme, with the process open worldwide. Selection criteriainclude driving history, age, current performance and developmentstage. More than Equal CEO Ali Donnelly said: “No woman has racedcompetitively in Formula 1 in close to 50 years, and very few womenare racing at the elite level of any motorsport series currently."In order to enact lasting structural change, we need to do thingsdifferently. For us, that means investing in and developing femaledrivers early in their careers, and we are thrilled to be takingthe first steps towards that by launching our female-dedicatedprogramme in 2024.” Female talent in F1 Female talent in F1 hasbeen few and far between, with only five to have officiallycompeted in a Grand Prix since Maria Terese de Filippis became thefirst in the late 1950s. Lella Lombardi is the only female driverto have scored points in F1, active from 1974 to 1976, taking ahalf-point in the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Divina Galicaattempted to qualify for the British Grand Prix in 1976 - the onlytime more than one female driver attempted to qualify for an F1race. Desiré Wilson and Giovanna Amati both attempted to qualify,but since the latter in 1992, only Susie Wolff has taken part in anofficial weekend - though that was only free practice for the 2014British Grand Prix.