The topic of female drivers returning to Formula 1 is now being discussed more than ever thanks to the plethora of talented women competing in single-seaters.

There are certainly plenty of women involved in F1 as it stands, whether that be development drivers, ambassadors, or engineers.

But how much closer are we to seeing a woman drive on the world's most-watched motorsport grid again?

And are these existing opportunities inspiring more women, or simply proving to be an act of tokenism?

Why are there no women in F1?

The last woman to race in F1 was Lella Lombardi back in 1976, and the most recent female driver to attempt to qualify was Giovanna Amati in 1992.

The main roadblock is funding.

Securing the budget to race is extremely hard, and often young drivers are forced to pull out of Championships due to lack of funds.

British racer Abbi Pulling is just one example of this.

Abbi Pulling comes second in W Series Barcelona Grand Prix
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 21: Second placed Abbi Pulling of Great Britain and Racing X (49) celebrates on the podium during the W Series Round 2 race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 21, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 21: Second placed Abbi Pulling of Great Britain and Racing X (49) celebrates on the podium during the W Series Round 2 race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 21, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The W Series star had to give up her seat in Formula 4 in 2021 after a run of unfortunate form meant she was unable to secure further funding.

Pulling's results in F4 did not reflect her full potential as a driver. However, this is the harsh reality of motorsport.

Even three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick admitted she was unable to secure a seat in Formula 3 last year due to lack of funding.

The British star driver has since joined IndyCar feeder series INDY NXT.

Jamie Chadwick wins W Series French Grand Prix

LE CASTELLET, FRANCE - JULY 23: Race winner Jamie Chadwick of Great Britain and Jenner Racing (55) celebrates on the podium during the W Series Round 4 race at Circuit Paul Ricard on July 23, 2022 in Le Castellet, France. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Are female roles in F1 becoming tokenistic?

While there may not be any full-time drivers right now, there have been some pretty high profile female development drivers in the top flight.

The likes of Susie Wolff, Sarah Fisher, and Tatiana Calderón have all enjoyed spells as F1 development drivers for McLaren, Williams, and Sauber respectively.

Chadwick also recently extended her relationship with Williams and she believes her simulator work there has prepared her for a potential future drive in the F1 car.

But how close is she to actually getting behind the wheel?

Jamie Chadwick of Williams Racing

AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 22: Chloe Grace Moretz and Jamie Chadwick visit Williams Racing during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 22, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images for Williams Racing)

European Le Mans driver Michelle Gatting believes female F1 development drivers are simply a marketing ploy.

She recently discussed this on the BBC's The Sports Desk and said she firmly believes there are plenty of women who could compete in F1, but it's not as simple as just showing up and asking to race.

"F1 specifically need to open up to the idea that they can actually have a female competing at a good level.

"They have tried to get girls into F1 as a marketing tool and having them there as test drivers but at the end of the day, they didn't do much. They were just there because it looked good in the pictures to have a female there next to the two [male] F1 drivers.

"We want them there because they deserve to be there. Because they have worked their a**es off to get there."

LE MANS, FRANCE - JUNE 11: The #85 Iron Dames Ferrari 488 GTE - EVO drivers Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy joke around before the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe on June 11, 2022 in Le Mans, France. (Photo by Ker Robertson/Getty Images)

Indeed, before any driver can even be considered for an F1 seat, they must accumulate super licence points. Even if a driver is part of an F1 team's development system, they cannot just work their way up to land themselves a spot on the grid.

In fact, it's unlikely development drivers will even sit inside the actual car itself.

Despite these minor roles being labelled ‘tokenistic’ by a large number of people, Chadwick believes they are continuing to inspire new generations of female drivers.

The three-time W Series champion also appeared on 'The Sports Desk' to argue that roles similar to hers with Williams are pushing more women in motorsport into the spotlight.

Jamie Chadwick W Series

LONGFIELD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: Jamie Chadwick of Great Britain prepares before qualifying for the W Series round six and final race of the inaugural championship at Brands Hatch on August 11, 2019 in Longfield, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

"I wouldn't like to say it's tokenism — the support goes both ways," Chadwick said.

"Aside from if it's believed to be tokenism or not, I think giving women visible roles in the sport is important. It does inspire young girls to get involved and it does shine spotlight on women in the sport which is what is going to get more involved at grassroots level."

Thew new Formula 1 Academy aims to develop young female drivers and give them a leg-up onto the motorsport ladder.

However, with the inaugural season yet to kick off, there is no way of predicting just how successful this new Championship will be just yet.

You can find all the latest Formula 1 news and exclusives right here on GiveMeSport.

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