Girls on Track during the Mexico City ePrix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday January 13, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Andrew Ferraro / LAT Images)
WAE is the new Official Partner of the FIA Girls on Track initiative in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
Around 400 girls aged 12-18 are expected to participate in the programme during
Season 9 with upcoming activations at the São Paulo and Jakarta races
More than 1,800 girls have participated in the programme in the past five Formula E seasons
Programme expands with both virtual sessions and events across all 16 races of the Season 9 calendar
Formula E today announced WAE as an Official Partner of the FIA Girls on Track initiative for the 2022/2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season.
The next FIA Girls on Track activation will take place during race week ahead of the upcoming 2023 Julius Baer São Paulo E-Prix on Saturday, 25 March and again at the 2023 Jakarta E-Prix on Saturday, 4 June. Successful diversity-focused FIA Girls on Track events have already taken place at the opening race of the season, the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix and the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix.
The Season 9 programme includes more hands-on workshops and behind-the-scenes experiences than ever before for girls aged 12 – 18, with an increased focus on education, off-site careers talks and a presence at all races. As current battery provider for the all new GEN3 car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and most efficient electric race car ever built, WAE will be focusing its workshops on the process of designing and building batteries.
The virtual programme including online sessions will also enable girls around the world to access the insights of inspirational female leaders from across the championship, including teams and partners.
Aimed at countering gender inequality in the motorsport and engineering industries, where only 1.5% of all professional motorsport licences are held by women, the one-day immersive experiences help inspire and educate girls on the different roles open to them within motorsport.
From broadcasting, health & safety, driving and media roles, participating girls get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to race day operations and the opportunity to hear from female leaders across the championship.
Julia Palle, Sustainability Director, Formula E, said:
“We are thrilled to have WAE as an Official Partner of the FIA Girls on Track programme, that continues to grow in the quality and quantity of sessions that it delivers for young ambitious girls who are interested in expanding their knowledge and love of motorsport and engineering. With additional virtual sessions to those at track, we hope to engage with a much wider and diverse group of girls, to help further their interest and future careers opportunities in and around motorsport.”
Craig Wilson, CEO, WAE, commented:
“Being part of the FIA Girls on Track programme is something we are delighted about and provides an opportunity to share learnings and technologies gained from the track with the girls, encouraging them to consider engineering as a potential career. By creating a practical element to the session and run by female members of the WAE team, we hope to inspire the next generation of engineers.”
