F1 Academy director Susie Wolff believes it’s ‘inevitable’ that a woman will one day race in Formula 1. The Scottish former test driver for Williams, who took part in practice sessions back in 2014, insists change is on the horizon. “It will eventually happen,” she declares.
Wolff made history in 2014 as the first woman in 22 years to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. But she’s determined not to be the last. According to Wolff, the landscape of Formula 1 has shifted dramatically since her time with the British team, making the arrival of the next female driver ‘inevitable.’
“The F1 has followed society and is becoming more accepting of women,” Wolff explains to The i Paper. “The sport has changed immensely, even since I was in Formula 1 in 2015, because there’s now much more acceptance for female talent. Teams are taking a more thoughtful approach to bring more women into the sport. It’s still a performance-driven environment, so it has to be based on talent, but I think teams are aware they need to broaden their nets to create diverse workplaces.”
INEVITABLE: A WOMAN IN F1 IS COMING!
The Scottish insider declares, “It’s inevitable that a woman will race in F1 one day.” But Toto Wolff isn’t ready to put a timeline on this bold prediction. “We’re expanding our talent pool, providing opportunities, and funding the best to advance their careers, so it’s tough to give an exact schedule. I’m not too worried about when it happens because I believe it will eventually, simply because there’s so much female talent out there.”
According to the F1 Academy director, there’s a key reason why so few women have made it to the pinnacle of motorsport. “The biggest factor holding women back from reaching Formula 1 right now is participation. That percentage never exceeds five percent, so with such a small talent pool, it’s tough to reach the top of the sport.”
