The Winning Formula - Driving Women’s Participation

by Imogen Hurst (FSL and Durham University)

I cannot confidently pinpoint the exact moment my passion for Formula 1 was ignited but, in hindsight, it seems like the inevitable result of my surroundings. Contrary to popular belief, I became interested in the sport long before I started watching the Netflix sensation ‘Drive to Survive.’ That said, I won’t deny being a fanatic of the series; it has undeniably fuelled my enthusiasm during the off-season. After all, who doesn’t love a bit of nosiness?

Having frequently been around motorheads, motorsport enthusiasts, and track-day aficionados, it was only a matter of time before I caught the bug. While it might be a bit late for me to get behind the wheel of anything other than my Fiat 500 (and my student debt certainly wouldn’t permit such a career move), I am determined to pursue motorsport, particularly F1, in one of the few ways currently accessible to me: through academia.

As an innate creative, I knew I had to merge my passion for F1 with my academic pursuits. Choosing Formula 1 as the subject of my final year dissertation was a no-brainer. The exact approach developed during a collaborative meeting with my supervisor, Professor Stephen Mumford, who encouraged me to explore my non-academic interest in what has arguably become my most significant and rewarding piece of academic work.

In the summer of 2023, thanks to my childhood friend turned racing driver Charlie Fagg, I had the opportunity to gain work experience with Optimum Motorsport during the GT World Challenge Series. What I had previously only watched on TV became a tangible reality before my eyes. One striking observation was the limited presence of women throughout the paddock. Although the GT series features the likes of the ‘Iron Dames,’ an all-female racing team, it was clear that women’s involvement remained limited. The ogles received from mechanics and whispers from the garages suggested that a women showing interest in a career in the sport had yet to be fully normalised, with motorsport still considered a male domain.

I shared my work experience with Stephen, and it was from this that I found my angle: the ‘Othering’ of women in F1, specifically in the role of drivers. While there has been a marked improvement in female representation with the likes of ex-racing drivers Naomi Schiff and Danika Patrick taking on roles as presenters for Sky Sports during the F1 race weekends, there is still a long way to go for female drivers in this unisex sport, with fewer than 10 female drivers having had the opportunity to perform in a Formula 1 car since 1950.

While I strongly disagree with tokenism and do not argue that women should be represented for the sake of fairness alone, I intend to reflect and discuss the ways in which women have been systematically disadvantaged in a sport where there are no physiological barriers preventing them from competing alongside men. Women’s underrepresentation as athletes in motorsport is a product of ‘Othering,’ entrenched patriarchal structures, and misogynistic decision-making that still prevail today.