At the Formula E pre-season test in Valencia in November, half a day is reserved exclusively for women
For the second time in its history, Formula E will hold an all-women test. As part of the pre-season test taking place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, from November 5 to 7, the afternoon session on November 7 is reserved exclusively for female drivers.
Each of the eleven Formula E teams must field at least one car with a woman at the wheel. However, the teams are explicitly encouraged by the series organizers to field two cars with women.
“If we want to offer women equality, opportunities and visibility in our series, then everyone must be on an equal footing to develop and compete with those already on the grid,” says Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds.
“Unlike other series, where female drivers have to compete in old or limited cars, with us they will get into a state-of-the-art Gen3 e-sports car that our teams use in the world championship,” emphasizes Dodds.
“We also recognize that a single test will not solve a long-standing issue, but we have to start somewhere. We know we still have a long way to go, and we need to make sure we are taking proactive and consistent steps that will help us move forward.”
“As a motorsport series with an almost equal number of male and female fans, we believe it is right to take this step. We are also working to achieve a gender balance among the employees of Formula E,” said Dodds.
Formula E held its first test for women in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, in 2018. This season, Jamie Chadwick tested a current Formula E car from Andretti in Portland. Marta Garcia for ERT and Alice Powell for Envision were at the start of the rookie test in Berlin.
In the ten years since the founding of Formula E, only three female drivers have competed in races, all of them in the Gen1 era. Katherine Legge made two starts with Amlin Aguri in 2014 and failed to score, as did Michela Cerruti with the Trulli team in the same period, while Simona de Silvestro made twelve starts for Andretti and scored twice in ninth place in 2016.
