F1 News: Max Verstappen - "Formula One Naturally A Little Bit Harder For A Woman"

Max Verstappen suggests that the male-dominated nature of Formula 1 poses challenges for women entering the sport. Despite the difficulties, he expresses optimism about the potential for women to compete in the sport, provided there is availability of talent.

The statement from the Red Bull driver bears enough weight if you look at the numbers. Throughout the sport's history, only five women have been able to make it to a race weekend, and out of those, only two have been able to start a race.

The last time a female driver drove a Formula 1 car during a Grand Prix weekend was in 2015 when Susie Wolff had her last FP1 run for Williams during the British Grand Prix weekend.

Consequently, Wolff now heads the all-female racing series, F1 Academy, as the managing director. It was set up this season to encourage potential female racing talent. The F1 Academy offers a platform for talented women drivers to showcase their prowess. 23-year-old Spanish driver Marta Garcia won the championship this year and is set to compete in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship with Prema Racing.

Verstappen underscores that the growing influx of men into the racing scene, in contrast to women, increases the challenge for female competitors to establish a stronger presence and representation in the sport. Speaking to the media, he stated:

“I think if you look at the percentage of men and women in racing, I think already for men the percentage is very low to get into Formula 1.

“So naturally for women, it's even harder because there are less women.”

He added that though F1 is physically challenging, it isn't impossible for women to compete. He said:

"I do think physically driving F1 in some places is quite tough but I do think that it's all trainable if you work hard for it - but it is naturally a little bit harder for a woman.

"But if you have enough talent, then of course it is possible.

"I don't think team bosses are people who make decisions to choose their drivers look at it like: 'Oh, no, we only go for men’.

"If there's a woman who is beating everyone else, then naturally they will have the opportunity to get to Formula 1.

"It's just that there are fewer women in the sport and naturally, of course, the percentage to make it to the top is lower."