Maria Teresa de Filippis made history as the first woman to race in Formula 1, Lella Lombardi made history as the first woman to score points in Formula 1, and Monisha Kaltenborn became the first woman to lead a Formula 1 team. These women arrived before Susie Wolff and Ella Lloyd but have inspired them both.
Wolff is the managing director of F1 Academy. Before that, she was the Venturi Racing Formula E Team Principal. As the women before her once paved the way, Wolff continues to pave the way for upcoming drivers like 19-year-old Ella Lloyd. Lloyd and her team recently made an exciting announcement about her future in motorsports.
Ella Lloyd joins F1 Academy under McLaren
On October 8, 2024, it was announced that F4 driver Ella Lloyd would be joining F1 Academy. Ahead of joining F1 Academy, Lloyd also joined McLaren’s Driver Development program. Lloyd got to drive for F1 Academy wildcard entry at the Singapore Grand Prix just before the announcements came where she placed 9th in race 1 and 7th in race 2.
🚨 BREAKING: Ella Lloyd becomes the latest driver to join the @McLarenF1 Driver Development programme and will represent the team in the 2025 F1 Academy season with @RodinMotorsport.
Ella will also take part in Formula E’s first-ever Women’s Test for the NEOM McLaren Formula… pic.twitter.com/1wpZNDLGHU
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) October 8, 2024
Both announcements come right after the end of the British Formula 4 season on Sunday, October 6. This year in F4, she had multiple-point finishes, placed second three times and third once, and finished 11th with 99 points. She has also competed in the Ginetta Junior and Ginetta GT series. In 2023, when racing in Ginetta GT, Lloyd earned the vice-champion title.
Ella Lloyd joins all women test for Formula E
As a part of McLaren’s Driver Development program, Lloyd will be taking part in Formula E’s Women’s Test. She will be driving for Neom McLaren. While it is required to race at least one woman, it is recommended to race two in the season. There is no confirmation if Lloyd will be racing alongside another driver such as Bianca Bustamante.
Welcome, Ella! 👋
We’re delighted to announce that McLaren Development Driver, Ella Lloyd, will join the team in Valencia as one of our drivers for the @FIAFormulaE Women’s Test. 🧡⚡️ pic.twitter.com/FBFGBXXKHL
— NEOM McLaren FE (@McLarenFE) October 8, 2024
This is the first time of its kind. Formula E is already known for testing the boundaries of motorsport racing with the race cars being fully electric vehicles. Another significant detail about Formula E’s Women’s Test is that the women will be racing the current season’s car. The car is said to be “30% faster than a current F1 car“.
