Formula E: Female Drivers Seek Their Space in the Electric Category

Formula E Seeks the Return of Female Drivers

Formula E yearns for the return of a female driver to the starting grid. However, the results of the rookie test in Berlin, held on Monday, suggest that there is still a long way to go. After the weekend races at Tempelhof, four women participated in the test. The best classified was Abbi Pulling, champion of the F1 Academy last year and current competitor in GB3, who achieved 17th place with the Nissan team. Ella Lloyd, also British and a participant in British F4 and F1 Academy, placed 18th for McLaren. Jamie Chadwick, three-time winner of the now defunct W Series and Williams F1 development driver, who currently competes in the European Le Mans, finished in 19th place for Jaguar. Bianca Bustamante, from the Philippines, GB3 racer with 1.7 million followers on Instagram, placed 22nd and last for the Cupra Kiro team, although the difference between all participants was only 1.550 seconds. Gabriele Mini, from Italy, was the fastest overall for Nissan in a field that included former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, Charles Leclerc’s younger brother, Arthur, and top Formula Two drivers.

We went from not having women really testing, to having 20 women in last year’s official women’s test and, as a result of that, we now have four women testing in the real rookie test in Berlin.

Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E

Jeff Dodds, Formula E CEO, stated that he was optimistic about the possibility of a woman returning to the grid in the near future. Dodds added that significant progress has been made and that he expects to see women competing on the grid in the coming years. Three women have competed in the series, which is now in its eleventh season: Katherine Legge (Great Britain) on two occasions in 2014, Simona de Silvestro (Switzerland) who participated in 12 races in 2015-16 and Michela Cerruti four times in 2014-15. De Silvestro is the only one who has scored points. Unlike Formula E, Formula 1 hasn’t had a woman in a race since Lella Lombardi in 1976. Pulling, who was the best in last year’s women’s test, sees Formula E as “a really viable professional path in the future”. Pulling also commented that he will continue to climb the competitive ladder and that his plans will depend on his performance.