(Bloomberg) -- Formula 1 racing may not always be dominated by men.
A new all-female motor-racing series, supported by former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard, is set to start next year and will give women the experience and qualifications for a potential stint at the highest level of the sport.
Drivers will not have to pay to race in the W Series and as many as 20 women will compete for a share of the $1.5 million prize fund. All cars will be mechanically identical which will result in close and exciting races, according to the organizers.
When #WSeries goes racing in 2019, we'll be running the Tatuus F3 T-318, a race car homologated to the latest @fia F3 spec. Find out more: https://t.co/gnEVDuOZEq #RethinkRacing pic.twitter.com/cdXp7uC3Ow
The last female driver to start a race in Formula 1, considered the pinnacle of motor sport, was Italy's Lella Lombardi in the 1970s. Developing a young driver usually involves investment running to millions, discouraging many to pursue the sport seriously.
News of the woman-only series drew a mixed response. British racing driver Pippa Mann called it a “sad day for motor sport” in a Twitter post, saying the project was a form of segregation.
What a sad day for motorsport. Those with funding to help female racers are choosing to segregate them as opposed to supporting them. I am deeply disappointed to see such a historic step backwards take place in my life time. https://t.co/8ZrKqaADwx
For his part, Coulthard said it will create opportunities as female racing drivers tend to reach a “glass ceiling” at lower levels of motor sport as a result of a lack of funding rather than a lack of talent.
In June, Saudi Arabia's Aseel Al-Hamad drove a demonstration lap in a Formula 1 car over the French Grand Prix weekend to encourage women to participate in motor sport. Saudi Arabia ended its status as the last country on earth to prohibit women from taking to the wheel when it lifted the ban this year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Niveditha Ravi in London at nravi2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Simon Lee at slee936@bloomberg.net, ;Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net, John Bowker, Christopher Jasper
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