Ferrari begins search to find female F1 drivers
The ruling motorsport body FIA is teaming up with iconic Italian team Ferrari to help women become professional racers and possibly Formula One drivers.
The FIA said on Thursday that girls aged 12-16 are to be recruited and then developed in the "FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars" programme.
So far 20 girls from five continents have been selected and will compete against each other at the French Paul Ricard course in October.
The best 12 move on to training camps later in October and November, four of them advance into a one-week camp at Ferrari's academy, and the best of them becomes a member of the academy and Formula 4 driver in 2021, and possibly 2022.
She could be joined by another young woman as a second call for talent is scheduled for 2021-2023.
Ferrari is leading the push to get women into Formula One. Getty
"We believe that we can help introduce even more young women to this fantastic sport. Who knows, maybe one day we will once again see a woman competing in a Formula 1 World Championship race for the first time since 1976," Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said, referring to countrywoman Maria Lombardi.
Michele Mouton, a former world class rally driver who heads FIA's Women in Motorsport commission, said the program was "another immense step forward at the grassroots level of the sport" and could "result in two winning drivers becoming Ferrari's first-ever female racers."
