Increased female interest boosts Formula One sponsorship opportunities

Bernie Collins, an F1 strategy analyst for Sky Sports, believes that a female driver in Formula One is not far off. She cites increasing interest from women in the sport, partly due to Netflix's popular series "Drive to Survive," which has a 40 percent female viewership. Collins highlights the F1 Academy, an all-female racing series that is gaining traction. This initiative helps young women develop their skills and potentially move up to higher racing levels. As a former head of race strategy at Aston Martin, Collins serves as a role model for women in F1. Although she has never driven a Formula One car, she is optimistic about women's ability to compete in F1. Collins points out a key challenge: only about one percent of junior karters are female. She stresses the need to encourage parents to get young girls into karting to increase their numbers. Collins believes that with more female participation, a female F1 driver could emerge. She notes the growing interest from sponsors related to female drivers. Recently, brands like Charlotte Tilbury and Elemis have begun supporting women in racing. Collins envisions a future where a female driver could have significant sponsorship backing, which could change the marketing landscape. Collins also predicts more women will enter engineering and mechanics roles in F1. She believes the increase in female fans will eventually reflect in team dynamics. As she prepares to report from the Chinese Grand Prix, Collins is hopeful about the changing landscape for women in motorsport.