Search for female F1 World Champion begins

More than Equal has opened up the application process to become a part of its first driver development programme in the quest to find the next female F1 star.

The initiative, launched by former F1 championship runner-up David Coulthard and philanthropist Karel Komarec, aims to help boost the support for up-and-coming female talent with a view to finding the first female World Champion.

Applications are now being accepted to join the driver development programme, with the process open worldwide. Selection criteria include driving history, age, current performance and development stage.

More than Equal CEO Ali Donnelly said: “No woman has raced competitively in Formula 1 in close to 50 years, and very few women are racing at the elite level of any motorsport series currently.

"In order to enact lasting structural change, we need to do things differently. For us, that means investing in and developing female drivers early in their careers, and we are thrilled to be taking the first steps towards that by launching our female-dedicated programme in 2024.”

Female talent in F1

Female talent in F1 has been few and far between, with only five to have officially competed in a Grand Prix since Maria Terese de Filippis became the first in the late 1950s.

Lella Lombardi is the only female driver to have scored points in F1, active from 1974 to 1976, taking a half-point in the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.

Divina Galica attempted to qualify for the British Grand Prix in 1976 - the only time more than one female driver attempted to qualify for an F1 race. Desiré Wilson and Giovanna Amati both attempted to qualify, but since the latter in 1992, only Susie Wolff has taken part in an official weekend - though that was only free practice for the 2014 British Grand Prix.