Carmen Jorda: “A women’s championship would be wonderful”

Carmen Jorda arrived this year at Lotus as a development driver. Echoing Bernie Ecclestone’s proposal, the young woman thinks that a Formula 1 championship reserved for women would be a fantastic thing.

This season, Carmen Jorda became the second female driver to be part of the Formula 1 paddock, in the same capacity as Susie Wolff with Williams, who is an inspiration for the young Spaniard: « The idea was born a long time ago when I was racing in GP3. I think women should be in motorsport. Three years ago, I saw that Susie Wolff was in Formula 1, and I thought if she can do it, then I can do it. »

The young woman believes that a women’s championship could help promote women in motorsport because, according to her, male drivers somewhat disparage women: « They think a woman cannot win in Formula 1. That’s why I think a women’s Formula 1 championship would be an excellent idea. There are prominent supporters of this idea, as we’ve seen recently. If the women’s Formula 1 championship were to materialize, then that would be fantastic »

According to her, if no women are present in the discipline, it is because there are still too many obstacles to overcome: « When I was very young, I had just started karting and achieved a podium, and another driver who completed the podium started crying. When they asked him why, he said it was because a girl had beaten him. That’s the reaction of men, everywhere in every race, they try to bring you down ».

Carmen Jorda, however, highlights a better treatment of women in society: « Today, society has changed a lot over the past decades. Now, we can see women in higher quality jobs, we can see women competing in their own disciplines: football, tennis, and skiing. Each of these sports has its own championship. Now the question is: why not have a Formula 1 World Championship for women? »

Nevertheless, Jorda doesn’t want to rush her development: « I don’t know Susie’s position, but as for me, I want to take it step by step. During the season, we plan to test the E23 hybrid for the first time, and I need to prepare for that. A lot of work will be needed on the simulator. Remember, it’s my first year in Formula 1. Then, we’ll see about the next years of my career ».

The newcomer at Lotus discusses the differences between a GP3 and a Formula 1 car, and also outlines her program for the coming months: « GP3 is a high-level championship and I was the only woman to participate in it. In this category, the challenges are very different from Formula 1. For example, a GP3 single-seater does not have power steering, so you have to exert force on the steering wheel, which is not the case in Formula 1 where there’s more downforce, so you need to work on your neck, and there are much higher G-forces. It’s important to work on physical strength, which will be my next mission. For now, I will spend some time in Enstone, where I will improve. Then I will attend races where I will take part in team meetings to continue learning ».