Verstappen questions 'slow' F1 Academy

Max Verstappen has expressed his opinion on the all-female racing series F1 Academy.

The F1 Academy was created in 2023 to give female racing drivers the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience in single-seater racing.

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As of 2024, the series will support F1 at racetracks across the world, with French driver Doriane Pin taking the first race win in Saudi Arabia, before Abbi Pulling claimed victory in race two.

The series is headed by former Williams development driver Susie Wolff, aiming to help women progress in motorsport and produce the next female F1 star.

Verstappen discusses women in motorsport

The F1 Academy has received support from Lewis Hamilton, who joined Mercedes employees to watch their driver Pin celebrate her victory.

Current world champion Verstappen has now also discussed the F1 Academy and the difficulties that face women in motorsport in an interview with De Limburger.

“There are girls, but much fewer than boys. For example, our team now only has boys riding,” he said.

“But if there is a fast girl among us, then of course we want her too. That's just how it is in the real world, isn't it?

“Team bosses don't look at whether someone is a boy or a girl. It's about how fast they are.

“It is good that Formula 1 now pays extra attention to women in motorsport with the F1 Academy, although I have doubts about how they approach it.

“The cars they drive are way too slow. If you ever want to get them into Formula 1, it really has to go to a higher level.

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“It's nice and nice that girls are now sponsored by Formula 1 teams, but what do we actually help them with?

“There is no next step for them now. For example, the gap to a Formula 4 car is already too big.”

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