Maya Weug, born in 2004, has an almost excessively rich resume for her just 18 years, and a promising future on the horizon: a young female talent in motorsport, now taking part with Ferrari’s support in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine for the 2023 season with the Finnish team KIC Motorsport. A past full of experiences (and expertise), many of which were in the world of karting where she competed until around 2020: second place in the Spanish Karting Championship 2015 for the Alevin class and winner of the WSK Final Cup in the 60 Mini category the following year, just to name a few of her early successes.
Then the big step: in 2020, the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission launched the Girls On Track – Rising Stars project, with the aim of getting more women into motorsport by offering them a concrete opportunity. For Maya, this will soon turn into a golden opportunity: she will conclude her journey as the winner in January 2021 by securing the coveted spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy, becoming the first young woman in Ferrari’s history to be part of the Prancing Horse’s talent pool.
Next there was the promotion and debut in Formula 4 with the Iron Lynx team, Iron Dames colors, with which she will race for two seasons, earning the current seat in Formula Regional. And who knows what the future will bring.
Maya Weug was interviewed by the FUnoAT Italian website at the inaugural race held at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit in Imola: she arrived at the KIC motorhome slightly rushed but extremely friendly and helpful, despite the tight schedule between commitments.
Here is her full interview for FUnoAT:
Compared to F4, you have changed the type of car by coming to FRECA. What are your impressions so far? Have you noticed any differences?
Maya Weug: “Yes, it’s obviously a bit different: a new category, a new team, and a different car, which is a bit heavier and also faster. It’s different to drive, but I like it, and it’s always more fun when you go faster. I had a good impression.”
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
What are your goals for this season?
Maya Weug: “For now, to learn as much as possible, especially in the first races. The championship is very tight between the various events, and we all need to learn together as quickly as possible to make progress at the end of the season.”
I know you are attached to the Imola circuit: what are the characteristics you like most about this layout?
Maya Weug: “I really like Imola because it’s a track where there’s a lot of flow. The corners are really different from each other: there are high-speed corners but also slower ones, so it’s a very technical and not easy track… but it’s also beautiful with all the ups and downs.”
Speaking of gender distinctions, you always say that “Once you put on the helmet, we’re all equal”: but is it really like that? Have you ever felt in difficulty?
Maya Weug: “Actually, no, because I started when I was only 7 years old, so I got used to it from a young age. From the beginning when I was on the track, I didn’t see the difference, I only saw the helmet and the car in front of me, and I never thought about it. Or at least, I never think about it when I’m on the track. When I put on the helmet, I’m just a driver.”
Do you have any pre-race rituals? Is there anything you like to do to relieve tension?
Maya Weug: “Actually, it’s the opposite, I get pumped up. I warm up with a rope or other exercises to be ready before the race.”
This year’s FRECA schedule includes ten races, 9 considering the already passed Imola stage: the next appointment is Barcelona on May 19-21, so we will have to wait about ten more days before seeing her on the track again.
Confidence and hopes are placed in her: for many young women, Maya Weug embodies the symbol of the one who made it, overcoming that boundary imposed by gender distinction that sees the female figure far from the world of motorsport. And yet, progress has also been made in such a typically male scenario, bringing more and more women closer to this fascinating universe.
And what many do not know is that in Formula Regional, the single-seaters are practically all the same, so even for the most “skeptical” (i.e. those who believe that a good result can only be achieved with a powerful engine), they cannot appeal to the exclusive merit of the engine power for winning performances. The difference here more than ever is guaranteed by the driver, and whether they are male or female, it really doesn’t matter.
Leave a Reply