2022 W Series racing driver Alice Powell has joined FIA Formula 1 World Championship’s Alpine Academy and Affiliate Programme. She will focus on finding young talent across junior racing series, observing and reviewing their potential as well as integrating them into the Academy or Affiliate programme. Once accepted into Alpine’s Academy, the British racing driver will act as a mentor, guiding them through fitness training and career opportunities.
As well as mentoring talent coming into the industry, she will work with fellow Brit and W Series driver Abbi Pulling who joined the Affiliate Program earlier this year ahead of her W Series 2022 campaign. Pulling debuted with the championship last year, racing with PUMA. She made history earlier this year alongside Aseel Al Hamad by becoming the first women to drive Formula One cars on the streets of Saudi Arabia. Pulling secured a podium in her previous season with W Series at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing seventh overall in the drivers’ standings.
After finishing second to reigning champion Jamie Chadwick in 2021, Alice Powell will complete the 2022 season racing with Click2Drive Bristol Street Motors. She made history back in 2009 after becoming the youngest female driver to compete in the Formula Renault UK Championship. A year later she further broke records by becoming the first female to win a Formula Renault Championship race in the BARC competition.
The 29-year-old took five podiums and three wins in the eight-race W Series 2021 season, ending the championship 27 points behind Chadwick. She will return for a full campaign starting at the Miami International Autodrome for the season’s first double-header this weekend.
“I’m delighted to join the team. More and more opportunities for women within motorsport are emerging now, but budding drivers often lack guidance and experience in the early days of their career,” said Powell.
“The Alpine Academy is an extremely useful stepping stone for all drivers. It provides a sense of credibility and has a defined place on the motorsport ladder. Mentoring is very important. We need to change the mindset of young women that these opportunities do exist, but to also give them the resilience to reach out and grab these opportunities with both hands”.
19-year-old Abbi Pulling added, “I’m really happy to be working closely with Alice. I’ve found the Affiliate programme already to be very beneficial. I’ve recently had my first drive in a Formula 1 car and enjoyed some other track time ahead of my W Series campaign thanks to the Affiliate programme.”
“It’s a really supportive environment which is also really useful for me to hopefully show other young women that the opportunities in motorsport are there, you just need the drive and motivation to seize them”.
