George Mathias
MALLORCAN Luna Fluxa has become the first girl to join Mercedes F1 teams’ junior driving programme.
The 11-year-old is the current IAME Euro Series champion in the X30 Mini karting category.
Last week she attended the launch of the Mercedes W13 car for the 2022 season, meeting seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and rising star George Russell, describing the experience as ‘incredible’.
(Photo: Mercedes F1 press release)
Luna says she is fully focussed on the upcoming junior karting championship: “This year my goal will be to learn and do the best I can. Ultimately though, being the first female to be on the Formula 1 grid is what this young Mallorcan girl dreams of,” she said.
Gwen Lagrue, Mercedes’ driver development advisor, said it was a ‘special moment’ in the F1 team’s history.
Since its inception, only two women have ever started a Formula 1 race, Italian Lella Lombardi between 1974 and 1976 and her compatriot Maria Teresa de Filippis in the 1958/59 season.
The first F1 practice of the season got underway in Barcelona on Wednesday.
The new season begins in Bahrain on March 20 following an engrossing championship last season which saw Max Verstappen become the world champion on the last lap of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
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