4 female drivers given heads up for F3 test drives as part of F1's diversity program

Abbi Pulling, Hamda Al Qubaisi, Chloe Chambers, and Tereza Babickova are getting a unique opportunity to test drive F3 cars under the F1 diversity program. The tests are scheduled to take place on September 16 and 17 at Magny-Cours, France.

This is the second time these dedicated F3 tests have been conducted. Previously, Nerea Marti, Doriane Pin, Irina Sidorkova, and Maya Weug took part in such one-day tests last year.

Abbi Pulling, Chloe Chambers, and Tereza Babickova are W series drivers while Hamda Al Qubaisi drives in the Formula 4 series.

While talking about these tests, FIA Formula 3 CEO Bruno Michel said:

"It’s very important to us to ensure that more and more female drivers join our championship. Diversity is one of our key discussions regarding the future of motorsport."

F1 Diversity Program

The F1 diversity program started two years ago with the goal of removing barriers and nurturing diverse talent in the sport. F1 currently has no female drivers, but these tests are designed to nurture talent for the upper echelons of the single-seater motorsport. The sport has come a long way with Tatiana Calderón racing in the F2 series, the second-highest level of the single-seater championship.

F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, said:

"Providing more opportunities for women drivers across single seater racing is a key priority for all of us at Formula 1 and across the whole sport."

"This test, the second of its kind, will provide real opportunity for these four talented drivers to demonstrate their potential to teams and make the case for a competitive seat in years to come."

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Lewis Hamilton leads the way to increase diversity initiatives in F1

F1 is historically a white man’s sport. In all of its 75 year history, it has only featured one black driver. Lewis Hamilton is leading the way in increasing diversity in the sport. Having won a record 103 races and seven world championships in his career, he is an influential figure in the sport. He is a very vocal supporter of diversity movements, be it the Black Lives Matter movement or minority representation in the sport.

Lewis Hamilton at the Dutch GP.(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Hamilton established the Hamilton Commission in 2020 in partnership with Britain's Royal Academy of Engineering to identify barriers experienced by black people in motorsports.

The commission conducted a 10-month long research program and published its report called "Accelerating Change: Improving Representation of Black People in UK Motorsport." The report highlighted many of the issues faced by young black drivers in entering the sport and also provided solutions to breaking down these barriers.

Hamilton spoke about the report, saying:

“Through this research, we not only identified the barriers that young black people face in entering the sport, but also within the wider Stem [science, technology engineering, and mathematics] education journey."