MAYA WEUG: CHASING THE DREAM OF FORMULA 1

In the male-dominated world of motorsport, young women are starting to make their voices heard louder than ever before. Among them is Maya Weug, the first female driver to join the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, who is now competing in the F1 Academy. At only 19 years old, she is not just driving fast cars — she is driving change, inspiring a new generation of girls to believe in their place on the track.

“I started racing when I was 7 years old, so I’ve been chasing my dream in motorsport for quite a while now.”

Facing challenges every day
When asked about the biggest challenge of her journey, Maya explains:
“Every race presents a new challenge to me; finding the right setup, the perfect feeling in each corner, and the best strategy for qualifying and the weekend ahead. Motorsport is a sport where you learn something new every day, which keeps us constantly on our toes to get the most out of every situation.”

The passion for racing
What she loves most about her role is crystal clear:
“I love everything about racing, especially driving, and the feeling of qualifying on new tires is amazing. The racing itself, the battles and overtaking, always gives me an extra kick.”

Looking up to role models
Like many young drivers, Maya had female role models in the sport:
“When I started karting, I always looked up to Marta Garcia and Beitske Visser. They were already competing internationally when I was a few years younger, and I wanted to reach their level.”

A message to young women
To all those who dream of joining F1 but doubt themselves, Maya has a powerful message:
“Just follow your dream, work hard, and keep pushing every day. In the end, you have to do what you love most without worrying too much about what others say.”

Making the paddock more inclusive
If she could change one thing in the paddock today, Maya is clear:
“I would love to see even more girls in the paddock! Since I started karting, the number of girls has already increased, which is fantastic. But the more girls we can have in the paddock—not only as drivers, but also as engineers, mechanics, and in all other roles in motorsport—the better it will be for the sport as a whole.”

Defining girl power in motorsport
For Maya, girl power is all about “showing what we’re capable of, being determined and always working hard to achieve our goals.”

Preparing mentally
Behind the scenes, mental preparation plays a huge role in her performance:
“I work a lot on the mental side to make sure I can perform under high-pressure situations. Simulator work is key, we spend at least 2 full days on the simulator ahead of each test or race to be fully ready and prepared ahead of every possible scenario during the race weekend.”

Breaking misconceptions
According to Maya, one of the biggest misconceptions about her work is that people don’t realize the effort beyond the races:
“I think many people don’t realize how much work goes on between races and off-track. I’m in the gym or training almost every day to stay physically prepared. There’s also a lot involved in finding partners and sponsors to keep racing. Plus, the travel is intense, just this year, I’ve already had over 60 flights, to go to the tracks, to the simulator, for training or for events. The year is super busy off-track, and we keep pushing hard every day to perform on race weekends.”

A dream that never fades
And her biggest dream?
“My dream since I was a little girl has been Formula 1. I take everything step by step and year by year, working to get closer to it. Ultimately, my goal is to become a professional racing driver and inspire more young girls to start racing.”

Conclusion
Maya’s words reflect more than ambition — they carry the determination of a whole new generation of women entering motorsport. With her resilience, passion, and vision for a more inclusive paddock, she is proving that talent knows no gender.

Her story is still being written, but one thing is already clear: Maya Weug is not only racing for herself — she is racing for every young girl who dares to dream of Formula 1.