A woman in the driving seat? Formula E boss confident his series will beat F1

Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds is confident his all-electric racing series will surpass Formula One in its pursuit of having a female driver in the main championship. This weekend marks 50 years since a woman last competed in a world championship grand prix, Italian Lella Lombardi who finished 12th in Austria in 1976. Formula E has featured three female drivers, more than the 76-year history of Formula One.

Dodds is confident in his prediction, stating he would happily place a wager on it. The reason for his confidence lies in the structure of the women's programme, which allows female drivers to test the actual championship cars, unlike Formula One's F1 Academy support series, which uses lower-level cars. Dodds explained that the step between F1 Academy and Formula One is significant and unlikely for many drivers, while Formula E's women's programme allows women to test the same championship cars on the same tracks.

In addition, Formula E's Gen4 cars for the upcoming season feature power steering, which Dodds believes will put women on an equal footing with male drivers in terms of their ability to compete at the highest level.