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For community cohesion and social inclusion

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The FIA breaks barriers for the participation of young women in motor sport

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile commits to easier access to sport with a special focus on inclusion and non-discrimination through FIA Girls on Track which fosters the participation of young women in motor sport.

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Finalists of the Junior pathway of the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars 2022 edition with their karts on the starting grid

Description of pledge activities

FIA Girls on Track has been launched as an evolution of the successful FIA Young European Women Programme that was supported by the Erasmus + Programme in 2018-2019. It aims to improve access to motor sport for young women, increase their participation in the sport off and on track and nurture talent through several programmes.

The first is a grassroots programme aiming to introduce young girls and women aged 8-18 to the world of motor sport, raise awareness of the careers available, and promote gender equality in the sport through innovative activities and engaging workshops covering different topics such as health and safety. The FIA Girls on Track events are hosted by the FIA ABB Formula E Championship and, at the national level, by FIA Clubs.

The programme is complemented by the FIA Girls on Track - Virtual Experience consisting of online workshops, live talks and an information database. The Virtual Experience allows to expand the reach of the programme and better connect young women together to build a worldwide community for experience-sharing.

The second programme, carried out in collaboration with the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) and the Iron Dames, relies on the creation of two pathways for young women to reach the top levels of motor sport: one ‘’Senior - Formula 4’ pathway for 14-16 year-old female drivers, and one ‘Junior - Karting pathway’ for 12-14 year-old female drivers.

It follows an annual cycle that starts with a global detection among National Sporting Authorities and a first selection by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission’s Detection Cell. The young female racers then attend a series of training camps putting the emphasis on good practices including health, safety, and nutrition before being whittled down to four finalists for each pathway. The latter eventually go through a last assessment at the Ferrari Driver Academy in Maranello, Italy. The winners receive training at the FDA and, upon results, have the opportunity to sign a one-year contract to the FDA programme and compete in the FIA Formula 4 Championship supported by Prema Powerteam and Iron Dames for the Senior one, and to compete in a Karting Championship season financed by the FDA for the Junior one.

Expected measurable outcome

  • Give more than 3,000 young girls and women a first experience of the motor sport world to ignite their interest and foster their engagement in the sport.
  • Designate 28 finalists and 7 winners of FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars between 2020 and 2023.
  • Reach 1.5M people online through the FIA Girls on Track – Virtual Experience.