Susie Wolff was appointed as the managing director of the F1 Academy, the all-female driver category that aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of the competition.
Friday 10 March 2023 18:31, UK
F1 Academy chief Susie Wolff says the series will become the motorsport "destination" for aspiring female drivers, but warns it will take time before a woman reaches the Formula 1 grid.
Wolff has been confirmed as the new managing director of the F1 academy, the all-female driver category that will begin its inaugural season in April as it aims to develop and prepare young drivers to progress to higher levels of competition.
The 40-year-old Scot is the most recent female to participate as a driver during an F1 weekend, having made two appearances in each of the 2014 and 2015 seasons in her role as a Williams development driver.
Since retiring from driving in 2015, Wolff has remained an influential figure within motorsport, going on to become a Formula E team principal and leading advocate for greater participation of women in all levels of motorsport.
"I've been in those shoes racing an international karting level wondering how am I going to make the step-up into junior formula because it is a huge step to make and that's why I think F1 Academy will be a destination for those young girls," Wolff told Sky Sports News.
"I think the amount of track time, the fact that you're with some of the top junior formula teams means that you're on a great trajectory to starting your formula single-seater career and making the progression.
"That track time and that support network is going to be valuable for them to get the best out of themselves and really try and make the step up the ladder."
Along with her time driving for Williams, Wolff raced in DTM (German touring cars) and Formula Renault, before going on to lead the Venturi team in Formula E.
Wolff's authority is expected to enhance the new series' ability to help the 15 competing drivers, who will be split across five teams and race 21 times across seven weekends.
She will report directly to F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali and will be responsible for spearheading the development of female motorsport talent, with a focus on creating a successful pathway to higher categories in the F1 pyramid.
Wolff is confident that one day Formula 1 will see a female driver on the grid, but has warned that expectations need to be managed.
"I know that it's possible for a woman to race at this level and from that perspective, that experience is so important, especially handing down that experience to the next generation," added Wolff, who is married to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
"I think being in the paddock and with the full support of F1 behind the F1 Academy, it means we have all the right people and the decision makers looking and supporting us to make sure that when there is a talent coming through.
"We need to manage expectations. It's going to take time. It's about increasing the talent pool, raising awareness and inspiring the next generation to come and to make this sport more accessible for those that want to enter.
"It's definitely going to take a few years. I think we can have some real success in the short term, but to find a successful girl racing in Formula One, we need to think mid to long term, and that means we've got to be patient."
The inaugural F1 Academy season begins on April 28 in Spielberg, Austria and ends as a support series to F1 at the United States Grand Prix in Austin in October.
