Groundbreaking F1 championship plans revealed

David Coulthard pictured in 2023 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

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Groundbreaking F1 championship plans revealed

More than Equal are searching for the first female F1 world champion

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 1 October 2024 14:57 Updated: 11:33

A groundbreaking motorsport initiative has announced a new partnership to further their research into female drivers.

More than Equal aims to find the first female Formula 1 world champion through data-driven research and evidence-based innovation.

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Founded by former Red Bull F1 driver David Coulthard and entrepreneur and philanthropist Karel Komarek, More than Equal uses a science-led framework in order to understand how female-specific factors, such as the menstrual cycle and overall physiology, impact high-level performance in drivers.

In a brand new partnership, the global initiative has linked up with Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport to advance female athlete performance research.

Their goal: "build a comprehensive profile of what it takes to develop world-leading female drivers from karting through to F1."

More than Equal's drivers and coaches have partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport

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What are the aims of More than Equal?

Promising young female drivers with dreams of becoming an F1 champion are being supported by this collaboration which aims to make history by focusing on the unique needs of female drivers from the inception of their career.

This research is being led by Manchester Metropolitan’s Centre for Excellence for Women in Sport and will hone in on key elements of performance such as strength (including neck strength critical for racing), power, cognition, and endurance.

With an elite team supporting these young athletes, they will also receive guidance on nutrition and performance psychology, with the goal of recruiting hundreds of drivers to take part in the research in the coming years.

More than Equal hopes to then use this bank of knowledge to feed into its own driver development programme and offer education throughout motorsport.

Following the partnership announcement, Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, said: “This partnership will not only support More than Equal’s mission to develop the first female F1 world champion, but will progress the knowledge and research in female health and performance for girls and women across all sports. “Through our understanding of female-specific physiology, we can help these talented young drivers navigate the milestones ahead of them while better preparing them for a career at the pinnacle of elite sport.”

More than Equal hope to ubild their own driver development programme in the future

Why is female-focused motorsport research so vital?

The work of the initiative will be supported by two PhD students at the university, whose research aims to focus on an area that is rarely investigated.

The collaboration comes at a vital time in motorsport, with women significantly underrepresented and many misconceptions about the capabilities of female drivers persisting to this day.

Ali Donnelly, CEO at More than Equal, said: “One of the myths we often hear is that women and girls are not physically or psychologically capable of competing at the highest levels of motorsport. We are delighted to partner with an esteemed research university to dispel these myths with scientific evidence. “By understanding and optimising female physiology, we can tailor our development approach to meet the unique needs of our young drivers. This partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University will provide us with the insights and tools necessary to ensure our cohort is fully prepared to compete at the top of the sport.”

In addition to this partnership, More than Equal are also working to develop drivers around the globe, sourcing drivers from: “Austria, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Australia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom – who were selected to join the inaugural cohort of their new driver development programme. Aged between 13 and 14, these promising athletes receive world-class support.”

These drivers have taken part in physical testing at Manchester Met’s impressive facilities, in what is just the start of the initiatives research.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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