Girls aim to rev up F1 lane

FAST: SKYE'S THE LIMIT FOR WOMEN EYEING THE FAST LANE IN A MALE-DOMINATED SPORT

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ON TRACK. Skye Parker takes part in a test training session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmelo. Efforts are being made to tackle gender inequality on every level in motorsport. RACE READY. Skye Parker's personalised pink and green helmet distinguishes her from other drivers. PIONEER. Skye Parker poses during a day out at the Shenington Kart Racing Club track in England.

(AFP AFP)

A dozen girls whizzed around an English karting track, part of a pioneering drive to draw women into motorsports and even race to the top in male-dominated Formula 1.

A special test day in October in Nottingham aimed to address a major gender gap in F1, one of the flashiest of sports.

Italian Lella Lombardi was the last woman to compete in an F1 Grand Prix in 1976, and the absence of women is linked to young girls' limited exposure to motorsports, say gender-parity organisations.

More Than Equal, a nonprofit that supports women drivers, said girls start karting two years later than boys on average. Seven-time F1 champ Lewis Hamilton got into the format at eight.