Four female drivers will test F3 machinery as part of a road to Formula 1 programme. The four, W Series regulars Abbi Pulling Chloe Champers and Tereza Babickova, and Formula 4 driver Hamda Al Qubaisi, will test the cars at Magny-Cours in France later this month.
Four female drivers to test F3 cars at Magny‑Cours
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It will be the second time the championship has put on a test for female drivers, as part of a wider attempt by the FIA to increase diversity at the top levels of motorsport.
Each of the drivers will have a full day of testing, on either the 16th or 17th September, with two cars running on track each day. According to F3, the aim is to “introduce each driver to the category, its car and different set-ups, along with the demands and challenges of its environment.”
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The first day will see Pulling and Al Qubaisi drive, while the second will be shared by Chambers and Babickova.
Pulling is currently in her first full season of W Series racing. After capturing her first ever W Series podium in one of four appearances in the championship last year, the 19-year-old has added two more this season to sit fourth in the standings.
Chinese-born American driver Chambers is also in her first year of W Series competition. Having never experienced the championship before 18-year-old Chambers picked up her first points in the second Miami race earlier this season.
Babickova secured her first season in W Series this year after tests in Arizona and Barcelona earlier this year. Racing for the Puma team she sits 18th in the 2022 standings.
Hamda Al Qubaisi is the daughter of World Endurance Championship GTE-Am race winner Khaled Al Qubaisi and made history last season becoming the first female driver ever to secure a podium in the Italian F4 series. The 20-year-old from the UAE, who also has four victories in her home series, is currently racing in the Formula Regional European Championship.
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Speaking after the announcement F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “Providing more opportunities for women drivers across single seater racing is a key priority for all of us at Formula 1 and across the whole sport.
“This test, the second of its kind, will provide real opportunity for these four talented drivers to demonstrate their potential to teams and make the case for a competitive seat in years to come.”
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.
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