Weug, 16, who was born in Spain to a Belgian mother and a Dutch father, beat out four other finalists – 17-year-old Doriane Pin of France, and Antonella Bassani (14) and Julia Ayoub (15), both from Brazil – to land the coveted spot in the FDA, which will see her competing in an F4 Championship season this year.
All four underwent a series of tests to assess not only their pure speed but also their potential, at an evaluation camp which took place last week at the Scuderia s headquarters in Maranello.
The process began with 20 drivers from five continents, before they were whittled down to a final four. And Weug, who tried a kart for the first time aged just seven – and who lists former FDA graduate Charles Leclerc as her favourite driver – eventually came out on top.
22 January, 2021
Ferrari announced 16-year-old Dutch go-karter Maya Weug on Friday as the first female member of the Formula 1 team’s driver academy.
Weug, the winner of a five-day scouting camp at the Italian team’s Maranello headquarters and Fiorano test track, will be given a season in the FIA-sanctioned Formula Four championship.
“This is a key moment in the history of Scuderia Ferrari and its academy,” said Formula 1 team boss Mattia Binotto in a statement.
“Maya´s arrival is a clear indication of the Scuderia´s commitment to making motorsport increasingly inclusive.”
The academy has so far helped five members graduate to Formula 1 through the junior series, four of them on the grid this season including current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and debutant Mick Schumacher, son of Ferrari great Michael.
Ferrari Driver Academy signs its first female driver in history
22-01-2021 18:08 | Updated: 22-01-2021 22:12
First female driver at Ferrari Driver Academy
Weug was born in Spain to a Dutch father and Belgian mother. She is the first woman to join the Ferrari Driver Academy, Ferrari reports on their
The Girls on Track program was created by the FIA in collaboration with Ferrari, in an effort to get more female racing talent on the track. Girls between the ages of 12 and 16 from around the world participated in the program.
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In the end, four girls reached the finals. They all received an introduction to the Ferrari Driver Academy and were allowed to test in a Formula 4 car in the process. In November the program was postponed because one of the four finalists tested positive for the coronavirus, but it resumed in January.
Formula 1
Ferrari’s search for a female signing to their Driver Academy has concluded, with the successful candidate announced later this week. Ferrari, together with the FIA, will announce the successful candidate of their ‘Girls on Track-Rising Stars’ initiative later this week.
Set up by the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission, Ferrari held a shootout at their headquarters in Maranello to whittle down an extensive list of entrants to select just four candidates to go through to the finals.
Initially scheduled to be held in November, the finals had to be postponed as one of the candidates tested positive for the coronavirus. Fully recovered, the finals were held in the past week at Maranello. The four candiates are 15 year old Julia Ayoub, 14 year old Antonella Bassani, and 16 year olds Doriane Pin and Maya Weug.
FDA host Girls on Track initiative final stage
Date published:
January 11 2021
Ferrari will host the final stage of the Girls on Track initiative, with a spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy on the line.
Back in June the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and Ferrari launched the initiative with the goal of identifying a new generation of female talent in motorsport, open to girls between the ages of 12 and 16.
After scouring the globe across the FIA’s 145 national sporting authorities, the 20 drivers invited to take part have now been whittled down to a final four, with the prize on offer being a potential opportunity to take part in the 2021 FIA Formula 4 season with FDA backing.