Formula Woman

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Template:Short description Template:Multiple issues

Formula Woman, which was known as the Privilege Insurance Formula Woman Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a female-only one make racing series started in the UK. It was inspired by the lack of female drivers in other series and was created, amongst other reasons, to boost the female audience of the sport.[1][2] Despite the use of the world formula in its name, the series has not used single-seaters.

It began in 2004 and ran until 2006. Formula Woman returned in 2021.[3]

2004–2006

In 2004, all 16 drivers raced Mazda RX-8s over seven rounds around four British racing circuits. For 2005, support was dropped by Mazda and instead drivers competed in Caterham 7s.

2004

The inaugural season of Formula Woman was based around a television series on ITV. Thousands of women applied to join, with ultimately 17 drivers being chosen to compete. Experienced motoring journalist Vicki Butler-Henderson hosted the ITV show,[4] while racing drivers Katherine Legge and Tim Harvey were both part of the judging panel. Legge left for unknown reasons early into the selection process.[1]

Race calendar

Round Circuit Date Race Winner
1 Template:Flagicon Oulton Park 12 June Template:Flagicon Natasha Firman
2 12 June Template:Flagicon Natasha Firman
3 Template:Flagicon Knockhill Racing Circuit 27 June Template:Flagicon Margo Gardner
4 27 June Template:Flagicon Margo Gardner
5 Template:Flagicon Cadwell Park 4 July Template:Flagicon Lorraine Pinner
6 Template:Flagicon Brands Hatch 25 July Template:Flagicon Lorraine Pinner
7 25 July Template:Flagicon Lorraine Pinner

Championship standings

The 2004 championship was won by Natasha Firman.[5]

Pos Driver Pts
1 Natasha Firman 215
2 Lorraine Pinner 209
3 Bev Tyler 161
4 Juliette Thurston 146
5 Emma Hayles 122
6 Margo Gardner 112
7 Pippa Cow 104
8 Lauren Blighton 94
9 Nicola Robertson 80
10 Judith Lyons 74
11 Sarah Bennet-Baggs 73
12 Amy Handford 70
13 Victoria Hardy 63
14 Max Thompson 47
15 Catherine Gard 31
16 Joanna Linton 28
17 Karen Andrews 20

2005

Formula Woman returned in 2005 using Caterham 7's after Mazda withdrew support. The series was run as a Nations Cup. Natalie Butler from England won the 2005 Championship.[1]

Entry list

Nation Driver
Template:Flagicon Emma Hayles
Template:Flagicon Annie Templeton
Template:Flagicon Natalie Butler
Template:Flagicon Margo Gardner
Template:Flagicon Rachel Owen
Template:Flagicon Jennifer Daniel
Template:Flagicon Jennifer Murray
Template:Flagicon Nettan Lindgren
Template:Flagicon Anna Walewska
Template:Flagicon Lauren Gray
Template:Flagicon Amanda Hennessy
Template:Flagicon Theresia Balk

Following the end of the season in November, a novices race weekend was held at Pembrey, South Wales, using exclusive Caterham 7 race cars, with a record 62 women competing.[6] The four race winners were automatically given entry to the 2006 Formula Woman championship.

Novice Race winners

Nation Driver
Template:Flagicon Amanda Elliott
Template:Flagicon Michelle Nixon
Template:Flagicon Lucy Redding
Template:Flagicon Amanda Black

2006

The series continued in 2006, again using the Caterham 7 car but without any television coverage. Ultimately, Nikki Welsby won the championship.[7]

The series was not renewed for 2007.

2021–present

In November 2020, it was announced that Formula Woman would be making a come-back.[3] The series opened for applicants in March 2021 with a view to the series starting in the autumn of the same year with an accompanying television package.[8] The new competition prize offered winners the opportunity to race a McLaren 570S GT4 in the British GT Cup Championship that 16 drivers will compete for.[9]

The series secured major sponsorship including McLaren, Trade Centre, and Vauxhall.[10]

Test days took place at circuits including Knockhill and Anglesey Circuit.[11] The assessments for the final driver decisions took place in December 2021, following a test day at Bedford Autodrome using Vauxhall Corsa-e cars.[12]

In March 2022, the competition progressed to select 15 finalists from 70, with more selections involving a track kart test at Croft to achieve 10, followed by a future final race for four contestants.[13][14][15]

2021/22

Finalists

Template:Table alignment

Nation[16] Driver Notes
Template:Flagicon Erika Hoffman Winner
Template:Flagicon Jodie Sloss Winner
Template:Flagicon Sara Misir Winner
Template:Flagicon Anushriya Gulati Winner
Template:Flagicon Amy Riley Reserve
Template:Flagicon Steph Sore Reserve
Template:Flagicon Eliza Seville
Template:Flagicon Alicia Barrett
Template:Flagicon Vikki Campbell
Template:Flagicon Rebecca Mellor
Template:Flagicon Abbie Carruthers

2022/23

Finalists

Template:Table alignment

Nation[17] Driver Notes
Template:Flagicon Alana Carter Winner
Template:Flagicon Eliza Seville Winner
Template:Flagicon Emma Vennard
Template:Flagicon Evy Longepe
Template:Flagicon Grace Webb
Template:Flagicon Esme Vines
Template:Flagicon Claudia Lance Jones
Template:Flagicon Nicole Sharples
Template:Flagicon Oi Man Leung
Template:Flagicon Amanda Henir

See also

  • W Series, an all-female F3-class racing series founded in 2018
  • F1 Academy, an all-female F4-class racing series founded in 2022

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

Template:Female motorsport series

  1. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ How Formula Woman is helping find female racing stars Autosport, 27 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022
  14. ↑ Could the first female Formula One Champion come from the Midlands? ITV News, 2 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022
  15. ↑ Sara Misir makes cut! ... Through to top 15 of Formula Woman Caribbean National Weekly, 4 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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