'Never say never', W Series open to partnering with FIA-Ferrari Girls on Track programme

W Series

'Never say never', W Series open to partnering with FIA-Ferrari Girls on Track programme

W Series open to partnering with 'any initiative that furthers the interests of female racing drivers'

Sam Hall

Friday 12 June 2020 19:11

The W Series was created to promote women in motorsport, but series organisers are open to working alongside any new initiative that shares its 'founding principles'.

On Thursday, the FIA and Ferrari launched the 'Girls on Track Racing Stars' programme, and W Series communications director Matt Bishop said the two entities could compliment each other nicely.

"[There are] no current plans [to work together], but never say never," said Bishop. "One thing I would say, because obviously it was only announced yesterday [Thursday], is that obviously, we look with favour and applaud any new initiatives that further the interests of female racing drivers, and that's one of the founding principles of the W Series. It's in our DNA. We're very pleased to see that.

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"I think it could be something that could be complimentary to the W Series, because, if you look at the announcement carefully, it says that they are targetting girls between the ages of 12-16 to try to improve their chances.

"Of course, we wouldn't have drivers of 12-15 anyway in W Series. Our youngest driver is Irina Sidorkova, who is 16 - but younger than that we wouldn't have. Of course, they can in the new FIA-Ferrari programme.

"Never say never. It's something that we would be interested to talk to anyone about if they had any initiative that was founded in the principle of assisting girls and women to improve their chances of becoming professional racing drivers, which is what the W Series exists really to do."

W Series driver Beitske Visser, fresh from winning two of the opening three races in the W Series Esports League, was also keen to see the FIA and Ferrari sharing in the ambition of the W Series to increase female participation in the male dominated motorsport environment.

Visser added: "I think it's a very good start. Like W Series want as well, they just want to progress us to go further in motorsport.

"You see the programme that the FIA and Ferrari are launching together, they have the same goal, so I think that it is good.

"We'll see. Hopefully some good girls will come out of it."

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