Susie Wolff Foresees Female Formula 1 Race Starter Within a Decade

The routine of a Formula 1 Grand Prix at a race track was interrupted by a significant event. At the Silverstone paddock, a stir arose as a person appeared from a doorway near a parked car. Numerous camera shutters clicked, and journalists vied for a better view as a new participant in the racing community donned a star-patterned helmet. A woman was about to compete in a Formula 1 car, fulfilling a lifelong aspiration. However, the event was cut short when an oil pressure issue caused the engine to shut down, bringing the car to a halt. Apart from one subsequent appearance in Germany, this marked the extent of a woman’s participation in a Formula 1 race weekend. This occurrence was not in 2025, but in 2014. A decade later, the wait continues. The driver was Susie Wolff, who participated in the first practice session of the 2014 British Grand Prix in a Williams car. She was never designated to compete in the race itself. “Most probably now looking back with perspective, I had to work harder for their respect because there was just that underlying doubt that I was good enough,” Wolff stated. She added, “Of course there are difficult moments because when you are the only one, suddenly there’s lots of attention on my gender instead of my performances on track. “But I tried to not let those distract me because I knew performance is power, and as long as I did a good enough job on track… But there was this natural scepticism – I was a young girl in a very male-dominated environment.”” Currently, as the managing director of the F1 Academy, an all-female talent series affiliated with Formula 1 and operating at the Formula 4 level, she has the opportunity to significantly contribute to another pivotal moment. From an otherwise unoccupied boardroom at F1’s headquarters in Kensington, London, she elaborated on the current challenges she encounters. Wolff stated, “In my role there are days where I get despondent by… ‘lack of support’ is the wrong word… but how difficult it is to break tradition and to come with the F1 Academy to encourage people that this is something that needs to be given time and space and support.” She continued, “Female participation in motorsport has never gone above 5%, so in the numbers game it’s been difficult for women to get to the pinnacle because we simply don’t have a big enough talent pool.” “So first and foremost, we need to get more participation and create those visible role models, because sometimes in life you have to see it to believe it. We are a movement rather than a moment.”” This raises the question of why, in contrast to other elite sports, female representation in F1 has declined over the last ten years. Following Maria Teresa de Filippis’ three starts in the 1950s, the 1970s saw additional advancements, with Divina Galica entering three Grands Prix (though not starting them) and the renowned Lella Lombardi competing in 12 races for March and RAM. Subsequently, Desire Wilson in 1980 and Giovanna Amati in 1992 collectively failed to qualify for a few races. Consequently, Lombardi remains the last woman to have been on the Formula 1 grid, 48 years ago. A question arises regarding tokenism. Despite potentially good intentions, the recent practice of female ‘development drivers’ at F1 teams was largely dismissed by many within the sport. It was understood by all involved that these drivers would never actually compete in an F1 car. Nevertheless, there is little doubt that prospects are, at minimum, improving. The W Series, though brief, significantly altered the landscape in 2019 before ceasing operations last year. It represented a beneficial disruption in a sport frequently slow to embrace diversity. The essence of the W Series persists, fostering renewed optimism within a modern sport that is now considerably more structured. This structure demands a higher level of experience for drivers to enter an F1 car than was required during Lombardi’s era. If Formula 1 and the FIA, the governing body of motorsport, are now pursuing a more integrated approach to bringing women into the sport, this generates a public expectation, rather than merely a hope, for tangible outcomes. Among these initiatives is the new F1 Academy Discover Your Drive, a grassroots program designed to promote female participation starting from the age of eight. Additionally, a formal diversity and inclusion charter was introduced last week. Wolff commented, “I like to be optimistic, but I’m also a realist.” She added, “We have some big emerging talents coming through and I would definitely like to say within 10 years you’ll see a woman starting a Formula 1 race.” McLaren chief executive Zak Brown agreed, stating, “If you look at the trajectory and journey any driver has to go on, for every driver that wants to be Oscar [Piastri] or Lando [Norris], you need about 10,000 of them to try simulators or karting until you get that volume of participation.” Brown continued, “Just like in every other sport, just like in football, there are 10,000 that want to be Messi, so that’s why we spend our time in esports and F1 Academy and grassroots.” McLaren supports its own F1 Academy driver, Bianca Bustamante, and will do so with Ella Lloyd next year. Brown further stated, “We need a much greater volume of participants at grassroots.” He concluded, “I think it’s going to take time, the journey from karting to Formula 4 to Formula regional to Formula 3 to Formula 2… it’s about a 10-year journey and we’re kind of just getting started.” Other prominent individuals within the F1 paddock also express optimism for a breakthrough within the coming decade. Stefano Domenicali, the sport’s chief executive, refrained from predicting a specific timeframe but affirmed that “it will happen.” However, arguably the most crucial voice in this discussion currently belongs to Abbi Pulling, who secured this year’s F1 Academy title during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, having dominated numerous races throughout the season. Pulling remarked, “We’ll never know specifically [when it will be].” She added, “If not in the next five to 10 years, then we hope that it’s soon.”