FORMULA E will conduct an all-female test for the first time ever “to improve diversity and equality across motorsport”.
Female drivers, who currently do not race in Formula E, will test the new ‘Gen3 Evo’ electric car – which is 30 per cent FASTER than current F1 CARS.
The racing series will field 22 female drivers in an afternoon session at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in November near Valencia, Spain.
The brand new ‘Gen3 Evo’ net zero race cars are capable of 0-60mph in just 1.82 seconds.
But the same typical range for modern day F1 cars is between 2.1 to 2.7 seconds.
The ‘Gen3 Evo’, which can reach speeds of 200mph, is set to be used across the upcoming 11th season.
It will also be the most efficient formula car, with an electric motor providing more than 90 per cent efficiency, compared to the 40 per cent typical of F1 vehicles.
There are currently no female drivers in a Formula E race seat.
Each of the current teams in the Formula E Championship will be required to field at least one female driver for the half-day test.
Three women have competed in a Formula E race before, but that all came in the inaugural 2014 season.
The F1 car relies on an internal combustion engine.
While Formula E cars are battery-powered and relies on electricity and regenerative braking.
F1 races mostly on race tracks, while Formula E prefers street circuits.
F1 cars can reach up to 360 km/h (or more) and Formula E cars up to about 280 km/h.
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This included experienced British sports car driver Katherine Legge, Swiss Simona de Silvestro and Italian Michela Cerruti.
Meanwhile, the last woman to race in F1 was Italy’s Lella Lombardi in 1976.
Formula E will also hold the first-ever dedicated test session exclusively for women racing drivers in the ABB FIA World Championship.
The full line-up of women drivers participating in the test will be announced in the coming weeks.
But several squads already have links to female drivers.
This includes three-time W Series champion and Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick, who races with Andretti and tested one of the American team’s IndyCars earlier this week.
The 26-year-old Brit was also given the opportunity by Formula E to drive the Gen3 Evo car last season in Portland between official sessions.
The test aims to provide the women not only with a destination but also a pathway to develop their careers.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds said: “We know there isn’t a simple solution for greater diversity in motorsport.
“If we’re going to truly give women equality, opportunity and visibility in our series conditions for all need to be the same.
“To aid their development and test themselves against those already on the starting grid.
“We have to make a start somewhere.”
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the car represented another “significant leap forward in electric racing” technology.
The Formula E season begins in Sao Paulo on December 7, where Pascal Wehrlein will begin his defence of the title he won with Porsche.
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