This weekend marks the beginning of Formula One’s 2021 season in Bahrain. As the Netflix series “Drive to Survive” becomes increasingly popular, research indicates that women are underrepresented on screen.
According to Females in Motorsport (FIM), a volunteer organisation advocating for women’s participation, women have spoken for less than an hour out of 32 hours of episodes in all five seasons of ‘Drive to Survive’, or only 1.54% of the 10 episodes in season five.
Further research revealed that only six women were named on-screen throughout the entire season, and they were primarily seen in the background as fans, food servers, or make-up artists. Claire Cottingham, an F1 journalist featured in a press conference scene, described her experience as follows: “When I ask a question to a driver in the series, my face is obscured and a male journalist is shown instead.”
With the recent announcement of the F1 Academy – a junior-level competition for female drivers only – F1 executives are attempting to rectify this issue. Alpine has also initiated initiatives to increase the number of women in all facets of motorsport.
Abbi Pulling, a 19-year-old member of Alpine’s team who was recently selected for the F1 Academy, stated, “Unless women see that they can participate, they will not know that they can participate.”
Susie Wolff, director of the Academy, expressed concern to BBC Sport this week about the lack of women in “Drive to Survive.” She asked, “How can an eight-year-old girl who loves Formula One imagine herself working in the paddock if she cannot see women participating or working in the paddock?” She believes that the new academy will be able to increase the visibility of women in sports.
This weekend marks the beginning of the 2021 Formula 1 season, and it appears that efforts are being made to address the lack of female participation in the sport. With only 1.54 percent of the fifth season of ‘Drive to Survive’ featuring women, there is still much work to be done before female competitors and professionals are given equal screen time.
The 2021 Formula 1 season begins this weekend in Bahrain, but Females in Motorsport (FIM) research has revealed that women are grossly underrepresented on and off screen. Only 1.54 percent of the 10 episodes of ‘Drive to Survive’ featured women speaking, and only six women were named on-screen throughout the season.
In response, F1 executives have established the F1 Academy, a junior-level competition for female drivers only. Alpine has also initiated initiatives to encourage more women to pursue careers in all areas of motorsport. Abbi Pulling, a 19-year-old member of Alpine’s team who was recently selected for the F1 Academy, commented on this initiative: “If women don’t see that they can participate, they won’t know they can.”
Susie Wolff, the director of the Academy, is attempting to provide young women with opportunities and convince them that they can join the paddock. She asked, “How can an eight-year-old girl who loves Formula One imagine herself working in the paddock if she cannot see women participating or working in the paddock?”
There are efforts being made to ensure that female competitors and professionals receive equal screen time. With only 1.54 percent of ‘Drive to Survive’ featuring women in season five, there is still a great deal of work to be done before we can truly celebrate genuine progress towards gender equality in Formula 1 racing.
