'If women want to make it to Formula One they will have to race against men'

This year marks the first year of the F1 Academy, the racing class in which women compete with each other, with the aim of eventually allowing women to compete in Formula 1. Danica Patrick, the only woman to ever win an IndyCar race, revealed in the Sky Sports F1 podcast what she thinks of the new racing competition.

W Series and F1 Academy

Previously, there was also a women's championship, namely the W Series. This was disbanded after there was not enough funding to keep the championship going. An alternative was devised, allowing young women to compete with each other in the F1 Academy. In July, it was announced that Formula 1 teams will also play a role. Namely, they will all provide a driver driving with their name.

Women in Formula 1?

"I do have a little bit of... not a criticism, but an opinion about female series," Patrick began. "It's fine, it can give opportunity for some who might not get a chance otherwise to show what they can do, but at the end of the day, you're going to have to race against guys."

So what exactly is needed to make this work, the IndyCar race winner also has an idea about that: "I just think that, giving proper tests, to be able to see if a female driver is fast enough, is a great way to know if there should be a next step forward."