Ferrari doubles down on FIA 'Girls on Track - Rising Stars' partnership

Maya Weug with he Italian F4 car — Photo: © LAT Images

Ferrari

Ferrari doubles down on FIA 'Girls on Track - Rising Stars' partnership

The programme has already seen Maya Weug welcomed into the Ferrari Driver Academy

Sam Hall

Wednesday 24 March 2021 12:54 Updated: 16:03

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The Ferrari Driver Academy has confirmed a two-year extension to its collaboration with the FIA 'Girls on Track - Rising Stars' programme in a move that will see up to four women enrolled each year until 2023.

In the first year of its partnership with the 'Girls on Track - Rising Stars' programme, the FDA made two positions available to young women. After a "successful inaugural edition", Ferrari has doubled this figure to four.

In January, 16-year-old Maya Weug joined the FDA after winning the final stage of the FIA programme - Weug becoming the first female driver to be accepted into the academy.

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The Iron Dames has also joined forces with the programme for the coming season, a project which promotes women in motorsport and is led by Deborah Mayer.

The French driver, who has competed in the Ferrari Challenge and GT races, has made a car available in her own Italian F4 Iron Lynx team for women in the FDA to compete in.

Weug will be the first to benefit from this and will race this season in the Iron Dames colours. This route will "the first port of call for the youngsters who join the Ferrari Driver Academy".

Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies said: “Over the past few months, after the conclusion of the first edition of the 'FIA Girls On Track – Rising Stars' programme in Maranello, we have received a tremendous amount of support from all over the world.

"It is fantastic to see the positive energy that this programme has generated, and we are aware of our responsibilities, together with the FIA, to continue to ensure its growth and to always increase the opportunities for women around the world to engage with motor racing."

"In this context it is with great pleasure that we welcome Iron Dames and Deborah Mayer as a long-term partner of the Ferrari Driver Academy for the FIA’s “Girls On Track – Rising Stars” programme.

"We will be aiming to best support Maya in this first year of racing with Deborah’s team in the Italian F4 Championship certified by FIA.”