‘Head of talent’ Wolff will only see a woman in Formula 1 again in 10 years

The female driver in Formula 1 is a long-term process. “I think it will be another 10 years before we see a woman on the starting grid again,” former driver Susie Wolff tells the Guardian.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff’s wife is the director of the F1 Academy, the new racing series for female talent that starts this weekend in Austria. Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to race in Formula 1 in 1976.

“The fact that there is still a long way to go is not only due to the lack of female talent and female drivers who continue to grow in the sport. We also have to realize that it is very difficult to get into Formula 1,” says Wolff.

“It’s also very difficult for the guys, because there are only twenty seats available,” said Wolff, who has Formula 1 experience. She was a test and reserve driver for the Williams Formula 1 team for several years and drove two free practice sessions.

The F1 Academy begins with fifteen racing talents, including Dutchman Emilie de Heus. In the opening weekend at the Red Bull Ring, three races will be completed on Saturday. This is followed by six more weekends of racing. From June 23 to 25, the women will compete at the Circuit Zandvoort.

“I have to temper expectations, because no woman will enter Formula 1 in this way. It will be a long process. But the Formula 1 Academy can be a real driver of change in the sport,” says Wolff. “The problem is still the growth of women in motorsport. There are no role models either, because a woman who loves Formula 1 and turns on TV only sees men.”

Source: National Ports Agency

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