A dozen girls are speeding around Britain’s go-kart circuit as part of a pioneering campaign to attract women into motorsport and possibly even compete for titles in male-dominated Formula One.
A special test day in Nottingham in October aims to tackle the major gender gap in Formula 1, one of the most glamorous sports.
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Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to compete in an F1 Grand Prix in 1976, and according to gender equality groups, the absence of women on track is linked to limited opportunities for young girls to be exposed to motorsport.
Beyond Equality, a nonprofit that supports female drivers, says girls start karting on average two years later than boys. For example, seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton started competing in the sport when he was just eight years old.
“This is the first step that girls can take,” Cameron Biggs, a coach and academy pathway manager at Motorsport UK, told AFP.
“We’re really trying to connect the dots between the grassroots and the elite.”
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The enthusiasm of the young people, most of whom are new to karting, is palpable.
Some attended a wine tasting day supported by cosmetics company Charlotte Tilbury after watching F1, while others were encouraged by their parents.
No one seems put off by F1’s breakneck speed, roaring engines and the prospect of driving a car years before getting a driving license.
“The second time, I came in first and I was so proud,” said Megan, 11, smiling.
“I watch Formula 1 a lot, so I know how to get around the track,” said Erin, also 11.
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-F1 Paradox-
The official F1 website has 827 million global fans, a 63% increase since 2018.
But there’s a paradox: F1 is one of the few non-gender-segregated sports in the world, yet one of the most male-dominated.
“We know that the path for female drivers over the past 50 years has not been successful in getting women into Formula One,” Lauren Forrow, director of driver development at Beyond Equality, told AFP.
She said this meant girls “were unable to thrive within the current system”.
The organization promises to “make history” by training women to not only compete, but win.
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“We knew this was a real challenge and it had never been done before,” chief executive Tom Stanton told AFP.
Beyond Equality lists limited access to motorsport at a young age, cultural and structural biases, sponsorship gaps and a lack of role models at the top as barriers to women entering F1.
The organization’s unique rider development program “acknowledges the physical, psychological and technical differences that women face,” such as the impact menstruation has on athletic ability and daily life, Faurot said.
These realities, she said, “tell us what the right approach is to support female athletes in this space,” as well as creating programs for young female racers.
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-“No one deserves respect”-
Skye Parker, a 15-year-old from Trelogan, North Wales, who told AFP she was determined to become a “Formula 1 world champion”, started racing karts when she was six and now enjoys the “excitement” of being on the track.
On a wet day in December, the confident teenager took a Formula 4 car around the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. Its challenging layout is where More Than Equal uses to hone the skills of its female drivers.
F4, for junior drivers, is an important stepping stone for drivers to reach the top.
Parker, whose personalized pink and green helmet set her apart from the other drivers, drove for 45 minutes and gave a technical debrief at the end of each session.
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There are more women than before, Parker told AFP, but noted that “we are definitely outnumbered by boys”.
“It’s a shame that there is no one in Formula One who deserves to look up to women,” she said.
Faure said that aside from the barriers specific to women, F1 was an “extremely expensive” sport.
In Nottingham, Marcus McKenzie stood on the sidelines, using a headset to guide his 8-year-old daughter Georgia around the go-kart track at 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour), slightly slower than the 220 mph Grand Prix average.
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The single father admits the cost of the sport makes things difficult but hopes to secure sponsorship for Georgia and her 11-year-old brother, who is also keen on F1.
But the youngsters had far more on their minds than money and were buzzing with excitement as they walked off the track.
“Don’t be shy about doing it. Be brave and have fun,” is eight-year-old Thea’s message to other girls her age.
CC/jkb/phz