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It has been nearly 50 years since female driver Lella Lombardi competed in a Formula 1 race and since then… nothing.
As the sport celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, the question lingers heavily: Can a woman make it to the top in this male-dominated world?
More Than Equal – an organisation co-founded by ex-F1 driver David Coulthard – thinks it is possible and in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University is putting six promising young racers through a driver development programme, tailor-made to maximise their potential.
Last month, the inaugural group of girls, aged 13 and 14, took part in physical testing and research into how the menstrual cycle can affect performance. More Than Equal hopes the programme will prepare participants for a successful career in motorsport.
“At the moment we’re in a bit of laboratory phase,” Tom Stanton, More Than Equal’s interim chief executive and head of driver development, tells BBC Sport.
“We’ve set something up that we believe is world class and is going to help us learn about the development requirements and trajectory of young female drivers.”
The girls’ visit to the university’s Institute of Sport involved a VO2 Max test – which measures how much oxygen a person can use while exercising – neck strength training and cognitive assessments, all key metrics for anyone hoping to become an F1 driver.
Driving at high speeds with precision and skill is another element prioritised on the programme.
“What we are here to do is to help make the girls just a little bit more technically astute, a little bit more professionally aware and more physically capable,” Stanton adds.
Menstrual research could be ‘game-changing’
A study by More Than Equal found a lack of female-specific training was just one of the obstacles women face when trying to find a place in Formula 1.
The issue is not just specific to motorsport and many sports are now taking action to try to highlight the struggles, for instance assessing the impact periods, pregnancy and menopause can have on a top-level athlete.
A BBC Sport study of elite British sportswomen last year found almost two-thirds of respondents said their performance was affected by their period, or that they have missed training or competition because of their period.
Kirsty Elliot-Sale, professor of female endocrinology and exercise physiology at the Institute of Sport, believes data-driven, science-backed research into menstrual cycles could be “game changing” for women’s sport.
“It’s really great to see some attention and spotlight because each sport is different,” says Elliot-Sale. “We don’t know a lot, but I guarantee we’re going to learn really quickly.
“If we’re thinking about female challenges and say, ovarian hormones and menstrual cycles, whilst all female athletes might have that in common, the environment that they are placed in, the training and fuelling demands, there will be nuances and differences.”
Elliot-Sale hopes the programme can provide the girls with education and support so they have a better understanding of how to navigate each phase of their cycle.
“In a way that is levelling up because men don’t face some of these challenges,” she adds.
“Rather than look at these girls and say you might have to sit this one out, we can help with this and suddenly, for the race calendar, you’ve got that same freedom.”
What are the barriers for women in racing?
The main obstacle for anyone trying to enter F1, be they a man or a woman, is money. Wealth speaks loudly in the paddock and, as Stanton points out, it is one of the few sports “where your financial capability is as important as your talent”.
But with women making up on average only about 10% of those in motorsport and many sponsors unwilling to take a chance on even the best female drivers, the lack of opportunity means the physiological demands of a modern F1 campaign on a woman’s body are still unknown.
While Coulthard believes there is no physical reason a woman cannot compete in F1, a VO2 Max test, for example, shows a male’s score is typically around 20% higher than a female’s with the same fitness level.
Stanton says it would be remiss if the development programme did not compare the two sexes.
“When we do our talent identification, we look at how they stack against the current field, which is boys and girls. We then look at the female field and try and gain an understanding of how they look there,” he added.
“We try to flip that lens every now and again to see it from both sides.”
When it comes to competing against boys in karting, Lana Flack, from Australia, and Skye Parker, from Trelogan, Wales, know first-hand how hostile events can be when the sexes are mixed and girls are winning.
Lana, 13, found herself the victim of sabotage when she was heading for championship glory, while Skye, 14, – who has also been selected as part of the FIA’s Girls on Track programme – was told “this is why women shouldn’t race” while being wrongly accused of taking another driver out.
They hope that with support they will be able to break down barriers like this to fulfil their ambitions.
“My big dream is to be a multiple F1 world champion,” Parker says. “But I have to get one first.”