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After Caterham F1 team decided to crowdfound its return in Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, Alice Powell's grandfather is ready to invest his own money to see her take part in Friday's first free practice session of the Grand Prix, November 21st.
Twenty-one-year-old Alice Powell was the Formula Renault BARC Champion in 2010 and is the only female to have scored points in the GP3 series.
Caterham is currently in administration and Powell's grandfather, Jim Fraser, wrote to Smith and Williamson offering to pay a reported £35,000 ($55,000) if they let her drive in free practice 1 in Abu Dhabi.
“My grandfather, who has helped me throughout my racing career, has decided he is going to help put some money towards Caterham if they allow me to test in practice 1,” Alice Powell told Sky Sports News HQ.
Whilst the deal is currently just for Friday's first practice outing, the Oxford native isn't ruling out contesting the rest of the weekend.
However, there is a (major) hurdle to that project.
Alice Powell needs to obtain her Super Licence to take part in an official session at the Yas Marina Circuit, and she needs to cover at least 300km in a recent F1 car under the supervision of an official of the FIA to get it.
“I'm pretty confident,” she declared.
“It will be tough, there are people who have arrived at the circuit in the past to test and have been turned away and been told ‘you don't have a Super Licence, we aren't giving you a Super Licence' so it will be very tough.
“But I think it would be good for the sport to get a female out there racing or even testing again. We've obviously had Susie Wolff this year who did a great job so I think it would be really good for the sport.”
Caterham is currently trying to raise $3.7 million by Friday through crowdfunding to race in Abu Dhabi.
Twenty-one-year-old Alice Powell was the Formula Renault BARC Champion in 2010 and is the only female to have scored points in the GP3 series.
Caterham is currently in administration and Powell's grandfather, Jim Fraser, wrote to Smith and Williamson offering to pay a reported £35,000 ($55,000) if they let her drive in free practice 1 in Abu Dhabi.
“My grandfather, who has helped me throughout my racing career, has decided he is going to help put some money towards Caterham if they allow me to test in practice 1,” Alice Powell told Sky Sports News HQ.
Whilst the deal is currently just for Friday's first practice outing, the Oxford native isn't ruling out contesting the rest of the weekend.
However, there is a (major) hurdle to that project.
Alice Powell needs to obtain her Super Licence to take part in an official session at the Yas Marina Circuit, and she needs to cover at least 300km in a recent F1 car under the supervision of an official of the FIA to get it.
“I'm pretty confident,” she declared.
“It will be tough, there are people who have arrived at the circuit in the past to test and have been turned away and been told ‘you don't have a Super Licence, we aren't giving you a Super Licence' so it will be very tough.
“But I think it would be good for the sport to get a female out there racing or even testing again. We've obviously had Susie Wolff this year who did a great job so I think it would be really good for the sport.”
Caterham is currently trying to raise $3.7 million by Friday through crowdfunding to race in Abu Dhabi.