i think the topic of whether f1a is successful or not is such a nuanced topic because you can argue that it isn't doing enough to actually help women progress through the single-seater ladder and towards f1 (abbi is the only one in this list that is still racing single seater and shes in gb3)

it realistically only gives them a platform and visibility they didnt have before and that's not inherently a bad thing, the visibility, the exposure, the opportunities and the fact that young girls can actually look at a female driver and see themselves in motorsport are all incredibly important. but visibility only gets you so far.

it also makes you question if the teams genuinely care about their f1a driver cause most of them are dropped as soon as they graduate/leave especially now with maya's situation; did ferrari ever care? did they ever see her a driver they wanted to develop long term or did they just sign her so they dont get a bad rep? and mind you maya finished 2025 in 2nd and she cant get funding, imagine the situation for rest of them

right now f1a isnt functioning as a ladder but just a platform. and it risks becoming the highest level women are expected to reach rather than the place that helps them reach higher levels in single seaters.

a lot of them came into f1a and left unchanged, a lot of them went back to where they were before. and thats not necessarily a bad thing because there is absolutely nothing wrong with going into rallying or endurance racing or any other discipline. f1 isnt the pinnacle of racing and these women can have incredibly successful careers outside of single seaters.