FIA-Ferrari scheme ‘very good step’ for womens racing
W Series to host eight races as part of F1 support schedule for 2021 and beyond.
Female racing driver Beitske Visser says the new programme between the FIA and Ferrari is a “very good step” for women in motorsport.
It will see 25 young female racers get the chance to compete for a spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy, the system which saw Charles Leclerc rise through the ranks into a Ferrari seat.
The Scuderia have spoken regularly about their desire to add a female to their Academy, and Visser, who was runner-up to Jamie Chadwick in the first all-women W Series season last year, says the programme is a “very good step” for women in motorsport.
As quoted by Racefans.net, she said: “I think it is a very good step.
“Like W Series want as well, they want to progress us to go further into motorsport and this new programme that the FIA and Ferrari are launching together, they have the same goal.
“So I think that’s good. We’ll see, hopefully, some good girls will go out of there.”
The W Series has been cancelled for 2020 with focus now switching to the 2021 campaign.
It was set to be a big year for the series in its second season with plans in place for it to join the F1 support bill at several events this year.
But that will still happen in 2021, though in the meantime Visser says her contract with BMW means she won’t be sitting on the sidelines until the W Series returns.
“I am lucky enough to also have a contract with BMW and they are based in Germany – within Europe we are a lot more free to travel so I will be starting to race with them quite soon again,” she explained.
“So I’m very happy about that at least so I can keep racing.”
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