Max Verstappen claims F1 must take ‘too slow’ F1 Academy cars to a ‘higher level’ to get women in the sport

F1 Academy was formed by FOM to increase gender diversity in motorsports.

Max Verstappen claims F1 must take ‘too slow’ F1 Academy cars to a ‘higher level’ to get women in the sport

Max Verstappen and F1 Academy car (Via: Imago)

F1 Academy was launched in a bid to develop and ready female drivers for the final step towards the pinnacle of motor racing. The decision-makers made Susie Wolff, the CEO of the program, in order to lay down a blueprint to achieve the set objective. However, the series has been criticized by the reigning champion Max Verstappen, for its mediocre level of cars.

The new F1 Academy had a successful campaign last year as it replaced the W-Series. It provided female drivers a platform to showcase their skills in a patriarchal sport. However, this ideal world of the all-female series has been broken down by Max Verstappen, who claimed the cars are too slow to provide any real value to female drivers.

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Seeing the lack of power of the F1 Academy cars, Verstappen condemned the series.

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It is good that Formula 1 now pays extra attention to women in motorsport with F1 Academy. Although, I have questions about how they approach it. The cars they drive are way too slow, if you ever want to get them into F1, it really has to go to a higher level. It's all very nice having girls sponsored by F1 teams, but what are we actually helping them with? There is no next step for them now.
Max Verstappen said in an interview with De Limburger

The F1 Academy cars have an engine that pushes out 174 horsepower, which is barely more than the power of a F4 challenger. This performance gap has urged the Dutchman to ask about the longevity of the series as there is no next step for such drivers. A female driver from such an Academy cannot jump into an F1 car and adapt to its demands.

Max Verstappen provides an interesting solution to the peculiar F1 Academy problem

The Red Bull driver has been an advocate of the all-female racing series for a long time. However, seeing its current state, he does not see a future where any female driver gets any benefit from the series altogether. This has urged the 26-year-old to provide a solution with a connection to his sim-racing hobby.

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen ( Image via IMAGO)

Verstappen suggested that sim racing is the best alternative for female drivers to showcase their true potential.

If there is a quick girl in between, then of course we want to have her too! That’s also the case 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.
Max Verstappen said in an interview with De Limburger

The reigning champion drives for Redline Racing when he is not sparkling his magic in the real world, he believes simulator racing provides a driver a chance to showcase their abilities. This can help female drivers amass attention in the market and earn a chance at a valued spot in the motorsports ladder.

Despite such programs, there is still a long way for the fans to see a female driver racing in F1. Moreover, claims have been made around the paddock that such a possibility could become true in the coming years.

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