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My project focuses on the lack–and importance–female representation in motorsports using a philosophical and language-focused approach to decipher why F1, a co-ed sport, has no significant female presence. Both the trivialization of female presence in Formula 1 and the systems of hegemonic masculinity favored by the sport have effects on its global fanbase, which influences trends across the world.
Research Questions
Research Questions
Why does Formula 1, a theoretically co-ed sport, have a virtually nonexistent female presence at the highest levels?
How can we shift the language surrounding female drivers to uplift and encourage, rather than separate?
For female drivers to succeed, does femininity in motorsport need to be encouraged, eliminated, or a space in between?
What are the main factors affecting how companies choose which drivers to sponsor? What advantages and disadvantages do female drivers have when being considered based on these factors?
Thesis
Thesis
Though women in motorsports are equally capable of competing against men, Formula 1’s hypermasculinized culture has created a system in which women’s gendered bodies are trivialized and objectified, leading to difficulties for women to ascend an already selective “feeder ladder” with little hope for sponsorship. While initiatives such as F1 Academy have been established to strengthen the pipeline, the problem is centered in the culture around racers, and motorsports will need to see a significant shift in how the average fan of racing views the female body before a woman can reach the pinnacle of motorsports.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Bäckman, Jessica, and Carolina Mella. “Sponsorship for Women in Motorsport.” Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet, vol. 2, no. 47, 2020, p. 1-56., https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1438938&dswid=5185. Accessed 18 December 2025.
Elizalde, Pablo. “Susie Wolff joins Williams as development driver.” Autosport, 11 April 2012, https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/susie-wolff-joins-williams-as-development-driver-4455051/4455051/. Accessed 6 February 2026.
“Formula 1 announces audience and fan attendance figures for 2021 | Formula One World Championship Limited.” Formula One World Championship Limited, 17 February 2022, https://corp.formula1.com/formula-1-announces-audience-and-fan-attendance-figures-for-2021/. Accessed 14 April 2026.
Haraway, Donna J. “A Cyborg Manifesto.” University of Minnesota Press, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/warw/detail.a
Howe, Olivia R. “Hitting the Barriers -- Women in Formula 1 and W Series Racing.” European Journal of Women's Studies, vol. 29, no. 3, 2022, pp. 1-16. Sage Journals. Accessed 20 October 2025.
Pash, Phil. “Miss Lombardi Aims At Auto Sex Barrier.” New York Times, 5 October 1975, https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/05/archives/miss-lombardi-aims-at-auto-sex-barrier.html. Accessed 6 February 2026.
Pflugfelder, Ehren Helmut. Personal Interview. 27 October 2025.
Pflugfelder, Ehren Helmut. “Something Less than a Driver: Toward an Understanding of Gendered Bodies in Motorsport.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues, vol. 33, no. 4, 2009, pp. 412-426. Sage Journals, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723509350611?icid=int.sj-abstract.similar-articles.1. Accessed 12 October 2025.
Southwell, Hazel. Personal Interview. 28 November 2025.
Slotnik, Daniel E. “Maria Teresa de Filippis, Pioneer of Auto Racing, Dies at 89 (Published 2016).” NYTimes.com, 16 January 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/sports/autoracing/maria-teresa-de-filippis-pioneer-of-auto-racing-dies-at-89.html. Accessed 4 March 2026.
Walker, Kate. “Grid Girls Are Out of Formula One. Or Are They? (Published 2018).” The New York Times, 24 May 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/sports/autoracing/grid-girls-f1.html. Accessed 29 September 2025.
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