A New Era Is About To Begin In F1

Sport is for everyone, male, female, young, old, black, white, there are no barriers one would say. Reality says otherwise as there are sports where women have no place yet. Women are not allowed to do decathlon and have no place in Formula one either.

Times are really changing, looks like the ice is slowly breaking. Looks like Maya Weug, 16-year-old Belgian / Dutch is going to write history. She's the first female Ferrari signs to driver academy.

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Maya Weug is the winner of “Girls on Track – Rising Stars”, the program launched by the Fia Women in Motorsport Commission chaired by Michèle Mouton, vice-rally champion in 1982, in collaboration with the Ferrari Driver Academy, with the aim of promoting women’s motoring and supporting the most talented girls between the ages of 12 and 16. Weug, 16, Dutch father, Belgian mother (like Max Verstappen) but who lives in Spain, was the chosen one at the end of the selection that had its grand finale from 11 to 15 January in Maranello, at the Scuderia Ferrari . “We are part of the history of Ferrari, which opens the doors of the Academy to a woman,” said Mouton. source

Mary Weug started off go karting at the age of 7 and took another 2 years before she started competing competitively. She has been a member of the Richard Mille girls racing team where she won the Rising Stars competition . The prize of winning was an entrance and scholarship to the Ferrari Drivers Academy. This will give her the opportunity to learn and study what is required to be a competitive raing driver.

Her first role at the Academy is to be a driver in the Formula 4 series under the guidance and stewardship of the Ferrari teachers. Everyone is talking about her becoming the first female Formula One driver but that is so far from the truth. This is the first step on that path and she now has tp prove that she has the desire, commitment and most importantly the talent to make it. The Drivers Academy helps you mature and grow and only when you are ready will teams come knocking. Out of the last batch of Academy drivers of which there were 9 only Mick Schumacher has managed a seat this season in Formula One. Callum Illott also looks as though he has what it takes so Formula One is the pinnacle and only the best make it. Maya has been given the opportunity and only time will tell if she has the right stuff.

Maria Teresa de Filippis, the Italian driver became the first woman to participate in Formula 1 in 1958 at the Belgium Grand Prix, she finished 10th. Lella Lombardi was the second to drive in a Grand Prix, and the first to win points in 1975. She came sixth in Spain in a race which was halted after 29 laps, due to a crash. This way drivers were awarded half points.

Susie Wolff the wife of Toto Wolff the head of Mercedes Amg Formula One was a test driver for Williams Formula One for many years and is now in charge as team principal of Venturi Racing that compete in Formula E. The truth is not many women are involved in the driving side of things
besides a handful of women. This is a male dominated sport and you have to have the results to back it up. If you are good that is not good enough and it will take a special lady to make it in this sport.