Faster than F1: The extreme motorsport where women keep winning

Thursday, 08 October 2026 - 12:08 | Views - 29

Like "being shot out of a cannon" is the closest comparison that driver Susanne Callin can come up with for the extreme motorsport she competes in.

She is a two-time European champion in Top Fuel drag racing - often described as the fastest sport on the planet.

Races begin with a bone-shaking roar, as the world's fastest-accelerating cars leave the starting line, flames bursting out of their exhaust pipes.

The cars surge to more than 300mph (483km/h) in races that last just four seconds, with drivers experiencing more g-force than an astronaut launching into space.

It is the only elite class of motorsport where women frequently beat men to major titles.

Women have won seven out of the past nine European Championships, while, until recently, female US driver Brittany Force held the world speed record in the sport. In comparison, it is 50 years since a woman even competed in a Formula 1 Grand Prix race.

Women account for about 10% of participants across motorsport, and just 4% of elite drivers, according to campaign group More Than Equal. However, they made up 20% of the drivers competing in this year's US and European Top Fuel seasons.

So why is this high-velocity motorsport bucking the trend?

More Than Equal has described drag racing as "the most gender-equal motorsport in the world". Top Fuel is its most extreme form, named in reference to the powerful nitromethane fuel the cars run on.

Races take place on a straight track, just 1,000 feet (305 metres) long. Usually, two cars race each other. The intense g-force hits in the first second of the race, as the cars go from stationary to 100mph, with a second gut punch following as the clutch fully engages about half-way through.

It can look terrifying. The adrenalin rush is "extremely addictive", Swedish driver Callin, aged 43, tells BBC Global Women. Concern over the risks "is always there" she says, but "the safety really does work". Drivers are highly protected and safety precautions have been boosted further after fatal crashes in nitromethane-fuelled cars in 2004 and 2008, with races reduced in length.

Even just watching from the stands is a visceral experience, with vibrations shaking your body and the ground. Spectators are advised to wear ear defenders - the noise is comparable in decibels to standing next to a fighter jet taking off.

The highest official speed ever reached in a Top Fuel drag race is over 346mph, compared to 231mph in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Brakes alone cannot slow the cars fast enough, so parachutes are deployed from the car's rear at the finish. The abrupt halt is "like someone kicking you in the chest", says Callin. "You lose your breath."

Top Fuel drivers need lightning-fast reactions and the physical endurance to withstand the intense forces. Precision driving skills are crucial as constant tiny adjustments are needed to keep the car on track.

"It has to be instant reactions with everything," says Callin. "By the time you've thought about it, it's too late… You really have to be one with the car."

And drivers need sheer guts. As Callin's rival and friend, 32-year-old Swiss driver Jndia Erbacher, jokingly tells the BBC - it takes "b@*#s".

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