LONDON: Formula E has announced that the first all-women test session of an FIA Championship will take place on Nov. 7 at Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, as part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s pre-season testing schedule.
The first-of-its-kind test in the all-electric championship gives elite women racing drivers the opportunity to drive the Season 11 (2024-25) GEN3 Evo car, which is capable of 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds — 30 percent faster than a current Formula 1 car. The vehicle will also be tested during the same week by the 11 race teams and 22 drivers currently competing in the series.
Each of the race teams in the championship will be required to field at least one woman driver for the half-day test, but encouraged to field two, who will drive in current-season cars.
With all the women on the track at the same time, the session will create a tangible platform for a wide pool of elite drivers who would not otherwise get an opportunity to drive machinery at this level.
The test will aim to provide the women not only with a destination, but also a pathway to develop their careers and skills using current technology.
The drivers will take part in multiple media opportunities at the Valencia track, including press conferences, briefings and interviews, while content will be captured for broadcast and social media on behalf of Formula E and its respective teams.
Formula E is proactively launching this initiative as part of a broader long-term strategy to remove barriers and expand opportunities for women within the all-electric championship. (Supplied)
This is to raise the drivers’ profile within elite motorsport and the wider sports industry, along with encouraging those involved at grassroots level and aspiring to work in motorsport. The full lineup of women drivers participating in the test will be announced in the coming weeks by each Formula E team.
Despite motorsport being one of the few sports in which men and women can compete together, it remains predominantly male, with only 3 percent of current top-tier racing licenses worldwide held by women.
Formula E is proactively launching this initiative as part of a broader long-term strategy to remove barriers and expand opportunities for women within the all-electric championship. It is not just about creating a one-off opportunity; it is about analyzing and actively dismantling the structural inequalities that have limited women’s participation and progress.
Jeff Dodds, CEO at Formula E, said: “We know there isn’t a simple solution for greater diversity in motorsport. If we’re going to truly give women equality, opportunity and visibility in our series, however, conditions for all need to be the same to aid their development and test themselves against those already on the starting grid.
“Unlike other series where women drivers have to use old or restricted machinery, they’ll be using the state-of-the-art GEN3 Evo car that accelerates 30 percent faster than an F1 car, just as our championship drivers do.
“We also recognize that one test will not solve the longstanding issue, but we have to start somewhere, knowing there is a long way to go and making sure we’re making proactive, consistent steps that continue to make forward progress.
“As a motorsport with an almost-equal split of male and female fans, as well as within Formula E including my exec and director teams, we believe it’s only right that our drivers and wider ecosystem is representative of those that follow and support the sport.”
