On International Women’s Day, Motorsport Week asks if Formula E is now a forerunner for promoting the cause of further inclusion of women in motorsport.
The all-electric championship announced on Friday that a second all-female test will take place on October 30, and will comprise of a full day’s running across two sessions.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work Formula E has already put in on the issue of female representation.
FE’s first women’s test, which took place at the conclusion of its pre-season programme at Circuito Jarama last November, was a huge success, with 18 drivers taking part across the 11 teams that make-up the grid.
It was also a first of its kind event, the first time a mixed-gender FIA-affiliated series held an event for just women competitors.
Alongside the regular press pack that comprises the FE media centre, a plethora of other outlets flocked to Madrid to witness the historic event, the success of which was cemented with winning the Most Inspiring Campaign gong at The Race Media Awards in January.
From Day 1 to today – women have been no strangers to the Formula E paddock
When it comes to female inclusion, the test was most certainly not the championship’s first rodeo, with two women – Katherine Legge and Michela Cerruti – lining-up on the grid at the very-first Formula E race in Beijing in 2014.
Simona de Silvestro was the next to follow, ending the inaugural season with a seat at Andretti, which was retained for the duration of Season 2, and in Long Beach and Berlin, completed two top-10 finishes to become first, and so far only woman to score points in the championship.
Women have also been afforded opportunities in a number of its rookie tests, usually held over a race weekend during the season.
Alice Powell has been a prominent figure in the series, having been a part of the Envision Racing team since Season 7, conducting simulator work and driving in the designated rookie test sessions.
Jamie Chadwick has been a frequent visitor to the FE paddock for sometime, and amongst her dominance in the now-defunct W Series, her previous role as a member of Williams’ Academy and her drives in both Extreme E and Indy NXT, she has made time for jumping into an FE car, setting the second-fastest time at Jarama.
Last year’s F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling was given a shot with Nissan in the same test, and stormed to first in the timesheets, with a lap three tenths ahead of Chadwick and within 3.5s of the fastest time of the week, set by Mitch Evans.
Speaking to Motorsport Week at the Jeddah E-Prix, Pulling said: “I think Formula E is paving the way and they’re not trying to replicate something else.
“They’re their own identity and their own brand and series that have their own kind of perspective on things and they’re really trying to make a better future, for obviously the sustainability side but also for the drivers and to give us the opportunities.
“If it wasn’t for that test [Jarama], I probably wouldn’t have been having conversations that I’ve been having and in contact with some really powerful figures within the paddock.
“So for that, I’m really thankful that Jeff [Dodds, Formula E’s CEO] and the whole team have managed to put it together. The whole Formula E team.”
It’s prudent to also note that Chadwick has taken part in two tests staged in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, most recently for Jaguar TCS Racing at the Jeddah E-Prix last month.
The first was an in-season test over the weekend of the Diriyah E-Prix, in which Chadwick was one of nine female drivers that took part.
At the same weekend, a Nissan GEN2 car was piloted in a demo run by Reem Al Aboud, the groundbreaking female Saudi Arabian racing driver.
This two-pronged promotion of female inclusion was in December 2018, just six months after women were legally enabled to drive in the country for the first time, further enhancing the series’ want to always be at the forefront of social issues through the medium of motorsport.
Amid the publicity and excitement the Jarama test would bring, it might be forgivable to forget that, earlier in 2024, Al Aboud returned to create a new piece of history – setting a new benchmark for an FIA single-seater racing car by achieving 0-60mph in 2.49 seconds in the GENBETA car, just over 0.1 of a second faster than a Formula 1 car.
From on-track to off it – the unsung heroes of Formula E
Whilst Formula E has been able to give so many female drivers opportunities to show their speed and worth on the track, the whole series is comprised of a great number of hugely talented female employees off it.
A myriad of women work tirelessly behind the scenes within various roles, a notable example being in the media centre, where you will find a high percentage of women making-up its communications department.
This representation carries over into the teams as well, with a vast number of women who are tasked with heading-up the hard job of looking after the drivers’ schedules with the media, all of which handle their roles with guile and a quiet calm and authority.
Formula E has also been a prominent supporter of the FIA’s Girls On Track initiative, which has given countless girls aged between 12 and 18 the chance to be present at FE races and events to learn more about motorsport with behind the scenes access, workshops and activities to engage and and encourage them to forge a future pathway into a career in the industry.
And of course, media representation is evident to television viewers, with long-time member of the broadcasting team, Nicki Shields, now the lead presenter of its English-speaking TV coverage.
Shields is supported by pit lane reporter Alexa Rendall, and amid its roster of pundits, Chadwick and Extreme E star Catie Munnings.
Whilst the world of motorsport is making more conscientious efforts in heightening the inclusion of women in motorsport, there are many reasons to consider Formula E, like its GEN3 Evo machine, has accelerated through the glass ceiling faster than any other series.
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