Pioneering sports science collaboration to develop first female Formula One World Champion
Promising young female racing drivers with dreams of becoming F1 champion are being supported in a first-of-its-kind partnership between global motorsport initiative More than Equal and Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport.
The collaboration is set to break new ground by focusing on the unique physiological and endocrinological needs of female drivers, with the research also likely to benefit other sports.
The partnership will provide a data-driven approach to understanding how female-specific factors such as the menstrual cycle and overall physiology, impact high-level performance in drivers, specifically focusing on the early parts of their careers as they transition from karting to open-wheel racing, which typically happens in the mid-teen years.
Through innovative research, the collaboration will create an evidence-based framework to support the development of female athletes capable of competing – and winning – at the pinnacle of motorsport.
The research, spearheaded by Manchester Metropolitan’s Centre for Excellence for Women in Sport, will profile key elements of performance such as strength (including neck strength critical for racing), power, cognition, and endurance.
Researchers will also educate drivers on nutrition and performance psychology, ensuring a holistic approach to athletic development.
The goal is for hundreds of drivers to be part of the research in the coming years to build a body of knowledge and expertise that More than Equal can then feed into its own driver development programme and offer education to the wider sport.
Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, said: “This partnership will not only support More than Equal’s mission to develop the first female F1 world champion, but will progress the knowledge and research in female health and performance for girls and women across all sports.
“Through our understanding of female-specific physiology, we can help these talented young drivers navigate the milestones ahead of them while better preparing them for a career at the pinnacle of elite sport.”
The work is supported by two PhD studentships at Manchester Met, with one focusing on female driver health and performance and another seeking to build a psychological, cognitive, and physiological profile of drivers at different stages of development. These are areas that have received minimal attention so far in the sport.
The collaboration comes at a critical time in motorsport. Historically, women have been significantly underrepresented and many misconceptions about the physical and psychological capabilities of female drivers persist.
More than Equal, founded by F1 legend and former driver David Coulthard and entrepreneur-philanthropist Karel Komárek, seeks to dispel these myths through science, data, and elite training programmes build for female athletes from the off.
In addition to this work, More than Equal is currently intensely training six drivers from around the globe – Austria, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Australia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom – who were selected to join the inaugural cohort of their new driver development programme. Aged between 13 and 14, these promising athletes receive world-class support.
The drivers recently took part in the first of a series of visits to the University’s state-of-the-art facilities at its Institute of Sport; a sporting and health hub in the heart of Manchester providing support and research for elite sporting organisations and the University’s student athletes, as well as working with health organisations and communities to support wider healthy living and ageing.
During the visit, the drivers took part in lab-based physical testing, which signals the start of ongoing research and information-sharing on topics related to female-specific health and performance.
Ali Donnelly, CEO at More than Equal, said: “One of the myths we often hear is that women and girls are not physically or psychologically capable of competing at the highest levels of motorsport. We are delighted to partner with an esteemed research university to dispel these myths with scientific evidence.
“By understanding and optimising female physiology, we can tailor our development approach to meet the unique needs of our young drivers. This partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University will provide us with the insights and tools necessary to ensure our cohort is fully prepared to compete at the top of the sport.”
