Women are reshaping Formula 1: Here's what the sport’s precision, teamwork, and innovation can teach ambitious female professionals about career growth.
- Naomi Tan
- Oct 21
- 4 min read
Formula 1 has long stood as a symbol of speed, precision, human ingenuity, and technological progression. Beyond the roaring engines and glamorous circuits, the sport embodies strategy, teamwork, and constant pursuit of improvement. For many young professionals, especially women building careers, Formula 1 offers valuable lessons about focus, innovation, and perseverance.
Looking ahead, I explore why Formula 1 continues to captivate modern audiences, how women are reshaping its landscape, and how principles from the sport can guide professionals navigating demanding industries.
Women in Formula 1: Progress, Gaps, and Opportunity
For decades, Formula 1 has primarily been dominated by men, however, recent years have marked a clear shift toward inclusivity and gender balance. While no woman has competed in a Grand Prix race in nearly fifty years, institutional changes are paving the way for future participation.
As a female fan in a traditionally male dominated sport, I am excited to see how female involvement is evolving, from a rise in female audience engagement to the increasing number of opportunities for women within the paddock. The fact is Formula 1 has long struggled with gender representation, both on the track and behind the scenes.
Historically, a woman has not competed in a Grand Prix in nearly 50 years. The Washington Post Even when female drivers have made progress, many were limited to test or reserve roles, and barriers remain high.
However, in recent years things are beginning to change. The F1 Academy, an all-female development series backed by Formula 1, is gaining traction. Managed by Susie Wolff, a former professional racing driver, this program aims to cultivate and boost young female drivers to further progress in professional racing, with the end goal of having a woman back in a Formula 1 car.
A 2025 fan survey found that 23 percent of respondents follow F1 Academy and among women that rises to 42 percent. Formula 1. That means women are not just spectators but active supporters of pathways for female talent.
Within the paddock many women now work as engineers, strategists, sponsors, marketing leads, media professionals, and more. A recent example is Laura Mueller, recognized as one of the first female race engineers in F1 history working with Esteban Ocon in the Haas F1 team. This marks an important step forward to opening the door for more women to pursue and advance into influential technical and leadership positions across the sport.
From a branding perspective, sponsors and media are beginning to ramp up their investment in female audiences. With a continuous rise in female viewership, F1 has expanded its digital presence with content that speaks to a broader demographic. As women’s interest in the sport grows, teams and sponsors have become more incentivized to elevate female faces and stories.
Still, many structural gaps remain. Funding, mentorship, and long pipelines have limited availability to women in motorsport at the early stages. In order to promote further change, sustained support, cultural shifts, and new investment will be required.
What Formula 1 Teaches a Young Professional
As someone building a career, many aspects from Formula 1 can translate seamlessly to professional growth. Several examples of these links include:
Relentless focus on gains
F1 teams pursue gains measured in thousandths of a second. In your career, incremental improvements in efficiency, communication, and skills compound over time.
Data and feedback loops
Race engineers track telemetry, tire degradation, and predictive modeling. Professional projects in other fields also benefit from similar feedback loops: collect metrics, analyze outcomes, iterate quickly.
Team over heroics
Even the best driver cannot win alone. Pit crew, strategists, aerodynamics, leadership, marketing — alignment matters. In business, collaboration across disciplines is essential.
Adaptability under pressure
In a race you might need to change strategy mid-weekend, even mid-race. Market conditions shift. Quick-thinking and composure under stress is a valuable skill in any industry.
Risk management and decision making
In F1, when to pit, which tire to choose, how aggressively to push — it's tradeoff after tradeoff. The ability to assess risk versus reward is central to leadership.
Representation and voice
As Formula 1 works to center more women in visible roles, it reinforces that your voice matters. When you bring a fresh perspective, you can shift societal and cultural norms.
How F1 Aligns with The Ambition Atelier’s Values
The Ambition Atelier is meant to emphasize bold vision, strategic growth, and amplifying women’s influence. I see Formula 1 as a living case study in those values. The sport is rebranding itself as a more inclusive, data driven, media native, and sustainable industry.
By writing about F1 from a woman’s professional lens, we encourage challenging stereotypes. We say that women belong in conversations about speed, tech, motorsport, business leadership, and innovation. That aligns with the Atelier mission to reframe spaces where women are underrepresented.
I also believe that sharing stories from the grid or garage can inspire women who never considered motorsport. If one young engineer, designer, or fan hears “she can do that too,” the impact multiplies.
The growing presence of women in Formula 1 sends a clear message beyond motorsport: visibility fuels aspiration. When women are seen in high-performance, data-driven, and strategic roles, it encourages and inspires them to pursue pathways in industries that historically have had a lack of female representation.
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