Formula One is a sport that has undergone significant changes over time, becoming more inclusive and innovative – but one challenge for women that has stood the test of time remains: proving you belong. Being a female F1 fan means loving a sport that doesn’t always love you back, from “Who was the World Drivers Champion in 1979” to “You only watch because you think Charles Leclerc is hot”, the truth is that women often aren’t welcome in this fandom.
No one asks a man why he supports his favourite team, but when a woman is an F1 fan, all of a sudden, we’re supposed to know every World Drivers Champion ever. This unspoken hierarchy, where women are perceived as newcomers and men are viewed as all-knowing, is deterring more young girls from becoming fans of the sport. Not only that, but when we actually do know things about our favourite drivers, we’re often painted as “crazy fangirls” who only like the drivers because they’re “hot”. The double standard is infuriating.
Formula One has never struggled to get attention; the flashing lights and fast cars are mesmerising for so many people, but it has had an issue getting female attention. With the release of Drive to Survive in 2019, there was a general consensus that more women had entered the fandom. Since its release 7 years ago, the term “Drive to Survive fan” has been thrown around as an insult more and more regularly. Particularly aimed at women, this comment is still a popular way to alienate female fans, despite its repetitive and lazy delivery.
On that note, the F1 fan space can be very patronising, with basic knowledge being over-explained. This gatekeeping is prevalent throughout all spaces – from X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit threads to real-life situations, such as at a watch party or pub. The fact that many people don’t see women as real fans leads to women having to repeatedly prove their legitimacy, turning what should be a communal enjoyment of sport into an exercise in credibility.
However, things are changing. The introduction of the F1 Academy is a significant step forward and will hopefully help put many female drivers in the cockpit of an F1 car one day. But, until female fans are free to exist in this space without interrogation or discrimination, Formula One’s progress remains incomplete. Women do not need to prove they belong in this sport. We already do. The only thing that needs to change is the culture that insists otherwise.
