“It’s appealing,” Christian Horner gives thumbs up for the Formula Equal project
Christian Horner thinks it "fantastic" to see women showing interest in Formula 1.
Follow Us
Christian Horner. Image via The Mirror.
Formula 1’s popularity is increasing rapidly. As a result, several teams are interested in joining the existing ten teams on the grid. Ahead of the 2023 season, the FIA launched the application process for new teams. There were mixed reactions from the team bosses regarding the new entries, mostly negative ones. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was against new teams joining Formula 1. However, he has expressed an interesting take on the latest F1 entry bid.
Formula Equal has added its name to the list of F1 entrants. Craig Pollock, the former BAR chief executive, is leading the project. This special project aims to hire an equal workforce between men and women. The team is in talks with a “Gulf area country” over the funding aspect. Pollock revealed that Formula Equal is a long-term project. If they come through, they will be the first F1 team to have equal roles between men and women from the cockpit to the engineering section and boardroom to the racetrack.
Christian Horner gave his views on the Formula Equal project; he told RacingNews365, “I think it’s fantastic to see the amount of girls that are showing interest and females that are showing interest in Formula 1 now and we’re seeing it at all levels. With the interest growing and with that diversification within the gender following that we now have, it’s appealing to more women to get involved in the sport, whether that’s from an engineering basis or across all aspects of the organisation.”
Related: Ferrari F1 prodigy Callum Ilott responds to death threats following IndyCar Long Beach incident
Christian Horner believes gender equality in F1 was bound to happen “naturally”
The Red Bull boss added, “We’re certainly seeing that just happening naturally as the sport does become more accessible and we are pushing to make it more accessible. So yeah, I think it was something that will naturally happen anyway.” Previously the Formula 1 team opposed new entrants like Andretti Cadillac Racing. The teams were worried about the dilution of the prize money.
Christian Horner is looking forward to the diversification of Formula 1. The Red Bull boss finds it appealing to get more women involved in the sport, and he expresses his support for gender neutrality across all roles. This is good news for Formula Equal, as Horner was previously against the entry of Andretti Cadillac Racing in Formula 1. Formula Equal is likely to join the grid by 2025 or 2026.
Formula 1 has focused on diversity within the sport in recent years. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel advocated for inclusivity in F1. The sport now takes initiatives to support minority backgrounds. They even launched F1 Academy, a championship designed to spot potential female F1 drivers. Over the last few years, Formula 1 has undergone changes to reshape and build a more diverse and inclusive sport.
In case you missed it:
Stay Updated!
Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)