F1 Want Women in the Cockpit for First Time Since 1976

With its new academy, the racing league is inviting women to train for the grand prix.

Photo illustration: Rui Pu; Photos: Getty Images (8)

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By Hannah Elliott

January 9, 2023 at 1:00 AM EST

This article is part of the January 16, 2023 issue of businessweek.

Only five women have competed in Formula One. The last one to start in an F1 race was Lella Lombardi … in 1976.

A former delivery van driver for her family’s butcher shop in Italy, Lombardi won fans with her punishing speed and grit. When a journalist asked her how it felt to pilot such big cars, she replied, “I don’t have to carry it, I just have to drive it.”