Women are reshaping Formula 1 leadership. From team strategists to rising talent pipelines, F1 shows how women are breaking barriers and redefining motorsport’s future.
My experience at the 10th-anniversary Formula 1 race in Mexico City was a spectacle of economic and sporting significance. The event generated billions of pesos, boosted tourism, and created jobs, all while presenting a unique engineering challenge due to the circuit’s high altitude. But throughout the weekend, one question persisted in my mind: where do women fit into this powerful picture?
While the garage remains a male-dominated space, women are increasingly making critical strategic decisions, leading top teams, and forging pathways for the next generation.
MIT SMR México se financia mediante anuncios y sociosI was especially proud to see a fellow mexicana, Dalia Ramos Guerra, as a Team Leader at the Alpine F1 Team. She represents the incredible women driving progress in motorsport.
Her success is a testament not only to her hard work but also to her dedication to personal development as a female leader.
Women aspiring to leadership positions must not only have solid technical preparation but, above all, need to develop the ability to work under pressure. It is crucial that they prepare to perform in environments where they are often in the minority, as in these contexts, mental strength is key to facing the demands of the role.
Work environments where men are the majority and women are few are typical settings for the phenomenon of “tokenism.”
According to Rosabeth M. Kanter (1977), the concept of “tokenism” refers to situations where members of a minority group (tokens), when comprising less than 15 per cent of a group, face heightened visibility, polarization, and assimilation into stereotypes, which accounts for the increased pressure and excessive scrutiny.
This results in women experiencing greater pressure due to their visibility, subjecting them to excessive scrutiny and gender stereotypes. Furthermore, isolation and the lack of strong support networks within the organization can significantly hinder their professional advancement and sense of belonging, thereby perpetuating inequality.
The motorsports industry’s dedicated diversity initiatives have culminated in a historic high, with women comprising 38 per cent of F1’s permanent workforce in 2024.
Championing the rise of women in leadership is Susie Wolff, whose work with F1 Academy, a female-only racing series, is instrumental in cultivating the next generation of talent. The platform is dedicated to inspiring and supporting young girls and women as they pursue careers in motorsport. Having launched in 2023, it is a very recent addition to the landscape.
Fórmula 1: Lecciones de las líderes del volante que rompieron el techo de cristal
Gender research indicates that when young women are surrounded by other women in their development, they experience a significant reduction in stereotype threat, leading to higher risk-taking and greater academic achievement.
In these environments, they are more likely to assume leadership roles and engage in hands-on learning without the social pressures often found in co-ed settings.
In male-dominated fields, mixed-gender environments can sometimes create social dynamics that inadvertently limit female participation and confidence, which is why single-gender initiatives like the F1 Academy are established as strategic interventions.
Female only environments serve as vital incubators, building the confidence and technical competence necessary for women to later succeed and persist in male-dominated fields like motorsports. This fosters stronger peer networks and access to relatable mentors, building crucial professional capital.
Women only mentoring programs are crucial for women’s development. According to Herminia Ibarra (1993) women and minorities often lack the informal networks that are crucial for advancement.
All-female environments facilitate the creation of strong peer and mentor networks, providing essential support, information, and opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible.
The power of this environment is transformative; being surrounded by a community of women who believe in you fosters a unique and powerful sense of possibility.
This dynamic is perfectly illustrated by the partnership between music superstar Karol G and the professional racing driver Tatiana Calderón, where Karol G’s sponsorship serves as a powerful, public endorsement from one successful woman to another, embodying the very network effect these programs aim to build.
There’s no doubt that empowered women empower other women. When the odds are stacked against them, women’s solidarity emerges to support and foster collective support.
Change takes time and won’t happen overnight, but progress is already underway, and once you put on your feminist glasses, there’s no going back.
The journey in F1 illustrates that achieving gender parity is not a single intervention but a multi-stage process.
It requires investing in early-stage incubators like F1 Academy to build the pipeline, while simultaneously dismantling the systemic barriers of tokenism identified by Kanter within the core organization.
The ultimate metric of success will not be the number of women hired, but the number who persist, lead, and fundamentally reshape the sport’s competitive and cultural landscape. The same is true for any industry looking to shift gears on inclusion.
