Susie Wolff, current managing director of the F1 Academy, was born with a passion for motorsport. “I think it’s always been in my DNA,” she said in a long chat with Gunther Steiner on *The Red Flag Podcast* on YouTube.
Speaking about her childhood, spent in karting from a young age, “If I wanted to ride a motorcycle, I just did it,” Toto’s wife discussed at length her role in the F1 Academy and the responsibilities it entails.
“I want to break these preconceptions that motorsport is just for boys or that if you’re a girl and like motorsport, you have to be a tomboy. I hope to break down these prejudices because nowadays there are so many women who follow this sport, and it doesn’t have to be just for men,” she explained.
Why is it so difficult for a woman to reach Formula 1? According to Susie Wolff, the biggest challenge lies in the lack of role models to look up to.
“In this sport, we wear a helmet, so you don’t know who’s underneath – whether a man or a woman. I’ve learned that performance matters. Everyone can have an opinion, there will always be those who support you and those who oppose you. But if you really go on track and do your best, it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy. It doesn’t matter what the newspapers say because performance is what counts. I’ve always focused on that. But racing also involves financial barriers because you need sponsors to support you. That’s why it becomes very difficult and demanding.”
Will the F1 Academy have the chance to attract a larger audience thanks to the Netflix docuseries coming out next year? “I feel privileged to lead the F1 Academy because I’ve done the same thing these girls are doing. I know what the difficulties are, I know how hard it is, and that’s why I relate to them so much. There are people in this field who try to tell me what to do, and I hold back from responding: First of all, have you ever driven a car? No. Second, are you women? No. So don’t tell me that’s how things are, because you don’t know. You don’t have the perspective of being a woman in this sport.”
According to Susie Wolff, the biggest challenge is firmly believing in the F1 Academy project and the opportunities it can provide to aspiring female drivers. “I believe that if we do well, this category can have a huge impact on the sport. It won’t happen overnight that we’ll have a woman on the Formula 1 grid,” she admitted.
However, if there’s more collective participation, as is already happening with Formula 1 teams supporting 10 girls from the category, there will be greater visibility.
“There are talented women in this sport, even if we don’t often see them, but we manage to notice them. And it’s important to show the world out there that there are opportunities for them. That’s what our show on Netflix can do: break down barriers and the perception that it’s just a male-dominated industry. The F1 Academy exists because the sport has created opportunities.”
Has Susie Wolff ever thought of giving up? “There are days when I think about how tough it is. Then I think that if I don’t face this challenge, if I don’t push the F1 Academy in the right direction, who will?”
Susie Wolff also revealed that Ferrari was the first F1 team to get onboard with the F1 Academy:
🚨| Susie Wolff reveals Ferrari was the first F1 team to get onboard with F1 Academy :
“…i got Ferrari onboard – they were the first…”
📹 snippet from @TheRedFlags_Pod | #F1 pic.twitter.com/ufPiObcZpa
— sim (@sim3744) October 4, 2024
Source: f1ingenerale
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