One small step for men, one giant leap for women: are female drivers really getting the support they need to succeed?

Max Verstappen, three-time F1 World Champion, has raised eyebrows in the racing world by openly questioning the level of support provided for women in motorsport.

The Red Bull Racing driver, known for his outspoken nature, expressed doubts regarding the efficacy of the F1 Academy system in nurturing young female talent for the pinnacle of the sport.
 
F1 Academy was established to give women more track time and exposure, but the F1 World Championship is yet to see a serious female driver break through. Sure, the Academy is a new concept and headway is being made, but where do women go from there?
 
According to Verstappen, the F1 Academy cars are simply too slow to propel women up the chain to the top of the sport.
 
"There is no next step for them now. For example, the gap to a Formula 4 car is already too big,” he says.
 
At grassroots level, the sport sees both boys and girls start together at a young age in karts, with the gap gradually widening as experience is gained.
 
But is this a skill-based gap, or is it owing to a continued lack of support for women in the driver’s seat?
 
Formula 1 Teams have now started to sponsor F1 Academy drivers, and from a commercial perspective, this is huge. The cost of competing in motorsport is no joke. But without a meaningful next step, are these sponsorships made in vain - or worse, is it all for show… One small step for men, one giant leap for women: are female drivers really getting the support they need to succeed?