Claire Williams was the last woman to run an F1 team in 2020. While F1's fanbase has transformed (3/4 new fans are women Via @LukeSmithF1 on X

What happened: Claire Williams, the last woman to lead a Formula 1 team before stepping away from Williams in 2020, says the grid still has no female team principal. She called the continued absence "a real shame" and said having a woman at the helm again "would be so powerful."

Why it matters: The comments land as F1's audience shifts rapidly, with three of every four new fans now women, yet the sport's leadership ranks have not followed. Williams' departure in 2020 left a gap at the top that no woman has filled since, even as the championship pushes hard to broaden its appeal.

By the numbers: Last woman to run an F1 team: Claire Williams, until 2020. Female team principals on the current grid: zero. New F1 fans who are women: roughly three in four.

What to watch: Watch whether any team turns to a female principal as the grid and front offices reshuffle, and whether F1's growing female fanbase translates into leadership change.

Sources