“F1 for me is impossible, the Virgin would have to appear”

The Spanish driver Nerea Martí affirms that competing in Formula 1 is “impossible” for her “economically, not out of desire”, so “a sheikh” or “the Virgin” would have to appear to achieve it, after two “super nice” years in the F1 Academy, of which she feels “proud” for having “squeezed them one hundred percent.”

“I started when I was 13 years old. My father and my uncle opened a karting in Valencia, for rent, and that was where it all started. At first it was more of a game and then it took quite a bit of shape until today it is what I dedicate myself to,” says the 23-year-old Valencian, in an interview with Europa Press before the presentation of the book ‘Formula 1: Rivals’.

Martí remembers “everything was super nice” from his beginnings, although there were “also difficult moments”, fundamentally, “at the beginning”, because his family “could not pay for everything that comes with the engine.” “It was looking for ‘sponsors’, whenever I competed it was looking for results or looking for justification in the face of the ‘sponsors’,” he recalled.

“But it is true that we have always done a good job, we have known how to say yes and say no, being at the right moment. Of course, it has not been easy at all, in fact, it has been a very difficult path, but we also learn from that,” added the pilot.

And the Spanish woman maintains hope, although “right now it is more work than hope.” “To all athletes, when you have been dedicating yourself to the sport for so many years and trying your best and it stabilizes and you find a category in which you are comfortable, without the pressure of Formula 1, because it is impossible, at least in my case, you take it with a different perspective, but I continue training and competing with the same enthusiasm,” he defends.

“F1 is impossible for me right now, a sheikh would have to come or the Virgin would appear. I’m not saying it’s impossible out of desire, but economically. If I want Formula 3, it’s 2 million just to compete without testing, it’s impossible. Now I’m motivated in the world of GT, Resistance, Formula E, even the powerboats (E1 Series). There are many more opportunities,” she explained.

Because Martí wants to continue building his future. “I talk about it a lot with my family, I’m going to be 24 years old, I’m not 15 years old, and I also have to live and I have my expenses and my plans for the future and I have to start making money, I can’t always be investing everything in a motor,” he added.

“The most beautiful thing is being in a world that I love, doing what I like the most and living great experiences, being in the Formula 1 paddock, traveling to incredible places and obviously competing. The worst thing is the pressure of each year of not knowing if you are going to continue, but that has made me value many things. Now I am not in Formulas, I am linked to Formula E, but not Formula 4, Formula 3, and now I value it a lot. I miss it a lot, I don’t regret it either, I always given 100%,” Martí insisted.

“IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE ARE WOMEN IN F1”

Although she positively remembers her two “super nice” years in the F1 Academy, a category dedicated exclusively to women organized by F1. “I have learned a lot and I am super happy to have shared it with the Campos team, but I went from race to race and without any preparation. So it is very difficult no matter how good you are or how much talent you have, last year there were seven races and seven times that I got into Formula. But I have always given 100% and I have won races, I have taken pole positions, and I am keeping that,” she said, after adding 10 podiums in two years.

Thus, she believes that it is still “a little far” for a woman to reach Formula 1, although everything is on “the right path.” “If before I saw it as very difficult, now I see it as a possibility. The changes have been incredible, everyone is supporting women and everyone is investing so that a woman can come to Formula 1. I don’t want to say an exact date, but I think it is a matter of time before there are women in F1,” she says.

“When I started, I wouldn’t have even imagined getting to where we’ve gotten. And I’m very proud that every year I’ve enjoyed it, I’ve tried my best and I’ve made the most of it one hundred percent,” she stressed proudly, stating that she wants to “start taking steps in Endurance” with the great goal of racing in the WEC or Le Mans.

In addition, the Valencian also competes in the E1 Series of electric boats, with LeBron James’ Team AlUla Championed team. “It’s very cool. They are boats like electric boats. And it’s very cool because the teams are made up of Rafa Nadal, Will Smith, LeBron James, who have a lot of visibility. But apart from the format of the championship, it amuses me a lot because you are constantly active in the water,” he concluded.