New tests were conducted in Formula E in Berlin, and this moment rekindled the debate about the presence of women in the sport, especially in the elite categories of electric motorsport. The results still indicate that there is a long way to go before a woman returns to the official grid, but despite this, the growing participation of women in this field demonstrates that interest and talent are present.
A female spot on the main grid still seems far away
Formula E would love to have a female driver back on the starting grid but, on times alone, the all-electric series’ rookie test in Berlin on Monday suggested that it remained some way off. Four women took part in the test after weekend races at Tempelhof but the highest in the overall classification was Abbi Pulling, last year’s F1 Academy champion and current GB3 competitor, in 17th with the Nissan team.
Fellow-Briton Ella Lloyd, who competes in British F4 and F1 Academy, was 18th for McLaren and Jamie Chadwick, three-times winner of the now-defunct W Series and a Williams F1 development driver now racing in European Le Mans, was 19th for Jaguar. Bianca Bustamante of the Philippines, a GB3 racer with 1.7 million followers on Instagram, was 22nd and last for the Cupra Kiro team although the entire grid was separated by just 1.550 seconds.
Italian Gabriele Mini was overall fastest for Nissan in a field that included former F1 racer Daniil Kvyat, Charles Leclerc’s younger brother Arthur and leading Formula Two drivers. Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds told Reuters ahead of the test that he was optimistic a woman would make it back onto the grid before too long.
Recent advances show progress, but the pace is still slow
Competitiveness on the grid has increased as the time differences between female drivers and the rest are not very different, even if the final results still don’t reflect a direct battle for the top positions. For these female competitors, participating in tests like the one in Berlin is essential for gaining experience with the car.
“We went from no women testing really, to 20 women in the official women’s test last year and off the back of that we’ve actually got four women testing in the actual rookie test now in Berlin. So that’s a big jump, we’ve made progress. It may not be next year but I would love over the next couple of years to see women back racing on that grid.”
Pioneers and new talents
Three women have raced in the series, which is now in its 11th season — Britain’s Katherine Legge twice in 2014, Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro started 12 times in 2015-16 and Michela Cerruti four times in 2014-15.
Pulling, who was top in last year’s all-female test, told Reuters recently she saw Formula E as “a really viable career path in the future”. “For now I’m going to keep going up the ladder as far as possible and see where things take me,” she said. “I don’t have the finances to plan massively in advance so it all depends on how I perform this year.”
What is the real outlook for women in Formula E?
There’s still a structural challenge to be overcome when it comes to the limited history of female participation in Formula E, evidenced by the limited number of real racing opportunities, funding barriers, and the need for more robust development programs for female drivers.
We’re still far from achieving true equality on the grid, but Formula E is showing signs of being willing to make room for a return to female competitiveness. Recent developments in testing and team engagement make it an opportune time for new opportunities. The outlook indicates that the next decade could mark a historic shift in the competition, provided efforts for change are sustained.
GCN.com/Reuters