What’s it like for women working in F1?

Wednesday 25th Mar 2026, 12.30pm

Historically, only two women have ever started a Grand Prix race, and as of the 2026 season, no women are competing in Formula One. This male dominancy is by no means restricted to the track, with social scientist Dr Kate Bancroft estimating that a mere 5% of technical motorsport roles (that is, the engineers and mechanics) are taken by women. We hear from Kate about her research into the F1 gender gap, which she hopes – alongside revealing some of the barriers and struggles faced by women – will start a wider conversation about the divide that exists in top-level motorsports.

This work was conducted in 2023 while Kate was a researcher at King’s College London.