Jo Coddington has been part of a male-dominated industry her whole life, from her dad’s shop to racing to running Boyd Coddington’s business. So it’s good to see the numbers finally moving.
F1 Academy is pulling in fans
F1 Academy, the all-women series that races on the Formula 1 weekend schedule, is in its fourth season, and the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey ranked it the second-most followed series after F1 itself. Eight of this year’s 15 full-time drivers are 18 or younger. The 2026 calendar visits seven F1 venues, including a debut at Silverstone and a return to Circuit of the Americas.
The sponsors noticed. Partners include Charlotte Tilbury, whose partnership was 2024’s most engaged in motorsport, plus Gatorade, Wella Professionals and LEGO. Graduates are moving up too: 2025 champion Doriane Pin is now a Mercedes-AMG Petronas development driver.
Porsche widens the road
Closer to home, the Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program expanded in 2026 to seven drivers in five North American series: Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Porsche Sprint Challenge, GT World Challenge America, Pirelli GT4 America and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The program also covers media training, fitness and technical education.
Why it matters for brands
Women aren’t only on the grid. They’re in the grandstands, the shops and the buying decisions. Brands that want to reach that audience need voices it trusts.
Jo has spent decades proving a woman belongs in the hot rod world. Her book, Second Spark, is about building confidence at any age, and she brings that same message to women’s groups and events as a speaker.
Looking for a speaker? Book Jo to speak →