Inside Track: A look into More Than Equal’s research months after its release

More Than Equal are an independent and non-profit organisation founded by David Coulthard and Karel Komarek to find, nurture, and develop female drivers in the world of motorsport.

Their aim is to identify and remove the systematic barriers women face while trying to find and develop the first female Formula One World Champion.

More Than Equal Introduction Video

In July, More Than Equal released their groundbreaking research exploring the gender gap in motorsports.

The report was named, Inside Track: Exploring the gender gap in motorsport.

The report was commissioned so the organisation could identify the biggest barriers and problems for women and to build a programme to change it to make the sport more equal.

More Than Equal gave a voice to the growing female fanbase and female drivers across the world while performing their research and it highlights the need for “collaboration and collective action.”

The Research

More Than Equal focused on four areas of research that made up the report which makes it the “most comprehensive study ever undertaken into women’s participation in motorsport.”

The four areas are stereotypes as barriers, culture and change, the role and impact of sponsorship and global participation of women and girls.

Table - four areas of research in Inside Track, Created by Lizzy Oxendale

To study the four areas More Than Equal had four approaches which are their global attitude survey, one-on-one interviews with over 70 experts, understanding and collating existing and relevant insight and their global driver aggregation project.

From this the report noted five key areas for change. These are more grassroots participation, more data and research, more recognition of the cultural change, more support for young female drivers and more collaboration.

As a result of the report More Than Equal are dedicated to continuing their investment in building an evidence base, launching a world-class driver development programme, building the first dedicated global female driver talent database, and leveraging their networks to benefit women in motorsport.

Overall Findings

The organisations report researched many aspects of the sport in order to reveal the findings that would help their aim of getting more women in the top flights of motorsport.

The research found that there is a gender participation gap as the “participation of women and girls in motorsport at all levels is depressingly low.” Female participation currently represents 10% across all categories of competition. Looking closer, 13% of participation in karting is from girls and it drops to 7% in Formula and GT racing.

The report also revealed a gender performance gap. Women are not progressing at the same rate as their male counterparts and currently represent 4% of the top flights of motorsport.

However, the insights show there has been small growth in female participation in recent years and established markets are feeding it. But there are still barriers holding women back.

Image - barriers holding female drivers back as revealed in the report, Created by Lizzy Oxendale

The growing female fanbase in motorsport, most notably in F1, was researched and the results showed that female fans are around 10 years younger than their male counterparts, they are more driven by social media and 70% more likely to engage with digital platforms for content.

It was revealed that men and women agree on key issues about women in motorsport, mainly the fact that over 80% of fans believe women will be racing in F1 within the next 10 years.

There is a “universally strong belief” that female drivers have all the necessary racing skills, technical and emotional, to compete at an elite level, and on an equal footing.

Inside Track revealed female fans have stronger views. The report said: “They are passionate about being part of it, they are dissatisfied with the sport’s lack of female inclusion, and they are sceptical about initiatives for change.”

To read the research in more detail download Inside Track from the More Than Equal website.

Download Inside Track: Exploring the gender gap in motorsport, here:

https://www.morethanequal.com/

What this means

In simpler terms, the research reinstated what fans already knew. There is a gender gap in motorsports that has many different aspects attached that makes it hard for women and girls to participate.

Inside Track is the only research published about women in motorsport on this level and the only research that is of this magnitude, made up of 58 pages of pure knowledge, statistics, and findings.

The research has allowed women in motorsport knowledge to grow and there is a higher understanding of the barriers and problems women have faced and will face in the future.

The Aftermath of the Publication

When Inside Track was published female fans began to hope that there would be change soon, the general consensus was that the fact this research had been put together meant that the initiative put in place might help get more women into motorsport.

Before this, women had compared More Than Equal to other initiatives which they believed had either failed or had been more words than action. But the research showed that the organisation had stuck to their words and had done what they had promised.

The research also showed fans that they were being taken seriously with their want for more representation in motorsport being discussed.

Also, after the publication, the FIA and F1 were urged to do more.

It was described as “disappointing” by CEO Alison Donnelly to Planet F1 when asked about the results that showed the participants of the global survey believed that motorsport’s efforts to drive for change was 20 th in 21 sports.

FIA and F1 under fire after alarming results from huge female motorsport investigation by Planet F1

This showed that the overall perception of F1 was that they are not doing much to expand or keep their growing female fanbase. This is also showed on ‘F1 TikTok’.

Countless content creators have spoken about how female fans are constantly harassed online and at races or events, but the organisers and Formula 1 have failed to address the problem.

What’s to come?

The future is always uncertain but with the belief that there will be women racing in the top flights of motorsport once again within the next 10 years there is positivity surrounding women in motorsport.

This has only been intensified by the fact Jessica Hawkins became the first woman in five years to complete an F1 test.

The report has allowed fans to see what barriers they need to help women racers overcome to allow them to compete equally, and many have begun to come up with ways to do that. This will only continue.

What do you believe will happen in the future?

- by Lizzy Oxendale