A teenage Mexican girl is racing against men and dreaming of reaching Formula 1

MEXICO CITY -- Ivanna Richards hopes to 1 time ace nan Formula 1 boys club.

The 16-year-old Mexican driver is disconnected to a bully start.

Richards, 1 of conscionable 2 female drivers racing successful nan apical categories successful Mexico, is wrapping up her first play connected nan way wherever she competes against men — including her father.

With 1 much title to go, Richards is 15th successful nan standings among 24 drivers. Homero Richards is 19th.

Talk astir bragging rights.

“Whenever he tries to correct maine astir things that I do connected nan way I show him, ‘you can’t show maine nothing, I americium beating you,’” she says pinch a laugh.

Richards and her begetter title for nan Zapata squad successful nan Super Copa bid successful nan Gran Turismo Mexico division, wherever 500-horsepower cars scope apical speeds of 250 kph (155 mph).

Richards' emotion for velocity started astatine an early age. Homero Richards has been racing successful Mexico for nan past 2 decades and Ivanna was ever astir nan tracks.

She began driving go-karts astatine property 8.

“I emotion Formula cars, I would emotion to get an induce to title successful 1 of their categories because I’m trying to find my measurement to Formula 1,” she told The Associated Press. “But If cannot make it there, past I would for illustration to effort successful NASCAR aliases IndyCar Series.”

Five female drivers person entered Formula 1 expansive prix races, but nary since Giovanna Amati successful 1992, and only 2 person qualified and raced. Other female drivers person been progressive successful F1 testing since Amati's bid to qualify. The past female to commencement an F1 title was Lella Lombardi successful 1976.

“Sometimes nan mobility is erstwhile is simply a female going to get successful Formula 1, but I deliberation nan existent mobility is erstwhile is nan Formula 1 is going to beryllium fresh to person a woman,” Richards said. “But I’m going to effort it, if you conflict for your dreams, you tin make it.”

Earlier this year, Ivanna became nan first Mexican female to beryllium invited to thrust successful nan F1 Academy — a racing bid for female drivers — wherever she tested a Formula 4 car successful Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

“We are thrilled pinch her development, and nan advancement that she is having for specified an early age,” Homero Richards told nan AP. “She is really doing good driving a difficult car arsenic nan GTM. She has a agelong measurement to go, but she is having a bully process.”

The governing assemblage FIA has been trying to summation nan number of women competing successful motorsport pinch a programme called “Girls connected Track” that offers opportunities to talented young drivers astir nan world.

Richards participated successful that programme arsenic a inferior driver 3 years ago.

After this season, nan scheme is for her to thrust Formula cars either successful Europe aliases nan United States, but Richards needs to find sponsorship and a seat.

When she raced go-karts, 1 of Richards' main sponsors was Telmex, nan telecommunications institution owned by billionaire Carlos Slim, who has been Sergio Perez's main sponsor done his Formula 1 career.

“I watched Checo’s path to nan Formula 1 and it makes maine deliberation if he could do it, past I could do it,” Richards said. “He is for illustration an inspiration for me.”

The different female racing successful nan apical categories successful Mexico is Regina Sirvent, who competes successful nan NASCAR Mexico Truck series. Before them, Alexandra Mohnhaupt raced successful Formula 3 successful Europe, but aft an mishap astatine Spa-Francorchamps she retired successful 2018.

Richards won 3 nationals titles racing go-karts successful Mexico — MicroSwitf (2018), MiniSwift (2019-20) and nan KZ2 (2022). A twelvemonth ago, she drove successful nan Super Copa arsenic a typical impermanent for nan Formula 1 title successful Mexico and past decided to effort nan afloat play this year.

In nan Gran Turismo she’s nan only female driver.

“In go-karts it was mixed, but it was mostly against men — and now it’s conscionable men. The truth is that rumor has ne'er affected me. Since I started (racing), it was fundamentally nan same, and there's nary complications,” Richards said.

From their Mexico City location base, Richards is capable to equilibrium schoolhouse and play racing.

Though she races astatine precocious speeds, she technically isn't aged capable to thrust retired successful public. She tin get her driver's licence astatine property 18, but connected juncture her parents fto her return nan car for short errands.

“That’s a funny part, successful nan way I tin spell complete 200 kilometers per hour, but successful nan existent world I still don’t person a driver’s license, and I person to inquire for my parents' car to spell retired and thrust to nan supermarket,” Richards said. “I don’t cognize if my mother gets much tense erstwhile I’m successful nan way aliases riding extracurricular of it.”

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AP car racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing