Formula e puts women in the driving seat with dedicated pre-season test

• Formula E announces a world-first for an FIA Championship in holding a dedicated test session for women racing drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
• Up to 22 elite women drivers will use the latest GEN3 Evo race car, ensuring they’re given equal opportunities as the current Formula E drivers
• The pioneering step supports Formula E’s long-term commitment to accelerate diversity and equality across motorsport and within Formula E, from the grassroots to the highest levels

LONDON, UK. Wednesday, 2nd October 2024 – Formula E has today announced that the first-ever all-women test session of an FIA Championship will take place on Thursday 7th November at Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, as part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s pre-season testing schedule.

The first-of-its-kind test in the all-electric championship provides elite women racing drivers the opportunity to drive the new for Season 11 (2024/25) GEN3 Evo race car, which is capable of 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds – 30% faster than a current F1 car. The car will also be tested during the same week by the 11 world-class race teams and 22 drivers currently competing in the series.

Each of the race teams in the championship will be required to field at least one woman driver for the half-day test, but encouraged to field two, who will all drive in current-season cars.

With all the women on track at the same time, the session creates a tangible platform for a wide pool of elite drivers who wouldn’t otherwise get an opportunity to drive machinery at this level. The test aims to provide the women not only with a destination but also a pathway to develop their careers and skills using current technology at its full potential.

While at the Valencia race track, the drivers will take part in multiple media opportunities, including press conferences, briefings, interviews and capturing content for broadcast and social media on behalf of Formula E and their respective teams. This is specifically aimed at raising their profile within elite motorsport and the wider sports industry and especially to those involved at grassroot levels and aspiring to work in motorsport. The full line-up of women drivers participating in the test will be announced in the coming weeks by each individual Formula E team.

Despite motorsport being one of the few sports industries where men and women can compete together, the sport remains predominantly male, with only 3% of current top-tier racing licences worldwide held by women (FIA).

Formula E is proactively launching this initiative as part of a broader long-term strategy to remove barriers and expand opportunities for women within the all-electric championship. This isn’t just about creating a one-off opportunity, it’s about analysing and actively dismantling the structural inequalities that have limited women’s participation and progress.

As part of its ongoing long-term commitment to advancing gender equality and supporting women’s pathways into motorsport, Formula E is also:

Delivering an extended FIA Girls on Track programme for up to 400 local young women at the Valencia test who will have the chance to watch and engage with the women racing drivers while participating in workshops aimed at accelerating careers across the whole motorsport spectrum.
Working with teams and partners to provide further opportunities for women drivers, such as engineering support, simulator time, future test opportunities and driver and holistic coaching as part of a modern driver pathway.
Consulting with leading women in sport to learn from their experiences and  challenges, helping to accelerate diversity and inclusion in their sector.
Integrating technology into its cars such as power steering in GEN4 (from Season 13 in 2026) to aid the performance for male and female drivers alike.
Amplifying the FIA Girls on Track programme throughout Season 11, encouraging more young women to be involved in the programme across the season and build on the success of previous years.
Engaging with diverse and women-led organisations to identify key barriers and opportunities for women and girls to get into motorsport at all levels.
Jeff Dodds, CEO at Formula E, said: “We know there isn’t a simple solution for greater diversity in motorsport. If we’re going to truly give women equality, opportunity and visibility in our series, however, conditions for all need to be the same to aid their development and test themselves against those already on the starting grid. 

“Unlike other series where women drivers have to use old or restricted machinery, they’ll be using the state-of-the-art GEN3 Evo car that accelerates 30% faster than an F1 car, just as our Championship drivers do.

“We also recognise that one test will not solve the longstanding issue, but we have to start somewhere, knowing there is a long way to go and making sure we’re making proactive, consistent steps that continue to make forward progress. As a motorsport with an almost-equal split of male and female fans, as well within Formula E including my Exec and Director teams, we believe it’s only right that our drivers and wider ecosystem is representative of those that follow and support the sport.”