Autosport Business’ Post

🏁 Breaking down barriers for the next generation: Ella's journey in motorsport is nothing short of inspiring! At just 19, she is set to join McLaren Racing for the 2025 F1 Academy season, driving on an all-female grid aimed at promoting diversity in motorsport on and off the track. Her story is a testament to resilience and representation; competing in a sport traditionally dominated by men is never easy but Ella and the #F1 Academy are working to push past long-held stereotypes and pave the way for more women to excel as drivers, engineers, and leaders in motorsport. Initiatives like this, coupled with media representation across platforms like the BBC and Netflix, are essential for inspiring young women globally to consider careers in our industry and related fields. Here’s to more stories like this in the future to accelerate the future of motorsports in a sustainable and more diverse way for the benefit of everyone. 🌟 https://lnkd.in/ecquGZDB #WomenInSport #FemaleLeadership #DiversityInSport #BreakingBarriers

💥Surprise! Women make up 40% of Formula 1 fans. You may be less surprised to learn that only 10% of #F1 drivers are #women, and that 49 years have passed since the last woman scored points in an F1 race. ➡️ Here’s an interesting take on making a difference in a traditionally male-dominated #sport and #womenleaders. 🏎️ The all-female F1 Academy, headed by Susie Wolff is spearheading change with top 15 all-women races and programmes supporting talent from the age of 8. 🏎️ More than Equal, run by founder and Grand Prix winner David Coulthard and chief executive Ali Donnelly, uses a “science-based approach” to find and develop F1’s first female champion. “All the science says there is no boundary between men and women competing at the same level in F1,” he says. 🏎️ Girls on Track UK aims to inspire girls and women to believe they have a place in racing and to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, which could open up career paths. #gendergap #genderequity #womeninsports #change https://lnkd.in/d7i8JWcc

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team's Laura Mueller becomes the first female race engineer in Formula 1's 75-year history. Female participation in motorsport, whilst increasing, remains low at 7-13 per cent, as highlighted in our research. Increasing female representation in engineering is particularly vital, as diverse perspectives enhance problem-solving and innovation, ultimately driving better performance. Having more women in engineering roles may help attract and retain more female drivers, creating a more inclusive and sustainable pipeline for talent in the sport. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e4MngdhE #MorethanEqual #Motorsport #F4 #F3 #F2 #F1

“It’s never been a thing!” 🏁 Female drivers in drag racing not only compete but consistently achieve at the highest levels, a rarity in motorsport, where women make up only 4% of elite competitors across disciplines. This year, Drag Racing celebrated its 100th female event winner in the NHRA: Championship Drag Racing. In partnership with Santa Pod Raceway and Women in Motorsports North America, we delve into how the sport achieved this. Our latest research report highlights that while motorsport remains predominantly male, some disciplines achieve greater gender balance, offering valuable lessons to apply across the sport. 🔗 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ean4xGYq #MorethanEqual #DragRacing #Motorsport #F4 #F3 #F2 #F1

🏎️ Building a future for women in racing starts with representation. Stefy shares how growing the pipeline—from sim racing to karting—can help us work toward a 50-50 grid. 🌟 What’s your vision for diversity in motorsports? 👇 #SimRacing #GameTalk #Diversity #Motorsport

(Most) motorsport regulations are not gender neutral; let's fix it. ⛔ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴? F1 shouts about women being F1’s fastest growing fanbase demographic. F1 Academy is going from strength to strength. Women compete in IndyNXT, the World Endurance Championship, British F4 and many others. Motorsport has a unique platform in that women and men compete in equal machinery. Therefore, it’s not good enough that the regulations for: F1, F2, F3, WEC, Formula E, British GT and World Rally Championship (I’m sure there are sadly many others) are still not gender neutral. 👫 𝗦𝗼, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗻? No, this is not “just” a driver issue, these regulations assume that drivers, FIA officials (including the Race Director), Clerk of the Course, Team Principal and others all exclusively use masculine pronouns. ❓𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀? In my opinion, this is the biggest current issue with the various motorsport regulations mentioned above. It's such an easy fix and would make a huge difference to show inclusivity in motorsport. Hopefully highlighting the problem will lead to change. Read more in the article including examples: https://lnkd.in/eFpGfGHC Or follow on: Instagram (themotorsportlawyer) or X (themotorlawyer) 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 🚗 Most international motorsport regulations STILL use masculine-pronouns to describe (among others) drivers, technical delegates, the race director and team senior personnel 💂♀️ Some regulators (eg Motorsport UK) have already made this change and are setting the standard ⌛ This is an easy change and should be top priority for motorsport regulators 𝘗.𝘚. 𝘉𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯-𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭. Image © F1 Academy #F1 #Regulation #SportsLaw #Motorsport #Womeninsport

I agree that Abbi Pulling is one of a few women that I think is capable of competing in F1 one day. I also believe that Dorian Pin and Jamie Chadwick are also contenders. What this commentary only talks about is the F1 Academy - which is somewhat of a farce....if you ask me. No mention of the W Series which, by all accounts, was better promoted, better designed and actually gave many women opportunities - before the "F1 Academy" came along. The reality is that FIA has done a terrible job of actually being committed to helping and promoting women to gain equity and equality with men in motorsport. The F1 Academy is not really that much better and creating the opportunity. The W Series had it right, as far as the business model and the focus on talent. The funding is the issue and as long as you have to buy your ride, or your opportunity, women will be at a disadvantage. Most drivers are at a disadvantage. Only the wealthy get to play - and wealthy does not equate to talent.

What you focus on expands… Firstly, huge congratulations to Abbi Pulling! Abbi just became the first female to win the British Formula 4 race. Remember that name. (What a shame her name isn’t on the photo.) I didn’t know that women were even allowed to compete in Formula 1. Apparently the last time a woman competed in F1 was 1976! The Formula 1 Academy was set up in 2023 to address the gender gap. Hats off to Susie Wolff for taking the lead on this. So too in supply chain. If you don’t have targeted initiatives and active support and investment in addressing gender balance and the equality gap, nothing will change. What you focus on expands… #womeninsupplychain #supplychain5050 #everyonewins boom! Global Network

Are there relatively simple fixes that your organisation could make to demonstrate that you genuinely believe in equal opportunity for everyone? Whether it's updating guidance and resources to use gender neutral language (like below), buying good quality female-fit PPE or building ramps rather than steps in your buildings, investing in these areas sends a message about the organisation's intent. What message do you think current employees, potential recruits, investors and customers are receiving if you're NOT doing these things? #inclusion #smallacts

This past weekend, while enjoying the Hungarian Grand Prix with my husband, I found myself pondering a question that may seem straightforward but is quite profound. I asked him, "Why don't we see women racing alongside men in Formula 1?" Despite talented female drivers like Bianca Bustamante making significant strides in motorsport, there are still several barriers preventing women from competing in F1. Historically, motorsport has been male-dominated, with fewer opportunities for women to progress through the ranks. Additionally, securing sponsorship and support can be more challenging for female drivers, which is crucial for advancing to higher levels of racing. Moreover, the physical demands of F1 are often cited, although many believe that with the right training and support, women can meet these demands just as well as men. There's also a lingering stereotype that racing is a "man's sport," which further hinders the inclusion of women. There have been a handful of women who in the past have successfully made their mark on F1. 🏁Maria Teresa de Filippis - The first woman to race in F1, she competed in the late 1950s and participated in three World Championship Grands Prix. 🏁Lella Lombardi - The most successful female driver in F1 history, she competed in the mid-1970s and is the only woman to have scored points in a World Championship race, with a sixth-place finish at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. 🏁Divina Galica - A British driver who attempted to qualify for three F1 races in the late 1970s but did not make it to the starting grid. 🏁Giovanna Amati - The last woman to have entered the Formula 1 World Championship, she attempted to qualify for three races with Brabham in 1992 but did not make it to the starting grid. If there are available seats, why aren't women being given the chance to race at this level? It’s clear we need to challenge these stereotypes, provide equal opportunities, and support female drivers more robustly. While these drivers have paved the way, there is a growing movement to encourage and support more women in motorsport. Initiatives like the F1 Academy and increased support from teams and sponsors are steps toward a more inclusive future in racing. I'd love to hear your thoughts and insights on this topic. Why do you think this disparity exists, and what can be done to change it? #Womenempowerment #Personaldevelopment #Mentalhealthawareness