Women Race-Car Drivers Are Asking F1, "When Is the Sport Going to Be Ready For Us?"

Women drivers need more opportunities like that to learn from those at the top and to be in the control room during races. But there aren't many women in management and owner roles in the sport, making it tough to challenge the status quo. "In Formula 1, team owners and managers have been there for 30-plus years, so it's quite hard to change their mind," Calderon says. While there are women who work in less forward-facing roles (i.e. engineers, directors, marketing execs) across F1, according to ESPN, only two women have managed F1 teams, and neither are still working in the sport.

Still, despite the obstacles in their path, women drivers have seen an increase in representation overall. "When I started [go karting], I was one of three girls. Now I go back to cart races and see three girls in each category — it's not comparing to the 30-plus guys driving, but we can't expect this to change overnight," Pulling says. Part of that change — in the last four years, anyway — is thanks to the W Series, which is putting these women drivers on a platform so other young women who dream of driving race cars can see what's possible.

But why set the ceiling at the W series? Drivers like Pulling and Calderon are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to compete at the highest level of racing. When it comes to F1, "Usually I get the question, 'When is a woman going to be ready?'" Calderon says. "It's, 'When is the sport going to be ready for us?'"