On the 7th of November, Formula E will become the first FIA Championship to host an all-female test session.
The all-electric championship plans to make history before its 11th season has even begun. Formula E has announced that each team will be required to have at least one female driver in the car for a half-day test.
At the Valencia pre-season test, teams will be encouraged to run two women per team although the requirement is only one. The drivers will run the new generation of Formula E machinery, the GEN3 Evo.
Beyond the test itself, the weekend offers the drivers the opportunity to take part in press conferences, social media and broadcast content. The content gives the drivers the chance to raise their profile within the higher levels of motorsport.
The women who will be taking part in the test are yet to be announced, however, there are a few female drivers who have previously been linked with FE teams.
This season Marta Garcia, the inaugural F1 Academy Champion, took part in the Berlin rookie test with ERT. Alice Powell an ex-W series driver also took part in the rookie test with Envision. Finally, Jamie Chadwick, a British Indy NXT driver has connections to Andretti, racing with the team in the States.
How is Formula E working to include more women?
Formula E is committed to increasing the number of women in the category; both driving and trackside. They are in the process of creating the Gen4 cars for 2026/27 which is believed to include power steering.
This feature is lacking in series such as Formula 3 and Formula 2. It is often considered one of the greatest barriers to women climbing the ranks. So introducing it to Formula E is vital. They also offer engineering support, simulator times and future test opportunities to female drivers.
They’ve been hugely supportive of the FIA Girls on Track programme. Trying to encourage more women to participate in the industry on the pit wall and media side.
The CEO of Formula E, Jeff Dodds released a statement saying:
“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% faster than an F1 car, just as our Championship drivers do.
“We also recognise 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 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.”
This test will take place at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia on the 7th of November. Around this exclusive women’s test, the usual 11 teams will test with their permanent drivers for Season 11. The test weekend acts as the only opportunity for drivers to get used to the cars before the season commences on the 7th of December.
Feature Image Credit: Simon Galloway