Two of the leading organisations for the betterment of female racing drivers, F1 Academy and More than Equal have joined forces.

F1 Academy, in its third season, is a Formula 4 level female-only world championship with backing from all 10 Formula 1 teams plus several globally recognised brands.

More than Equal meanwhile, is a female-focussed driver development initiative conducting groundbreaking research and data-driven research methods to unearth, develop and nurture the first female F1 champion.

As of Friday, More than Equal becomes the Official Driver Performance & Research Partner for F1 Academy and will provide “expert, research-driven, insights that will help to develop the physical and mental performance of female drivers in F1 Academy and senior karting categories.”

Tom Stanton, CEO and Head of Driver Development at More than Equal said “This partnership represents a major step forward in creating a clear, data-driven pathway for female drivers. 

“By combining More than Equal’s expertise in research and performance with F1 Academy’s commitment to driver progression, we are ensuring that talented young women receive the support they need at every stage of their motorsport journey.”

F1 Academy Managing Director joins More than Equal board

More than Equal will collaborate with F1 Academy on research initiatives and devise a structured plan to guide female drivers through their development.

F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff takes up a position on the More than Equal advisory board as part of the partnership, which will see a dedicated physiotherapist provided to the all-female racing series throughout the year.

“More than Equal is fueling meaningful progress with insightful, industry-leading research,” said Wolff. 

“By coming together, and with the committed support of More than Equal, we will be an even stronger force for positive change in motorsport – with action, not just words.”

Dr. Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal, added: “If we want to see real change in female participation at the highest levels of motorsport, we need to take an evidence-based approach. 

“Our research will provide the data and insights needed to shape effective talent development strategies, ensuring female drivers have the right support structures in place to succeed.”

READ MORE – More than Equal unveils research on gender equality in Drag Racing

The post F1 Academy sets groundbreaking partnership with More than Equal appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Michelle Gatting recalled her tearful Le Mans 24 Hours debut with the Iron Dames and described the growth of the all-female driver project.

The Iron Dames project is currently one of the leading and lasting motorsport organisations promoting female driver talent.

As of this year, they have the highest count of drivers in their roster – 16 – across various series and disciplines including the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA, European Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge Europe, to name a few in sportscar racing.

The project began their sportscar racing endeavours at the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours, as Gatting told Motorsport Week about her emotive event debut along with the unforeseen growth of the project.

Gatting has been one of the key figures in the Iron Dames having taken on most of their pursuits in sportscar racing.

The 31-year-old joined fellow Iron Dame Rahel Frey in six consecutive starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“It was my first 24 Hours of Le Mans,” she said.

“A huge achievement back then, obviously the biggest achievement in my racing career, coming there with an all-female line-up with a new project in the motorsports environment.

“The attention on us was huge, enormous.

“I remember on the starting grid before the race started, we were sitting together, Rahel [Frey], me and Manuela [Gostner], our line-up.

“We were all wearing our sunglasses and the tears were falling down on our cheeks because it was such a proud moment and there was a lot to take in.

“I also got the tattoo on my arm two days before I left for the race with the 24 Hours of Le Mans logo and the quote saying, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it,’ because it was obviously just a huge achievement.”

Public reception of the Iron Dames initiative

The Iron Dames were not the first effort with ambitions to bring female talent to Le Mans, having contributed to the 66 female drivers who have starred in the historic race.

Gatting remembered a largely positive reception to Deborah Mayer, the founder of the Iron Dames initiative, though underlined by public skepticism due to the unsuccessful attempts of previous alike female driver projects.

“I don’t think there were so many expectations to begin with because you have seen female projects before that were there for one year and then you never saw them again.

“And this was also very important for me, personally, that it was not going to be a project like this.

“I quickly realised together with Deborah [Mayer] that it was not going to be a project just for one year.

“So the first year I remember being in the paddock, I knew a lot of the drivers already. But people were a bit skeptical.

“And if I go to now, we are very well-respected and very well-known in the paddock.

“We have drivers that are coming to shake our hands when they see us, the Hypercar drivers. You know, there’s a lot of respect amongst the other drivers towards us and the project.

“And this was something that had to be done over years.

“… The first year we finished P9 no mistakes from the team, from the drivers, and basically we’ve done that ever since… [and] so far never had a DNF.”

Mayer as a leader for the Iron Dames

Mayer founded the Iron Dames in 2018 before taking on motorsport with her female driver-focused project.

She served as President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission from 2022 to 2024 having been fuelled by her passion for female representation in motorsport and has lead the Iron Dames drivers throughout the project’s seven-year existence.

“Deborah is a very strong, empowering woman and she’s a very kind person,” said Gatting.

“She is taking us in like we are her own. She’s protecting us really, like we are her own.

“And this is very special.

“Obviously I’ve been on the project since day-one, so I have shared a lot of moments together with Deborah.

“Good and bad, strong and let’s say weak moments. We have been through it all.

“We [Iron Dames] are all very similar because she’s very determined, she’s very strong-willed.

“When she has an idea, she goes for it. When she has a goal in her head, she will do everything she can to reach it.

“I think this is very important that the mentality is more or less the same between all the drivers and the riders.”

Seeing Iron Dames in different race cars

For the 2025 racing season, the Iron Dames announced their partnership with Porsche for all of their GT3 racing efforts.

Gatting became an official Porsche driver as part of the news, as she teased what this meant for her and the Iron Dames project.

“This is very important for me,” she said on the achievement.

“A huge personal goal that I’ve worked very hard for many years to achieve and I also don’t hide the fact that the goals are bigger than that.

“My dream is to continuously be an Iron Dame, but hopefully within the next year to get the chance to share a car together with male drivers, with male factory drivers, as an Iron Dame continuously.

“This is the next goal. This is the next step that the Iron Dames will also be expanded and you will see more Iron Dames maybe in different cars, still having an Iron Dames-branded suit or Iron Dames logos, but you will see us more as individuals with male drivers and so on.”

Earlier this week, the ‘Supported by Iron Dames’ initiative was launched to bring three female drivers – Emma Chalvin, Laura van den Hengel and Ava Lawrence – to be nurtured by the Iron Dames across the GT racing, rallying and karting disciplines the trio represent.

Aiming towards a main championship title

The Iron Dames won their first European Le Mans Series race at the end of the 2022 season, followed by their maiden victory in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship – also at the season finale.

“I think for the project, the next goal that would be for all of us to win a championship,” Gatting said, “We have shown that in WEC, we’ve shown it in Le Mans that we can withstand the pressure.

“… Now it’s about consistency and to prove to the environment that we can also win the championships because that’s the hard part in the end, is to be consistent enough over a year to gain enough points to win championships.

“… They [Manthey Racing ] won the championship, they [also] finished P2, they won Le Mans.

“I know it’s not just a goal for me, but it’s also a goal for my teammates that we win a championship.”

The recent Qatar 1812 km marking a difficult start to the season for the Iron Dames having taken 13th place in the LMGT3 category as Gatting anticipated beforehand their #85 Porsche 911 LMGT3.R was “probably not going to be standing on top of the podium.”

This was due to address Manthey’s dominant form last year during what was the first season of the LMGT3 category.

Sixty-two hours of racing remains in the WEC schedule whilst Proton Racing will assist in the remainder of IMSA’s Endurance rounds and the upcoming the ELMS season.

The Le Mans 24 Hours on 14-15 June will mark another chance to better their fifth-placed finish last year and their best-ever of P4 in 2023.

READ MORE: Five key storylines from the WEC Qatar 1812 km

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13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard has rubbished claims that women don’t have the physical capabilities to compete in Formula 1.

Coulthard is well-placed to comment on female participation in motorsport as co-founder of More than Equal, an initiative dedicated to unearthing and developing the first female F1 world champion.

More than Equal has taken a scientific, data-driven approach to addressing gender imbalances in motorsport, and its young cohort of development drivers has undergone a regime of physical, psychological and driving-based training.

The initiative has a gender-focused approach to developing its young racing athletes, acknowledging that young women develop in a completely different way from adolescent males.

Some critics believe that female drivers don’t have the physical capabilities to cope with the demands of F1, an intriguing notion that would be widely discredited by many.

For instance, the summer Olympics is a global showcase of the incredible physical achievements both male and female athletes can achieve.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Coulthard said of the prospects of a female driver racing again in F1: “Of course it will happen. Without question.”

On the topic of physical readiness, Coulthard rubbished any claims that a female driver wouldn’t be able to compete in F1.

“It’s utter bulls*** that women don’t have the strength to do it,” he said. 

“Anyone who doesn’t train doesn’t have what it takes to perform in motor racing — whether you’re a man or a woman.

“An untrained person doesn’t have the strength to do anything. 

“I’m 53 and I wouldn’t be able to drive an F1 car quickly for more than 10 laps in my physical condition, now that I’m on the other side of my peak fitness. 

“I had to train like an athlete twice a day, with a trainer, for years to be able to do my job.

“One of the things I saw with the W series was that we took the best women available to try and qualify to become part of the championship — and some of them just weren’t fit enough. I looked at them, going: ‘What’s your excuse for not training? You have to present yourself as being serious as a pro and that means training like an athlete.’

“Therein lies the issue. There’s no physical reason they can’t do it. 

“We know what it takes to be physically strong enough to be a racing driver and all of the data shows that women comfortably fit within that category of physical performance.”

The stopwatch will determine when women compete in F1

Assessing the landscape of female competitors in motorsport at the present moment, Coulthard pondered “the main thing is, are the ones driving right now good enough to make it? It’s not an opinion. It will be based on lap times.

“Ultimately, it’s the stopwatch that dictates things.”

Coulthard argues that the moment a female driver showcases the necessary speed to be worthy of an F1 opportunity, teams will jump at that chance.

“You can either do a fast lap time or you can’t,” he said.

“And, if that is the case, as I say to my son, you can join a long line of people with good excuses as to why they didn’t do a specific lap time — why this, why that. 

“Sport is about delivery.

“It’s not my opinion that there will be a woman in F1, It’s just a fact, but I can’t tell you right now who that person is. 

“I assure you that every single F1 team would sign someone up right now, if they thought they could get that person.”

Coulthard’s programme is in memory of his late sister

Coulthard’s More than Equal programme was born out of the memory of his late sister, Lynsay, who sadly passed away in 2013.

Lynsay was a successful karter herself, six years Coulthard’s junior but the family couldn’t afford to support both of their racing careers.

More than Equal will now provide drivers with the opportunity Coulthard’s sister Lynsay didn’t get.

“My sister raced karts,” Coulthard said. 

“She was fast, talented, won races, but she was six years younger than me and started racing at eight.

“When I moved on to cars, I got signed to Paul Stewart racing, and was then tested for Williams at 18, 19 years old. 

“We were then off on this magic carpet ride of European racing and, a few years later, I was an F1 driver. 

“So she just never got the support. She eventually stopped racing.

“I spoke to her about it a lot and she never resented it at all. 

“I just feel that she wasn’t given the same crack at it. 

“I can’t say she would ever have been a Formula One driver — who knows? 

“I can say, however, that she was talented enough to take that talent to some level of professionalism.

“So, my belief that women can compete in motor racing is based on personal experience — not on some sort of guilt or ideology.

“I’m invested in the growth of women in the sport in memory of my sister — who didn’t get to take the opportunities that I got, because the family couldn’t support us both. 

“I got the momentum, I always think that she never got the chance, so I have invested time, effort and money not in any one individual, but in a new system and science-based programme to have more of a data-driven approach.

“I believe in the ability for women to compete on an equal level in motor racing, but we just haven’t had anyone who has had exceptional talent. It’s this desire to have the exceptional that drives the teams forward.”

The female talent pool needs to grow in motorsport

One of the first actions Coulthard’s More than Equal programme took was to conduct global research into why female racing drivers weren’t prominent.

A key result of that research was the participation levels.

In 2023, More than Equal published its research which showed just 13 per cent of all karters are female.

For a female driver to reach F1, that percentage needs to grow to widen the talent pool.

The bigger the talent pool, the more likely an F1 gem will emerge.

Programmes like More than Equal are supporting this growth and the global visibility of the all-female F1 Academy series is also promoting an increased participation in karting by female drivers.

READ MORE – Exclusive: Kate Beavan on tackling the motorsport status quo with More Than Equal

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The Iron Dames has retained Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey and Sarah Bovy for the remaining four IMSA Endurance Cup races of the 2025 season.

As having competed in the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship, the famed trio will continue their work for the rest of the 2025 endurance campaign.

The first of five rounds took place recently with the 24 Hours of Daytona, where the trio were joined by former Le Mans Cup driver now-Porsche Carrera Cup France driver Karen Gaillard.

Iron Dames receive technical support from Proton Competition with the use of the Porsche 911 GT3.R package in their third IMSA Endurance Cup season, along with the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series campaigns in the LMGT3 classes.

Both the second round of the entire IMSA schedule and the Endurance Cup calendar will be the 73rd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring on 15 March.

Thirdly will be the Six Hours of the Glen on 22 June, over three months afterwards as usual.

The Battle on the Bricks will take place for the third time since the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course returned to the IMSA calendar and for the second time, it will be a six-hour endurance race.

Finally, the 28th running of Petit Le Mans will close the season in Road Atlanta with a 10-hour endurance challenge.

Gatting qualified 10th in the GTD category for the Daytona 24 Hours and the team finished in eighth place which did not beat last year’s finish of sixth.

The Porsche replaced the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 used in the previous two seasons thus promises higher results with a maiden podium appearance still to aim for.

READ MORE:

• Vanina Ickx joins Iron Dames GT programme
• Celia Martin on her ’emotional’ first season with the Iron Dames

The post Iron Dames retain outgoing trio for IMSA Endurance Cup races appeared first on Motorsport Week.

More than Equal has partnered with Europe’s leading drag racing venue Santa Pod Raceway and Women in Motorsports North America [WIMNA] to launch “a landmark white paper examining Drag Racing’s leadership in gender inclusivity.”

More than Equal is a global motorsport initiative launched with the target of unearthing and developing Formula 1’s first female world champion.

To do that, it has to address the gender imbalance in the wider motorsport world where only 7% of competitors in formula and GT racing are female.

However, that isn’t the case in the short-distance, high-power world of Drag Racing and More than Equal’s collaborative report – It’s Never Been A Thing: Lessons in Gender Equality from Drag Racing – seeks to uncover why the discipline has been able to achieve gender parity.

Women sadly only make up only 4% of elite competitors across disciplines, but in 2024 Drag Racing celebrated its 100th female event winner in the NHRA series.

The report “highlights six primary themes that help explain why and how Drag Racing has achieved excellence in female representation, including collaborative advocacy, cultural and structural advocacy, elite-level representation and engineering excellence.”

With its findings, the research then provides strategies for other motorsport disciplines to adopt in order to follow in Drag Racing’s groundbreaking footsteps.

More than Equal’s research findings can ‘drive meaningful change in motorsport’

“This research underscores More than Equal’s commitment to leveraging data and insights to drive meaningful change in motorsport,” said Dr. Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal.

“By understanding what has worked in disciplines like Drag Racing, we can equip the drivers in our development programme with the knowledge and tools they need to overcome barriers and succeed at the highest levels.

“Collaborating with motorsports that have achieved gender parity is crucial to creating a more inclusive future for all drivers.” 

Richard Foster-Turner, Business Development Manager, Santa Pod Raceway / Trakbak Racing said: “It’s been decades since gender became a non-issue in Drag Racing. Our participants consider themselves purely racers.

“Nobody outside Drag Racing has been talking about this, but now with this white paper we are putting Drag Racing’s gender-equal credentials out there to stimulate discussion and follow-on research, and to help other motorsports work towards the same level of diversity.” 

Cindy Sisson, Executive Director, WIMNA added: “It has been an honour for WIMNA to participate in this study, as we have always admired the NHRA’s groundbreaking approach to promoting women in racing.

“From trailblazers like Paula Murphy and Shirley Muldowney, who shattered stereotypes and proved that women can not only compete at the highest levels but also dominate as champions, the NHRA has consistently led the charge in fostering gender equity in motorsports.

“These pioneers paved the way for future generations, and WIMNA is proud to continue building on this legacy by supporting and empowering women to achieve greatness on and off the track.

“Together, we celebrate the ongoing progress and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that motorsports remain a space where everyone can thrive and succeed.” 

It’s Never Been A Thing: Lessons in Gender Equality from Drag Racing is available for download here.

READ MORE – More than Equal announce Manchester Met research partnership

The post More than Equal unveils research on gender equality in Drag Racing appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Celia Martin recalled an ’emotional’ ending to her first season as an Iron Dame with anticipation for her FIA World Endurance Championship debut.

The French driver spoke at length with Motorsport Week after her 2025 WEC debut was publicly confirmed in the provisional entry list.

Martin looked back on her first year in pink and shared her excitement on her step up to the WEC amidst her new upcoming campaigns.

She joined the Iron Dames project for 2024, looking towards a more formal commitment to racing and doing so with the all-female driver project.

Her first undergoing as an Iron Dame was in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, one of the feeder championships to the WEC.

“It was my first ever GT3 season and only the second racing season on normal tracks,” she referenced her primary VLN experience at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

“And to do this with the Iron Dames project, to do this as an Iron Dame, was just really amazing.

“I was just very emotional when I did the last race of the [Le Mans Cup] season because it was a dream that came true.

“And when you are into it, sometimes you can forget to enjoy it and it was the case at some point in the season, but then I managed to really turn that another way.

“So that’s why I’ve learnt not just driving-wise, also on the approach, mental side and to really live the dream to the end.

“This was, for me, an almost perfect way to start the development in the GT3 car season and to learn about endurance racing with the faster, the multi-class racing.”

Learning the ropes of GT3

She co-drove the #83 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with fellow Iron Dame Karen Gaillard. Martin qualified third at the Barcelona season-opener, though the pair were not able to turn that into a strong race result.

Fortunately, Martin took her first pole next time out at Circuit Paul Ricard and they finished in P2 after the race.

Martin quickly credited her co-driver’s efforts as they competed in GT3 class of 11.

“… With Karen [Galliard], she helped me a lot in Le Castellet.

“We always have a little bit of competition between drivers, but I don’t feel that much, maybe at the moment.

“I felt a lot more help to progress as a team and this is very important in the Iron Dames.

“I recognise my value in this as well.

“There are so few women in this sport, so I would rather try to help each other and just make it big, [rather than] try to take it for one person only.”

Comparing Le Mans Cup to Nurburgring

The nature of multi-class racing involves different car categories racing on the same circuit as one another.

She took on four consecutive starts at the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring in addition to competing in the VLN, which was a multi-class series based at the 14-mile and 176-corner circuit.

Meanwhile in the LMC season, she raced in a GT3 class of 11 but simultaneously with 28 LMP3s and so recalled the thrills this ensued.

“This is what I like actually. It’s really like pure racing, you never know what’s going on in turn one.

“And it’s kind of funny because I like to prepare with different scenarios. Obviously you will maybe never meet the right one, so it’s a bit of a surprise somehow.

“Sometimes it can be very crazy,” referring to the 40 LMP3s and 18 GT3s which participated in the Road to Le Mans supporter event.

“It’s quite similar [to the Nurburgring Nordschleife], even though now, after this year, I would say it’s still different because the Nordschleife is so narrow.

“You will never have so many cars in the same place [on track].

“If you have three cars, it’s the maximum you can have. So here [in the LMC] you can have way more and you still have to find a way to go through.

“On the Nordschleife, if someone is overtaking you, generally they are gone quickly because you have so many straight lines or fast corners so you don’t follow so much [compared to other tracks].”

A testing prelude to Porsche machinery

After the conclusion of her first LMC season, she participated in the European Le Mans Series Rookie Test on the next day.

She also participated in the WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain one month later after the eight-hour finale.

Both of these outings were undertaken in a Manthey-run Porsche 911 LMGT3.R as the Iron Dames will fully switch from using the Lamborghini in the LMC, IMSA and WEC.

“When I did the test in the ELMS, I was racing the Lamborghini just a day before for one hour and also on different tyres.

“It’s just a different driving style for sure and this is what was the most challenging basically.

The Le Mans Cup GT3 cars use Michelin tyres whereas ELMS and WEC LMGT3s run on Goodyear rubber.

Le Mans Cup races are 1-hour and 50-minutes – excluding the two 55-minute ones at Le Mans – whereas the ELMS runs much longer races at four hours, and the WEC ranges between six and 24 hours.

“The Lamborghini, for me, is more challenging to drive than the Porsche.

“But it still gives you a very good feeling. It’s a bit more alive from the rear axle for sure.

“The Porsche, it’s a perfect endurance car. Somehow you see better inside, so you’re more comfortable.

“We’ve been driving on Michelins in Le Mans Cup and they’re a bit softer than the Goodyear, so you have a different approach with this as well.

“So a lot of learning, especially after the Rookie Test in the ELMS.

“And for the WEC, it was in Bahrain and it was crazy. I never had a track with such low grip.”

Anticipating new territory with the WEC

Martin will race on new circuits in next year’s 2025 WEC and schedule.

She explained how participating in the Road to Le Mans supporter races helps in preparation for her Le Mans 24 Hours debut next June.

“Actually it was good because I saw the atmosphere. I saw how huge it is and next year, all this pressure would be even more on me because now I’m in the WEC, I’m not just in Road to Le Mans.

“So it’s another step and to see how big that is, this was actually a good thing and to feel it already because I know what to expect on this aspect.

“In Le Mans, it was a bit chaotic this year so I’m still looking forward to that one [the 24-hour race], even though I believe it will be also tight in terms of driving time.

“So I think I will have to spend a lot of time in the sim. But regarding the rest of the calendar – Fuji – I’ve been told it’s a quite interesting track to drive.

“And the US. I know this track from Formula 1, and the first sector is super fast and quite nice with the downforce. But if you take the middle and last sector, it’s quite technical as well.

“Each track has its own specificity, I believe.

“For sure, I’m looking forward to Bahrain… I was struggling so much [on grip] during the test so I want to see where I am after a year.

“That’s why actually Le Mans – being French – this is something I still cannot believe.

“It feels still unreal. It’s just a super amazing opportunity with the Iron Dames.”

An expansive multi-series effort

Her immediate steps with the Iron Dames will also see her debut in the Asian Le Mans Series starting on 7-8 December in Sepang.

Next year, she is confirmed for her European Le Mans Series and WEC debut.

Throughout 20 endurance races combined across these series, Martin will be in Porsche machinery as an FIA Bronze-graded driver.

“The professional level is, for sure, way higher than in Michelin Le Cup.

“I have a race-to-race approach… because I believe if you start to think about the big picture, you can get stressed so easily.

“And this is the good thing now, staying also with Porsche; you only have one car, one brand, so what you learn from Asian [LMS] or from ELMS, I can transport into WEC, so it’s very good.

“So many things to work on, to be based on, to improve and also the different line-up.

“I mean, Michi [Michelle Gatting – now an official Porsche driver], she’s very well-experienced.

“And then I get the opportunity also to race with Rahel [Frey], also a very long member in the Iron Dames.

“And Sarah [Bovy – in the AsLMS and ELMS] because she’s been in my place, so she knows exactly what it’s like to be the bronze driver.

“She already helped me with so many things this year.

“I think I have a good panel of learning possibilities so I have to make the best out of it.”

READ MORE: WEC releases 2025 provisional entry list featuring newcomers

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More than Equal announced on Thursday an exciting new partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University to pioneer female racing athlete research.

Through Manchester Met’s Institute of Sport, the new partnership set with More than Equal is unique, seeking to understand female racing drivers’ physiological and endocrinological demands.

More than Equal has become a pioneer in the female racing scene, setting its goal of unearthing and developing the first female Formula 1 world champion.

This process is being developed end to end, from karting through to single-seaters, with six drivers already selected for More than Equal’s initial Driver Development Programme.

It’s a common misconception that female athletes don’t have the physical tools to succeed in a racing environment.

A data-driven approach, spearheaded by Manchester Metropolitan’s Centre for Excellence for Women in Sport, will look to disprove that notion.

Performance, strength, power, cognition, endurance, nutrition and psychology will be key targets of the research with hunters of drivers set to be part of the project as it develops.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Kate Beavan on tackling the motorsport status quo with More Than Equal

“This partnership will not only support More than Equal’s mission to develop the first female F1 world champion, but will progress the knowledge and research in female health and performance for girls and women across all sports,” said Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport.

“Through our understanding of female-specific physiology, we can help these talented young drivers navigate the milestones ahead of them while better preparing them for a career at the pinnacle of elite sport.” 

More than Equal partnership will dispel ‘myths’ surrounding female drivers

Ali Donnelly, CEO at More than Equal added, “One of the myths we often hear is that women and girls are not physically or psychologically capable of competing at the highest levels of motorsport.

“We are delighted to partner with an esteemed research university to dispel these myths with scientific evidence.

“By understanding and optimising female physiology, we can tailor our development approach to meet the unique needs of our young drivers.

“This partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University will provide us with the insights and tools necessary to ensure our cohort is fully prepared to compete at the top of the sport.”

Complimenting the research are two PhD studentships at Manchester Met.

These will help pioneer discoveries in untapped fields of female driver research.

One is female driver health and performance and the other focuses on psychological, cognitive and physiological development of female drivers throughout their careers.

READ MORE: More than Equal and AVL RACETECH to offer sim training for female drivers

The post More than Equal announce Manchester Met research partnership appeared first on Motorsport Week.

More than Equal has partnered with AVL RACETECH to launch a joint initiative to develop female drivers by offering best-in-class sim training.

More than Equal is an organisation that aims to seek and nurture female talent in motorsport, often enrolling them in fully funded driver development programmes.

AVL RACETECH is a motorsport-dedicated department in the engineering and mobility company AVL which works within the motorsport industry.

The two organisations have recently announced a partnership to utilise More than Equal’s development drivers and place them in a simulator program.

More than Equal has six young female drivers in their program who will receive exclusive access to AVL’s driving simulators.

The drivers will have the chance to hone their skills on full-motion driving simulators with the guidance of AVL RACETECH engineers.

This opportunity based in Graz, Austria, will also allow the young female drivers to participate in race engineering workshops.

AVL Associated Driver Laura Bubenová has been selected for the program and shared: “I feel honoured to have the opportunity to further develop my skills with professionals from More than Equal and AVL RACETECH.”

There will be two dedicated AVL SIM Camps for More than Equal’s cohort of six 13-14-year-old female drivers across a range of disciplines.

AVL SIM Camps aim to broaden the drivers’ understanding of racing by teaching them more about mechanics, data analysis, and set-up while allowing them to practice their skills in the simulator.

More than Equal CEO Ali Donnelly said: “Supporting our female drivers as they transition from karting to F4 is not just about racing; it’s about empowering them with the tools, technology, and knowledge they need to excel.

“We are excited to partner with AVL RACETECH to offer hands-on engineering insights and personalized simulator training that will help them not only compete but thrive.

“We’re committed to fostering a new generation of talent, where female drivers have the opportunity to reach their full potential on and off the track.”

These SIM Camps will be incorporated into More than Equal’s systematic development program that is supported by AVL.

Hoping to scout and develop Formula 1’s first female champion, More than Equal and AVL RACETECH have supported many female drivers.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Kate Beavan on tackling the motorsport status quo with More Than Equal

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Andretti Altawkilat XE driver Catie Munnings dived into her experience and aspirations in Extreme E and Extreme H ambassadorship in an interview with Motorsport Week.

The 26-year-old British rally driver has experience competing in the European Rally Championship and has been racing in Extreme E since 2021.

As an ambassador of the new hydrogen-fuelled motorsport, Extreme H, Munnings will embark on a new journey.

Munnings told Motorsport Week: “I’ve been involved since the very first race of the first season, so we’ve had to adapt and change to lots of different challenges and environments and the places that we’ve raced have been all corners of the earth.

“It’s been a really special championship to be a part of and very exciting now to see the developments with hydrogen and the new technology, and hopefully I’ll drive the car soon.

“It’s a pioneering championship so it’s very motivational to be a part of.”

Extreme H officially launched earlier this year with their new Pioneer 25 race car, as the first FIA-certified fully-hydrogen championship is set to go underway in 2025 whilst offering groundbreaking technology and unique racing.

Their outgoing format enables drivers to compete in close proximity, and often side-by-side, creating intense and unique racing action for the fans and spectators.

Munnings holds an important role in the pioneering series, able to utilise her experiences as a successful female rally driver to improve the series.

Alongside her teammate and 2019 FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen, Andretti’s Extreme E line-up finished third in last year’s championship.

“It’s going to be incredible to be a part of it and to hopefully race in the first race of the hydrogen era coming up next year,” Munnings said.

“Nobody knows what it’s going to be like, nobody knows the challenges it will face, but it was exactly the same with Extreme E.

“Hopefully we can take what we’ve learnt from that and as a championship, there’s already a lot that we’ve learnt about racing and the environments that we’ve
raced in, with the dust and with the conditions there, and how to manage it as an event.”

An EY survey showed that the performance gap between male and female drivers in Extreme E has radically decreased over time.

Munnings explained: “When we looked at the start of the championship, it was much harder to find as many females that were the top level of motorsport as it was for the men.

“So now I think it’s having the opportunity to be able to develop our skills. It sounds quite simple, but in motorsport, we all know how expensive it is to test and train and to get that experience.

“And the championship where it’s equal has just shown what we can do when we have that opportunity.”

She shared her hope for female progression in motorsport after earning Extreme H ambassadorship.

The British rally driver told Motorsport Week that female progression in rallying is growing as more female drivers are joining the sport.

She emphasised the importance of female representation in the sport, especially with the growth of the sport’s popularity in recent times.

Munnings shared: “I think it’s really important to me that we can help spread the message to younger girls, and let them know that there’s an option to be a racing driver if they want to be.

“If they don’t see that when they’re young enough to get into it at the right age to be competitive, then it’s going to be really hard for them to have a career in it.

“Targeting girls on track events, and we have girls on track to our races, and to try to promote it on mainstream media and TV, for the visibility to give them the knowledge that is out there if they want it.”

Munnings climbed up the ranks as a female in motorsport; from racing in the European Rally Championship to securing a third-place finish in the Extreme E standings.

Extreme E helped to pave the way for female drivers by mandating a male and female driver in each car.

She now holds a role in the hydrogen-fuelled motorsport set to launch in 2025 and continues to advocate for female progression in the sport having worked her way to the top.

The rally driver explained: “I think it’s the first of a kind in motorsport where this has been the case, so to have the access to be able to work with a teammate like Timmy and the other drivers that are in the championship across the board is a real privilege.

“I don’t think many people can say that they’ve been able to do that in their careers so I think we all feel really lucky to have worked alongside such talented drivers and they’ve learnt from them and share our knowledge with them as well.”

With a future of hydrogen-fuelled racing lying ahead for her, Munnings continues to prove that female drivers can climb their way to the top of any motorsport.

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Former W Series driver Sarah Moore shared with Motorsport Week her ambitions as a driver coach, mentor, and engineer in women’s motorsport.

Moore enjoyed a successful career in karting and single-seaters, competing in W Series, Porsche Sprint Challenge and LMP3 Cup.

After the dissolution of the all-female racing series W Series, Moore found herself leaning towards a coaching role.

Moore said: “One of my goals is to try and help and support more females within the sport because there’s something I never had growing up.

“I’m at a point now where I would love to continue racing, but I also want to give back to the future generation – so my focus has shifted to helping others as opposed to focusing on myself.

“This year I’ve switched to an engineering role so I’m engineering two drivers for Elite Motorsport in the GB4 Championship. 

“I’m happy one of those is a female racer who won the first race in the first round of the championship.”

Having raced for over 20 years, Moore has dealt with every challenge thrown at her and is now ready to aid the next generation.

She explained: “One of my jobs this year is to be one of the coaches for More Than Equal who aim to help support females in motorsport. 

“I’ll be mainly focusing on the driving aspect, but also offering support in terms of training, nutrition, and psychology to help female drivers prepare for higher levels of motorsport.

“I’ve been coaching for about 10 years now, so it’s nice to be at circuits and help drivers that want to find their career path.”

Although Moore had a chance to compete in W Series, the experience in the free-to-enter single-seater series was short-lived.

W Series only ran for three seasons and struggled to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic hit, falling into administration earlier this year.

Female drivers in the series such as Jamie Chadwick, who snagged all three championships, have moved on to other series.

Marta Garcia landed a spot in F1 Academy and FRECA, while Chadwick now races in INDY NXT.

“Having been in the W series myself and looking back on it now, I think a better option would be for Formula One teams and sponsors to invest in females to support them in mainstream motorsport pathways,” Moore said.

“As much as I think it’s great that W series giving female drivers a platform, at some point the female drivers then have to go back into the ‘real world’ effectively and go back racing against the men.”

The fall of W Series indirectly paved the way for F1 Academy, as a handful of teams and drivers migrated to the new series.

Backed by Formula 1 and the FIA directly, F1 Academy places its female drivers on an even bigger platform than W Series.

Moore said: “F1 Academy wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for W Series. W series was part of the f1 package, but in reality, we didn’t have quite as much support from F1. 

“F1 Academy is great because it’s run by F1. It’s on the F1 calendar which is absolutely amazing because the girls get to race on circuits that they may not get to drive otherwise.

“I just hope that when they move on from F1 Academy, they can step into another formula series and continue their progression.”

For many female racers, progression into different motorsport pathways is the biggest factor in halting their careers.

Building a career as a female racing driver in a male-dominated sport was no easy feat and Moore has always been vocal about barriers in the sport.

She explained: “I think one of the biggest issues is that people aren’t investing in the development of female drivers within the sport. 

“There’s been a lot of male drivers that go through Formula 2 into Formula 1, they climb through the ranks with the help of their trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, etc. 

“When it comes to female drivers, it has to be slightly different because our way of training has to be slightly different to male needs. 

“It’s not that we’re not strong enough, it’s just that we need to be trained in a slightly different way to the males to achieve the results. Look at female RAF pilots and the G forces they can withstand.”

Now that she’s made the shift to help young female drivers in the sport, Moore realised how big the gap truly is in grassroots motorsports.

Despite the rise in interest in motorsport, female drivers receive far less funding than male drivers as they enter the sport much later.

“I think there’s a lot more research time and money that needs to be put into the development of female drivers to bring them into single-seaters at a younger age,” Moore continued. 

“Female drivers are coming in at a later age than males who have been training from 13/14 years old. 

“They find themselves on the back foot before they’ve even started racing in junior championships, fighting all year to try and catch up a gap that is almost impossible as the male drivers have already spent a full year preparing.”

Moore wholeheartedly believes that support needs to start from the ground up, as progression through motorsport starts very young.

She continued: “What’s missing is the numbers of girls at grassroots motorsport. Once we’ve got them in, we need to help them progress from a grassroots level to a high level.

“The reality is, not many of them know how to get there or what they need to do to get there, and I think that’s where the knowledge needs to come in. 

“You need driver coaches, nutritionists, trainers, etc to prepare young drivers in the best way possible and guide them in the right direction.

While the fight for women in motorsport continues, the support from drivers such as Sarah Moore proves to be as necessary as ever.

As women in motorsport begin to show their talent at the highest levels alongside male drivers, more young girls will turn to karting.

Chadwick recently picked up her first INDY NXT win while the Iron Dames continue to earn podiums and wins at the highest levels of endurance racing.

The future is bright for women in motorsport, and only time will prove it.

The post Exclusive: Sarah Moore on mentoring ambitions in women’s motorsport appeared first on Motorsport Week.