WRC launches talent pathway to grow female participation

The World Rally Championship (WRC) has launched a talent pathway to grow female participation in the series.

Confirmed:

• Multi-year initiative begins this summer with testing to start in September
• Applications welcome females aged 27 and under as of 1st January 1998
• The programme will offer a yearly prize package including a fully-supported 2025 FIA Junior WRC entry

Context:

The 15 most-suited applicants will be chosen to be part of an intensive training camp to be held at the M-Sport Poland headquarters in Krakow. This camp will include a day of gravel and a day of tarmac testing in a Ford Fiesta Rally3 as well as simulator testing, pace-note and reconnaissance competence, PR training and an evaluation of mechanical knowledge.

Comment:

“WRC has a storied history of female participation,” said WRC Promoter’s senior director for sport Peter Thul. “Michèle Mouton is one of the greatest motorsport legends, period, while in the past three years we have crowned female world champion co-drivers in WRC3 and WRC2.

“But it has been some time since we have had female drivers consistently competing at the top levels of our sport and we hope this programme will go some way in helping to bridge this gap.

“We have a long-term vision with this project and we will continually evaluate the process to ensure that increased female participation is lasting.

“We are focusing primarily in the initial stages of selection – including Central European Rally – on being on tarmac, creating an easier transition for entrants with a background in karting and circuit racing.”

Coming next:

Once testing is complete, a jury of top-level WRC stakeholders will then select three participants who will move to the second step: competing at this October’s WRC Central European Rally in an M-Sport Poland-run Ford Fiesta Rally3.

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