The young women racing to break Formula 1’s final barrier

Dubai: Young women are helping fuel Formula 1’s surge in global popularity, drawing in new audiences and reshaping the sport’s image. Yet despite the growing female fan base, no woman has competed at Formula 1’s top level since 1976 — a gap that a new generation of drivers is determined to close.

Four of the world’s most promising young female racers — Skye Parker, Zoe Florescu Potolea, Ivonn Simeonova and Alexia Danielsson — are now chasing that ambition after being selected for a pioneering driver development programme aimed at producing Formula 1’s first woman world champion.

The programme focuses on elite training, racecraft development and long-term career support, providing the young drivers with resources traditionally out of reach for women in motorsport. All four have already shown strong results in junior racing categories, earning recognition for their speed, consistency and mental resilience.

Their journey comes at a time when Formula 1 is actively working to broaden participation and inspire more girls to pursue racing careers, from grassroots karting to professional series. While the road to F1 remains fiercely competitive, the inclusion of Parker, Florescu Potolea, Simeonova and Danielsson signals a renewed push to break motorsport’s longest-standing gender barrier — and potentially rewrite Formula 1 history.

Video and inputs from AFP