Susie Wolff backs ‘game-changing’ collaboration to promote women in F1

Susie Wolff has described a new collaboration between Formula One and F1 Academy, the all-female race series of which she is managing director, as a “game-changing moment” for the women in motorsport

It was announced on Wednesday that from next season all 10 F1 teams – Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren et al – will work with an F1 Academy team, allowing them to paint their cars in the same colours, wear their race overalls, and just as crucially, help select their drivers.

“It is difficult to overstate what this means,” Wolff told Telegraph Sport. “Already it has created like this ‘whoosh’ effect.

“F1 teams will be truly invested in these young drivers’ development. They will be competing for talent. And can you imagine, a 16-,17-, 18-,19-year-old putting on a Ferrari race suit or a Red Bull race suit or Mercedes race suit? That is such a powerful image for the next generation.”

F1 Academy, which is midway through its first season, has five teams: ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, PREMA Racing and Rodin Carlin, who each have three cars in the series and three drivers – a total of 15 cars and 15 drivers.

On Wednesday it was announced that 10 of these drivers will be nominated by Formula 1 teams and each team will have their livery on one car.

The details of the drivers and liveries will be confirmed at a later time by the F1 teams.

The remaining five drivers in the series will be supported by other partners with announcements of these to be made in due course. The final 2024 driver line up for each team will be revealed at a later date.

In a statement, Stefano Domenicali, chief executive of Formula One, said: “Today is a very important moment as it shows the impact the project is having and the support it is receiving from across the F1 community.

“Susie, the teams, and everyone involved are working tirelessly to ensure we go from strength to strength and continue to deliver on the important objective we have set out together. In 2024 the F1 Academy will join our race calendar, raising the awareness and profile of the series globally and to have the F1 liveries on the on the grid will be something very special.”