🏎️🚺 Fo’ Attract Women to Racing: da F1 Academy Picks Up Wea W Series Left Off 🏁💪

⬇️ Pidgin | ⬇️ ⬇️ English

It’s been 47 yeahs since one wahine drove in one Formula 1 Grand Prix, wen Lella Lombardi of Italy finished 12th at da Austrian Grand Prix in 1976. 🏆🇮🇹

In 2019, da all-female W Series started fo’ try provide one pathway fo’ get wahine behind da wheel, but it collapsed in June without seein’ any wahine come close to one Formula 1 seat. 💔🏎️

But now, da F1 Academy stay steppin’ up to da plate, launchin’ one all-female racin’ series backed by Formula 1 in April. Fifteen drivers goin’ head-to-head in three races spread ova seven rounds. Da first six rounds take place in Europe, wit da final one happenin’ in Austin, Texas. 🌍🌟

Yet, dis series ain’t just ’bout findin’ da next wahine Formula 1 driver. It’s also ’bout openin’ doors fo’ wahine in odda roles within da sport, like engineers an’ mechanics. 💪🔧🔩

Susie Wolff, da managin’ director of da academy, explained in one interview, “Da idea behind da F1 Academy stay fo’ create one platform where wahine can grow an’ progress, inspire da next generation, an’ create opportunities not only on da track, but off it too.” 🏎️💡

Wolff herself had one successful career in motorsport, startin’ from karting an’ movin’ up da ranks to Formula 1 as one development driver wit da Williams team in 2012. She made history two yeahs latah by becomin’ da first wahine in decades to participate in one Grand Prix weekend. 🏁👩‍🔧👏

Aftah foundin’ da Dare To Be Different campaign, which aimed to increase wahine’s participation in racin’, Wolff served as team principal an’ chief executive of da Venturi Formula E team from 2018 to 2022. Her experience on da track an’ in management positions gives her valuable insight into da challenges faced by young drivers. 🌟👩‍💼🏎️

Wolff emphasized dat da F1 Academy not only carries da mission of findin’ da next wahine Formula 1 star, but also aims to become a movement dat brings impactful change to da sport, fosterin’ diversity in all areas. She believes dat reachin’ da top of any sport requires tremendous perseverance an’ determination. 💪🌈

While da W Series shed light on a group of talented wahine drivers seekin’ a path into Formula 1, financial difficulties caused its downfall. On da otha hand, da F1 Academy receives support from Formula 1 itself, providin’ a budget of $160,000 per driver. However, da 15 drivers must also secure der own sponsorships. Da ultimate prize is promotion to Formula 3 fo’ da winnah. 💰💼📈

Wolff acknowledged da impact of da W Series, sayin’, “We gotta give credit wea it’s due. Dey started somethin’. Although I may have approached it differently, dey managed to achieve significant milestones. We gotta learn from both der successes an’ mistakes.” She recognized da importance of takin’ action rather than just talkin’ ’bout it, expressin’ respect fo’ da W Series’ effort. 👏📚

Da F1 Academy consists of five teams, run by well-established Formula 2 an’ Formula 3 teams: ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, Rodin Carlin, MP Motorsport, an’ Prema Racing. Stephanie Carlin, da team principal of Rodin Carlin, highlighted da key distinction between da F1 Academy an’ da W Series. She emphasized dat da academy prioritizes equal opportunities for wahine in motorsport as a whole, extendin’ beyond drivers alone. 🌟🏎️🤝

Carlin, who also serves as deputy team principal of Rodin Carlin’s Formula 2 an’ Formula 3 teams, elaborated in an interview, “A year ago, we had no wahine staff members in any role other than public relations or accountin’. Now, we have two wahine mechanics an’ one wahine engineer who are bein’ trained to become part of our F1 Academy team. We’ve made a concerted effort to encourage wahine’s involvement in motorsport.” 👩‍🔧🔩💪

As fo’ da dream of seein’ a wahine compete in Formula 1, Carlin explained, “Da F1 Academy serves as a catalyst fo’ talent, an’ it will play a vital role in producin’ da wahine superstar who will go all da way. But it won’t happen overnight; it’s gonna be a long process.” 🌠🚗🏆

Among da hopefuls is Chloe Grant, a 17-year-old drivin’ for da ART Grand Prix team, founded by Frédéric Vasseur, da principal of da Ferrari team. Grant expressed gratitude fo’ da opportunity to compete in da inaugural season of da F1 Academy. She reflected on her progress, statin’, “Dis has been a major step up fo’ me. Last year, I was still learnin’ da basics of single-seater racin’, an’ I wasn’t really makin’ much progress. But since joinin’ da F1 Academy, I’ve learned so much more dis year. It’s evident in my improved lap times, pace, an’ confidence in da car.” 🏎️💨💪

Like every drivah in da F1 Academy, da ultimate goal fo’ Grant is to reach Formula 1. However, she acknowledges dat financial constraints pose a significant challenge. Da costs of movin’ up da motorsport ladder from karting to Formula 1 can reach around $7 million. Grant shared her concerns, sayin’, “Financially, it’s currently unrealistic fo’ me to even think ’bout reachin’ dat level unless I receive financial backin’ an’ support.” 💸🤔

Wolff predicts it may take anywhere from eight to 10 years before we see anotha wahine driver in one Grand Prix. She expressed mixed emotions, sayin’, “It saddens me to say dat, especially considerin’ da many talented young girls racin’ today who may have what it takes. But we gotta be realistic in our expectations. Dis is a long-term project, an’ dat’s why Formula 1’s support is crucial. We will eventually reap da rewards, but it’s gonna take time.” 🌈🕒🤝

As da F1 Academy continues its mission to encourage wahine’s participation in racin’ an’ increase diversity in da sport, da hope remains dat more wahine will not only be behind da wheel but also takin’ on leadin’ roles as engineers, mechanics, an’ decision-makers. Da journey may be challengin’, but each step forward brings us closer to one more inclusive an’ diverse world of motorsport. 🌟🚺🌍

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🏎️🚺 For Attracting Women to Racing: The F1 Academy Picks Up Where the W Series Left Off 🏁💪

It has been 47 years since a woman drove in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, when Lella Lombardi of Italy finished 12th at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1976. 🏆🇮🇹

In 2019, the all-female W Series started in an attempt to provide a pathway to get women behind the wheel, but it collapsed in June without seeing any women come close to a Formula 1 seat. 💔🏎️

But now, the F1 Academy is stepping up to the plate, launching an all-female racing series backed by Formula 1 in April. Fifteen drivers going head-to-head in three races spread over seven rounds. The first six rounds take place in Europe, with the final one happening in Austin, Texas. 🌍🌟

Yet, this series is not just about finding the next woman Formula 1 driver. It’s also about opening doors for women in other roles within the sport, like engineers and mechanics. 💪🔧🔩

Susie Wolff, the managing director of the academy, explained in an interview, “The idea behind the F1 Academy is to create a platform where women can grow and progress, inspire the next generation, and create opportunities not only on the track but off it too.” 🏎️💡

Wolff herself had a successful career in motorsport, starting from karting and moving up the ranks to Formula 1 as a development driver with the Williams team in 2012. She made history two years later by becoming the first woman in decades to participate in a Grand Prix weekend. 🏁👩‍🔧👏

After founding the Dare To Be Different campaign, which aimed to increase women’s participation in racing, Wolff served as team principal and chief executive of the Venturi Formula E team from 2018 to 2022. Her experience on the track and in management positions gives her valuable insight into the challenges faced by young drivers. 🌟👩‍💼🏎️

Wolff emphasized that the F1 Academy not only carries the mission of finding the next woman Formula 1 star but also aims to become a movement that brings impactful change to the sport, fostering diversity in all areas. She believes that reaching the top of any sport requires tremendous perseverance and determination. 💪🌈

While the W Series shed light on a group of talented women drivers seeking a path into Formula 1, financial difficulties caused its downfall. On the other hand, the F1 Academy receives support from Formula 1 itself, providing a budget of $160,000 per driver. However, the 15 drivers must also secure their own sponsorships. The ultimate prize is promotion to Formula 3 for the winner. 💰💼📈

Wolff acknowledged the impact of the W Series, saying, “We have to give credit where it’s due. They started something. Although I may have approached it differently, they managed to achieve significant milestones. We have to learn from both their successes and mistakes.” She recognized the importance of taking action rather than just talking about it, expressing respect for the W Series’ effort. 👏📚

The F1 Academy consists of five teams, run by well-established Formula 2 and Formula 3 teams: ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, Rodin Carlin, MP Motorsport, and Prema Racing. Stephanie Carlin, the team principal of Rodin Carlin, highlighted the key distinction between the F1 Academy and the W Series. She emphasized that the academy prioritizes equal opportunities for women in motorsport as a whole, extending beyond drivers alone. 🌟🏎️🤝

Carlin, who also serves as deputy team principal of Rodin Carlin’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 teams, elaborated in an interview, “A year ago, we had no women staff members in any role other than public relations or accounting. Now, we have two women mechanics and one woman engineer who are being trained to become part of our F1 Academy team. We’ve made a concerted effort to encourage women’s involvement in motorsport.” 👩‍🔧🔩💪

As for the dream of seeing a woman compete in Formula 1, Carlin explained, “The F1 Academy serves as a catalyst for talent, and it will play a vital role in producing the woman superstar who will go all the way. But it won’t happen overnight; it’s going to be a long process.” 🌠🚗🏆

Among the hopefuls is Chloe Grant, a 17-year-old driving for the ART Grand Prix team, founded by Frédéric Vasseur, the principal of the Ferrari team. Grant expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete in the inaugural season of the F1 Academy. She reflected on her progress, stating, “This has been a major step up for me. Last year, I was still learning the basics of single-seater racing, and I wasn’t really making much progress. But since joining the F1 Academy, I’ve learned so much more this year. It’s evident in my improved lap times, pace, and confidence in the car.” 🏎️💨💪

Like every driver in the F1 Academy, the ultimate goal for Grant is to reach Formula 1. However, she acknowledges that financial constraints pose a significant challenge. The costs of moving up the motorsport ladder from karting to Formula 1 can reach around $7 million. Grant shared her concerns, saying, “Financially, it’s currently unrealistic for me to even think about reaching that level unless I receive financial backing and support.” 💸🤔

Wolff predicts it may take anywhere from eight to 10 years before we see another woman driver in a Grand Prix. She expressed mixed emotions, saying, “It saddens me to say that, especially considering the many talented young girls racing today who may have what it takes. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. This is a long-term project, and that’s why Formula 1’s support is crucial. We will eventually reap the rewards, but it’s going to take time.” 🌈🕒🤝

As the F1 Academy continues its mission to encourage women’s participation in racing and increase diversity in the sport, the hope remains that more women will not only be behind the wheel but also taking on leading roles as engineers, mechanics, and decision-makers. The journey may be challenging, but each step forward brings us closer to a more inclusive and diverse world of motorsport. 🌟🚺🌍