Susie Wolff, Managing Director of the F1 Academy, and Naomi Schiff, F1 Analyst for Sky Sports, both former racing drivers, were kind enough to speak with SI's Claudette Montana about F1 Academy and growing opportunities for women in the racing world.
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00:00 Hey everybody, Quad App Montana here in Austin, Texas at the United States Grand Prix and joining me is Koozie Wolf.
00:06 Always love Austin and for us as F1 Academy it's our first time.
00:09 Naomi Schiff. Thank you so much for having me.
00:11 F1 Academy giving incredible opportunities for women.
00:14 From your perspective, what does a diverse and inclusive motorsport look like?
00:18 Believe in yourself, back to self and go for what you want.
00:24 Absolutely, F1 Academy is a race series only for female drivers but in the end we don't believe in segregation.
00:30 We want to be the rocket fuel for progression in the sport because motorsport is one of the few sports in the world
00:34 alongside sailing and horse riding or jumping where men compete with women.
00:38 So we really want to give our young drivers a chance to propel and progress in the sport.
00:43 But we also want to use this platform to inspire the next generation to see that this environment isn't as male dominated as you think
00:50 and there are opportunities for women.
00:52 I've been a part of the F1 community for quite some time now.
00:54 I have experience as both a driver and a team leader.
00:56 You're making me feel old now.
00:58 Oh no!
00:59 No, I mean I've been a racing driver for over 25 years.
01:02 I ran a team for four years and I'm so grateful for that experience because I know what these young women are going through.
01:08 I know how difficult this environment is to navigate.
01:11 I know the challenges that they can overcome and I'm a big believer in life and giving back.
01:15 For me, helping the next generation to not make the mistakes I made but also to pass on all the knowledge and all the connections that I made that can be helpful for them.
01:24 That's something that I'm really proud to do.
01:26 Well, Austin is your guys' last race of the season.
01:29 So not trying to look too far ahead here but what are you hoping to build off of next season?
01:33 We have big ambitions.
01:35 I've got a lot to do but obviously next season we have seven races with Formula One.
01:39 We have the ten Formula One teams on board which means we'll have ten of our cars with F1 liveries.
01:44 Even just the thought of that 19-year-old girl zipping up a Ferrari race suit, jumping in a mini Ferrari car.
01:50 That's awareness that's just going to inspire a whole generation because if that little girl who's watching on television sees that image,
01:58 sometimes in life you just have to see it to believe it.
02:00 I think being on this platform, the awareness we can generate will just mean that we've got a big impact for the future.
02:06 Athlone Academy obviously giving incredible opportunities for women.
02:10 From your perspective, what does a diverse and inclusive motorsport look like?
02:14 Well, we've never seen participation rise above 5% in the last 25 years.
02:19 Now, that's not going to change overnight but I do think this environment and this industry needs to give opportunity.
02:25 We need to see more women in the talent pools for the best rise to the top.
02:29 I don't believe in segregation.
02:31 I don't believe in quotas but I do believe in giving opportunity because in my career,
02:35 I got given a chance a couple of times and that was what gave me the ability to go on and achieve great things.
02:41 Sometimes you just need that chance in life.
02:44 I want to ask you about your experience being a woman in this sport because obviously it's a male-dominated industry.
02:50 I cover football for the most part and that's also a male-dominated industry.
02:54 What's your experience been like for you and what challenges have you faced?
02:58 Yeah, well, obviously I started off in the sport as a racing driver myself and that's obviously something we don't see so much of in motorsports.
03:06 It's getting a lot better.
03:07 You've got great initiatives out there.
03:08 Started with W Series in 2019.
03:10 We started the first ever women's racing series.
03:12 Now, today, you've got F1 Academy who are really pushing forward women in the sport.
03:17 You've got some incredibly talented young girls out there between the ages of 16 to 25 who are being supported by these teams.
03:25 It's a great announcement. First of all, they're racing here in Austin in front of the F1 crowd, which is huge for women's sport.
03:31 You know what it's like.
03:32 You need the eyeballs.
03:33 You need the support so that sponsors see the benefits of investing.
03:37 For them to have seven races on the calendar with F1 next year is fantastic.
03:42 Every single one of these teams here are going to be supporting one car in the championship next year with the driver that they're going to be giving support to.
03:50 All of those things are fantastic to see people at the pinnacle of our sport buying into these types of initiatives.
03:56 I just saw the F1 Academy winners right here before we started going.
04:00 I talked to Susie Wolf yesterday about F1 Academy and just all the amazing opportunities that it's giving for women.
04:06 What do you think they should build off of next season because they just finished their season here in Austin?
04:11 This season's obviously been their inaugural season.
04:14 Like anything, there's always things that you've got to learn and progress.
04:17 One thing that's been really great is that they've given these drivers so much track time, which is so important when you're developing this talent.
04:22 It's putting them in a car and letting them drive.
04:24 They've got 15 days of pre-season testing, which is great.
04:27 Then on a race weekend, they've got two practice sessions, two qualifying sessions and three races.
04:32 All of that is fantastic.
04:33 I think they've got a great fundamental structure, but obviously now they're going to step it up a whole other notch.
04:39 I don't think that there's so much momentum that they need to learn from this year for next year.
04:44 I think everything that they've got in place so far is showing that it's going to be a fantastic championship next year.
04:49 As I said, these drivers are racing with feeder series teams in F2 and F3, teams that are already in F2 and F3.
04:55 The knowledge that they're getting from the teams for them to progress after this step is there.
05:00 Then on top of that, you pair that with them being supported by a team.
05:03 It's huge. This is going to be a fantastic step forward for these young girls.
05:07 For young women that want to get involved in motorsport, maybe pursue a career in broadcasting one day, what would your advice be for them?
05:12 We talk a lot about the drivers, but the fact of the matter is that there's a whole entire ecosystem in the motorsports paddock that is available for women to come and join.
05:21 Presenting is one of them, broadcasting is one of them, but there's so many things out there in this ecosystem for women to get involved in.
05:28 I guess the advice I always give to people is that this world, the way it is right now, although we're moving forward,
05:35 there's going to be a lot of barriers that stand in women's ways no matter what you do.
05:39 So don't be a barrier in your own way. Believe in yourself, back yourself and go for what you want.
05:43 First and foremost, go for it. There is a place for you in this paddock.
05:47 If you're racing, then make Formula One Academy your destination.
05:51 We are age groups from 16 to 25. You simply need to get in touch and be fast enough.
05:56 And then on our website, there's going to be lots of opportunities coming in how to get into this sport off track as well as on track.
06:02 Thank you so much. Have a great weekend.
06:04 Thank you so much.
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