Reflecting on a historic year for women in motorsport

Making history on track

Women are represented and excelling in more areas of motorsport than ever before, and that sentiment has never been more prevalent than in the 2023 season.

F1 Academy 

F1 support category F1 Academy was officially launched in 2023, succeeding W Series as the only all-female single-seater series. This new association with Formula 1 brought with it new audiences and exposure, allowing fresh audiences to enjoy the fierce competition and thrilling battles up and down the grid.

As the inaugural campaign drew to a close, F1 Academy crowned its first champion in Marta Garcia, who has since earned a fully-funded Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) drive in 2024. The British contingent also showed strong form in 2023, with Abbi Pulling finishing fifth overall after seven podiums (now confirmed as an Alpine Academy driver returning to F1 Academy with Rodin Carlin in 2024) and Jessica Edgar taking the final win of the year, eventually finishing eighth in the drivers’ standings.

Formula 3

Sophia Floersch raced in the FIA Formula 3 championship in 2023 and made history as she became the first-ever woman to score points in the series, taking seventh in the Feature Race at a typically treacherous Spa-Francorchamps. Sophia has been confirmed by Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2024 season of FIA Formula 3.

Indy NXT

The 2023 season was one of learning and progression for three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick who headed across the pond to take part in the Indycar support series, Indy NXT. Jamie claimed a total of five top-10 finishes with a season highlight of sixth at Portland International Raceway. It has been confirmed that she will remain with the Andretti team in 2024.

World Endurance Championship

The female drivers in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) enjoyed unprecedented success across multiple categories. In the LMGTE Am class, the Iron Dames squad of Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting made history by becoming the first female-only team to claim victory in WEC at the Bahrain season finale. That win, and a further podium at Portimão earlier in the year helped them secure second in the LMGTE AM standings. Meanwhile, Doriane Pin – also part of the Iron Dames project – became the first woman to stand on the WEC LMP2 podium at Sebring’s season opener.

Inspiring initiatives

Rising female representation in motorsport goes beyond trail-blazing drivers, with initiatives such as Girls on Track ensuring the next generation are inspired to be a part of a growing community. Likewise, pioneers of the movement like Susie Wolff continue to represent women in key management roles.  

Girls on Track

In 2023, Girls on Track had a packed schedule. Their activities included visits to McLaren Formula E, Mercedes F1, a Mission44 collaborative event at Silverstone Museum, community days at Williams and Alpine F1 headquarters and an Extreme E activation in Scotland where 80 local school girls completed motorsport exercises such as Batak, Pitstop challenge as well as learning about the championship’s sustainability credentials.

Susie Wolff

Appointed as Managing Director of F1 Academy in March of 2023, Susie’s mission to drive change in the industry has taken her to new heights as she leads the all-female series into a new era. The involvement of all 10 F1 teams will undoubtedly change the way the championship is perceived for the better, all while finding and nurturing female talent for careers both on and off the track.