David Coulthard-Backed 'More Than Equal' Introduces First Six Female Drivers to Program

'More Than Equal', co-founded by David Coulthard, announces its first female drivers.

More Than Equal / More Than Equal Press Image

'More Than Equal', co-founded by former F1 driver David Coulthard, has officially introduced the first six female drivers to the Driver Development Programme.

The 'More Than Equal' initiative has welcomed its first collection of six female drivers, all aged between 13 and 14. More than Equal, founded by David Coulthard and Karel Komárek, is a pioneering motorsport initiative aimed at nurturing the first female Formula 1 world champion by identifying top female talent worldwide and launching an elite development program.

The chosen drivers line-up comprises Ivonn Simeonova from Austria, Katrina Thung from Malaysia, Kristýna Kalistová from the Czech Republic, Lana Flack from Australia, Laura Bubenová from Slovakia, and Skye Parker from the United Kingdom. Additionally, four younger drivers under 13 from Italy, Japan, Poland, and the UK have been selected into the Driver Preparation Programme, signifying 'More Than Equal's commitment to nurturing talent from an early age.

Head of Driver Development, Tom Stanton, led the selection process along with driver coaches Sarah Moore and Jordan King. Stanton commented to Sports Illustrated:

“After months of research and searching for high-potential talent, we are proud to pioneer a new way of developing female drivers with the launch of our programme. We have built the More than Equal Driver Development Programme with the female driver in mind, utilising the personal experiences of our Driver Coaches and the insight and expertise of our coaching partner, Hintsa Performance. We are putting data and evidence first, and a programme of this kind has never existed before in this sport. It is a hugely exciting moment, and we are looking forward to seeing what the next few months bring.”

Ali Donnelly, CEO of More Than Equal, also commented on the news:

“This is just the beginning of a journey for this group and for our programme, and together we want to show that with the right support early in their career, we can accelerate the development of talented female drivers so that they can have an equal opportunity to reach the top of the sport.

“Our drivers will benefit from a programme that has been designed with female athletes in mind from the very start, when too often girls have had to navigate programmes and systems in motorsport that were built entirely for boys. Our programme will be highly relevant to young female drivers with potential, applying the latest in sports science to their age and gender.”

David Coulthard noted:

“We are pleased and proud to kick off a new era for young female drivers in motorsport with the launch of the More than Equal Driver Development Programme. This group of talented young drivers will now be part of a programme which has been designed with their age and their gender in mind, with specialist coaches supporting their journey and helping to maximise their potential. This is a hugely exciting moment.”

Karel Komárek, co-founder of the programme, also stressed the importance of providing top-tier resources and coaching to these young talents:

“By supporting emerging talent at a critical stage in their development with top-tier coaching, resources, and an evidence-based approach, this programme builds on our commitment to equality of opportunity and removing the barriers which have limited women in motorsport for decades."

The training and development of these drivers will take place at the esteemed Wurz Test and Training Center in Saalfelden, Austria. Here, they will undergo a bespoke high-performance preparation model reminiscent of Olympic-style talent development, crafted in collaboration with Hintsa Performance.

With the ongoing push to nurture female talent in motorsports, it is increasingly important to have facilities in place to develop female drivers from a younger age.