16 year-old Maya Weug has become Ferrari’s first-ever female academy driver after winning the FIA Girls on Track-Rising Stars competition.
Weug impressed Ferrari and FIA at an evaluation camp in Maranello last week as the FIA “Girls on Track-Rising Stars” programme came to its conclusion.
Speaking on defeating three other female drivers to earn the Ferrari Driver Academy membership, Weug said; “I will never forget this day! I am so happy to be the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy.”
Weug added that winning the FIA’s Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme made her realise that she “… was right to pursue my dream of becoming a racing driver.”
The teenager has vowed to ‘give my all’ to show Ferrari and the FIA that she deserves the right ‘to wear the Ferrari Driver Academy uniform” and is excited to head to Maranello to prepare for her first season in single-seater racing as she joins Formula 4 with further details to be announced in due course.
All four finalists were immersed in the Ferrari Academy life at their evaluation camp in which they underwent a series of tests to assess speed and potential, with Weug discovering that she had won the prize via a Zoom event in which all four finalists linked in alongside various officials.
Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto described Weug’s arrival as ‘a key moment’ in Ferrari’s history and confirmed that she would drive in a FIA certified F4 series, with Weug representing ‘a clear indication’ of Ferrari’s commitment to improving diversity within motorsport.
Head of Ferrari Driver Academy, Marco Matassa is ‘very pleased’ to sign Weug and praised the youngster’s ‘dedication and preparation’ both physically and in terms of mental approach to the competition despite having little experience in a single-seater yet immediately mastered instructions.
Matassa consequently concluded that Weug’s attitude alongside results on and off the track plus her personality made her the obvious winner and ready to start life in single-seater racing with Ferrari’s backing.
FIA President, Jean Todt meanwhile hailed the programme as ‘key to our commitment to supporting gender diversity’ within motorsport, which aims to support female drivers aged between 12 and 16 on their paths towards becoming professional drivers.
It has been confirmed that the second edition of the programme will commence shortly with the opening of applications, which will be available on the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission portal in coming weeks.
Four finalists will then once again be invited to Maranello to do battle for a place within Ferrari’s Driver Academy.
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