It was 2021 when Maya Weug, born in Spain to a Belgian mother and a Dutch father, won the FIA Girls on Track contest and became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Barely a 16-year-old at the time, Maya had already made history – being the first female driver to join the Prancing Horse. Her presence in the junior programme is essential for female representation, given women’s struggle to gain recognition in the world of motorsports.
Our team at Mult1formula had the chance to briefly chat with Maya over the course of the opening FRECA race weekend in Imola.
This is now your third year in the Academy. How has your experience changed over the years?
«Yeah, third year already. Actually there’s not much difference in what we do. The drivers we train with change, but the things we do are always the same, more or less. We try to work a lot on the physical side – even more so this year, given the fact that I’ve switched from Formula 4 to FRECA – but apart from that the preparation is very similar.»
You’re one of the few female drivers on the grid. Is there something that can be done to increase the chances of a girl making it to FRECA? Or do you think that what is already being done is good enough?
«I’ve seen a lot more girls in motorsports in general since I started. The numbers are growing, Aurelia [Nobels] is now part of the Ferrari Driver Academy too. Programmes like FIA Women In Motorsport or FIA Girls on Track help tremendously – they show younger girls that they can make it.»
And finally: is there a race that’s particularly special to you, or a circuit you’d like to race at?
«There are many really nice tracks on the calendar this year. Spa is gorgeous, I like it a lot. Zandvoort as well. Those are home circuits for me, being both Dutch and Belgian. And Barcelona too: I was born in Spain, so that’s another of the tracks I like the most and I’d love to race at.»
We thank Maya and wish her good luck for the upcoming rounds!
Interview – Olivia Carbone, Gaïa Vanucci
Original article (Italian) – Noemi Maio
Translation – Claudio Scalia
