Alpine sign up W Series star to help find future female F1 prospects

Alice Powell will ‘focus primarily on scouting young female talent’ for Alpine’s academy and affiliate programmes

Alice Powell finished runner-up to Jamie Chadwick in last season’s W Series (Getty Images)

Formula One team Alpine has recruited W Series contender Alice Powell as a talent identification and development mentor, with a specific focus on scouting young female talent.

Powell, who finished second in the female-only W Series last season, will work with emerging drivers and help integrate them into Alpine’s academy programmes.

This is set to include mentoring fellow Briton Abbi Pulling, who joined one of Alpine’s affiliate programmes last year.

“More and more opportunities for women within motorsport are emerging now, but budding drivers often lack guidance and experience in the early days of their career,” Powell said.

“The Alpine Academy provides a sense of credibility and has a defined place on the motorsport ladder.

“Mentoring is very important. We need to change the mindset of young women that these opportunities do exist, but to also give them the resilience to reach out and grab these opportunities with both hands.”

The 19-year-old Pulling will race in W Series this season and in March drove an Alpine Formula One car ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.