A recent report by More Than Equal explored the data involving women and girls in motorsport and identified two key challenges for female drivers - the participation gap and the performance gap.
The performance gap was highlighted by the fact that their research found that women currently represent on average just 10% across all categories of competition, with the highest in karting – a format that contributes 40% of overall female participation.
Around 13% of participation in karting came from female drivers, which dropped to 7% in formula and GT racing.
The More than Equal initiative, founded by 13-time F1 race winner David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komarek, aims to help develop find and develop a first female F1 world champion.
It is seeking to do so through focusing on four key priorities – being evidence led and providing the research and insight to help break down barriers in motorsport for women; scouting globally for young female talent; building a female driver development programme for young driver with high potential and connecting that talent with the right opportunities to help them to progress.
Their first piece of research, hosted in part by Motorsport Network, also found that as current female drivers continue to compete, they are not progressing at the same rate into the top talent rankings, where female drivers represent a tiny percentage – currently just 4%.
Clearly, to have more women competing at the top end more consistently, the sport needs more women racing at grassroots and continuing up the ladder.
Source: Autosport