Stefano Domenicali | Photo: Getty Images
Formula One (F-1) president Stefano Domenicali does not see a high likelihood that women will compete in the F-1 world championship anytime soon, although it is currently being worked on. In the history of F-1, only two women have competed in the Grand Prix. Maria Teresa de Filippis managed to qualify for three races in the 1950s, but about 20 years later Lella Lombardi did the same, who competed in 12 races.
There is currently a separate women’s race in the W Series, but none of the female drivers have competed in a Grand Prix race or qualifier, and Domenicali said he doesn’t expect much to change in the coming years. “I want to be realistic, unless it’s something like a meteorite falling from the sky, I don’t see women in Formula One in the next five years,” said the F-1 president.
Also, Domenicali added that F-1 is determined to provide all opportunities for women to compete with men, and as an example, he mentioned that representatives of both sexes should start competing together at the beginning of their careers in lower-ranked competitions. There are 22 rounds on the F-1 calendar this season, with the next one taking place this weekend in Belgium.
