LONDON: Formula E has unveiled plans to expand and enhance its grassroots gender-diversity initiative, FIA Girls on Track, to give 50 young women the chance to participate in new race-day activities at each event on the 2024/25 calendar, including the Jeddah E-Prix on February 14 and 15.

A further 120 women will take part in behind-the-scenes activities the day before each race, as organizers offer exclusive access to young women interested in a career in motorsport or the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The participants will even have a role to play on the victory podium at each race.

Formula E said it is reaffirming its commitment to education and gender inclusivity in motorsport by also extending the support it provides to grassroots initiatives, giving more young women than ever the chance to access and learn from the experiences within the all-electric competition. For example, it will provide e-karting opportunities and activities in schools and universities.

The expansion of the initiative is part of a broader, long-term strategy to advance gender equality by removing barriers, expanding opportunities and providing pathways for women to build careers in the sport, organizers said.

Most recently, in a world first within an FIA championship, Formula E organized an all-women’s test event that gave elite drivers, including Bianca Bustamante and Ella Lloyd of the NEOM McLaren race team, a unique opportunity to develop their skills in the latest version of the electric racing cars. The new GEN3 Evo is capable of 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds, 30 percent faster than the current generation of F1 cars.

Driving for the Nissan Formula E team, Abi Pulling, who currently leads the junior-level F1 Academy championship, recorded the quickest time during the three-hour test session amid a field of 17 drivers representing the top tier of women’s driving. Bustamante managed the third-fastest time of the day in the NEOM McLaren car, with an impressive 1 minute 31.715 seconds.

Last season, Formula E expanded its Girls on Track experiences to include local girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 18, and delivered 27 events during 11 race weekends at the track and in communities.

Organizers said the initiative has supported more than 4,500 young women globally since its partnership with the FIA began. This season, they added, the program aims to reach more young women than ever, amid growing interest among them in careers in motorsport.

During each race weekend, 120 young women will take part in behind-the-scenes tours and workshops on the day before the big race. On race days, 50 young women will be granted exclusive access to the FIA Girls on Track space within the Fan Village, and have the option to attend inspirational career talks given by women working within Formula E, who will offer guidance and advice about varied career options in the sport across disciplines including engineering, technology, driving, team management, sustainability, and media and marketing.

“We’re committed to continuing to provide as much opportunity as possible to young women who want to come and work in the industry,” said Julia Palle, vice president of sustainability at Formula E.

“We’re all too aware of the imbalance between male and female roles, so with an ever-growing program of events and opportunities where women can learn and grow in confidence, the industry will begin to balance itself and benefit everyone involved.

“Our commitment to women, though, is not just at the grassroots but at the pinnacle of the sport too. In Madrid, hosting an all-women’s test session provided a crucial opportunity for them to test themselves using current technology that we hope will not only develop their own skill sets but be inspirational to many of the young women involved in our FIA Girls on Track program, too.”

After successful races in Diriyah over the past six seasons, Formula E announced this year that Jeddah will be the new race venue in the Kingdom, with the event taking place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the world’s fastest street track, in February.