More Than Equal, the organisation dedicated to unearthing the first female Formula 1 World Champion has made a crucial step toward that goal in announcing on Tuesday its initial driving cohort for a female-focussed driver development programme.
Aged between 13 and 14, More Than Equal has selected drivers from across the globe to participate in its programme.
The driving cohort consists of, Ivonn Simeonova (Austria), Katrina Thung (Malaysia), Kristýna Kalistová (Czech Republic), Lana Flack (Australia), Laura Bubenová (Slovakia) and Skye Parker (United Kingdom).
Four female drivers under the age of 13 from Italy, Japan, Poland and the UK have also been selected for the More than Equal Driver Preparation Programme.
These girls were deemed to hold high potential, but require further age-appropriate development before progressing within the More Than Equal set-up.
After applications opened in January, More Than Equal conducted a data-driven talent scouting search and the successful candidates were selected by Programme Head Tom Stanton, along with driver coaches Sarah Moore and Jordan King.
Through its research, More Than Equal found that just 13% of karters were female and this fell to 7% participation in formula and GT racing.
One of the barriers preventing balanced gender representation in racing is a lack of gender-specific training methods, which More Than Equal is now poised to change.
Ali Donnelly, CEO at More than Equal said: “This is just the beginning of a journey for this group and for our programme, and together we want to show that with the right support early in their career, we can accelerate the development of talented female drivers so that they can have an equal opportunity to reach the top of the sport.
“Our drivers will benefit from a programme that has been designed with female athletes in mind from the very start, when too often girls have had to navigate programmes and systems in motorsport that were built entirely for boys. Our programme will be highly relevant to teenage girls, applying the latest in sports science to their age and gender.”
Karel Komárek, More than Equal Co-Founder added: “By supporting emerging talent at a critical stage in their development with top-tier coaching, resources, and an evidence-based approach, this programme builds on our commitment to equality of opportunity and removing the barriers which have limited women in motorsport for decades.”
Kormárek co-founded More Than Equal with 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, who said: “We are pleased and proud to kick off a new era for young female drivers in motorsport with the launch of the More than Equal Driver Development Programme.
“This group of talented young drivers will now be part of a programme which has been designed with their age and their gender in mind, with specialist coaches supporting their journey and helping to maximise their potential.
“This is a hugely exciting moment.”
The launch of the programme will see the initial driving cohort head to Wurz Test and Training Center in Saalfeden, Austria.
Designed by former F1 driver and two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Alex Wurz, the facility will play host to the female driving talent May 16-18, 2024, for their first training and assessment camp.
